{"record":{"aliases":[],"appointmentIds":["italy-9f278fab4f28b1"],"appointmentsDataset":"https://chanceries.org/diplomats.json","archivalSources":[],"canonicalUrl":"https://chanceries.org/diplopedia/people/rinaldo-petrignani-158e6e1d09/","countrySlug":"italy","entityId":"https://chanceries.org/diplopedia/people/rinaldo-petrignani-158e6e1d09/#person","eventIds":[],"expandedParagraphs":["Rinaldo Petrignani trained in law and pursued a diplomatic career that included advising the Italian prime minister, heading Italy’s mission to the international organizations in Geneva, and serving as NATO deputy secretary general. He became ambassador in Washington in 1981 and remained for a decade, spanning the Reagan administration and the opening years of George H. W. Bush’s presidency.","The 1985 Achille Lauro affair put the alliance under severe strain. After Palestinian hijackers murdered passenger Leon Klinghoffer, American forces intercepted the aircraft carrying them and brought it to the Italian base at Sigonella. Italy’s assertion of jurisdiction and the subsequent departure of Abu Abbas produced an intense dispute. State Department Italy desk officer Thomas Longo later recalled that Petrignani kept talking with him when other Washington contacts had closed their doors. Longo described the ambassador’s anxious inquiries about American attitudes to Italian political leaders and his own efforts to prevent the quarrel from damaging wider NATO cooperation.","After leaving government service, Petrignani moved into business and public affairs, including leadership of Alenia North America. Boeing appointed him to lead its Italian operations in 2002. He also wrote on Italian foreign policy and the United States, including Neutralità e alleanza, America in diretta, and L’Era americana."],"id":"italy:rinaldo petrignani","identifiers":{},"legacyPersonIds":[],"legacyUrl":"https://chanceries.org/diplomat-158e6e1d0910bded8dd4.html","name":"Rinaldo Petrignani","notes":[],"paragraphSources":[["petrignani-boeing","petrignani-marsilio"],["petrignani-longo"],["petrignani-boeing","petrignani-marsilio"]],"profileUrl":"diplomat-158e6e1d0910bded8dd4.html","relatedEvents":[{"basis":"tenure-overlap","country":"Italy","date":"1985-10-11","description":"American fighters intercept the Achille Lauro hijackers’ aircraft and bring it to Sicily. A confrontation at Sigonella tests the alliance as Italy and the United States dispute custody of the prisoners.","id":"italy-sigonella","note":"Named people and the recorded mission tenure provide the connection; overlap does not establish personal participation.","sourceUrls":["https://tjaglcs.army.mil/Periodicals/The-Army-Lawyer/tal-2021-issue-1/Post/5721/No-1-The-1985-Sigonella-Episode-and-the-Limits-of-the-United-States-Italian-Relationship","https://www.reaganlibrary.gov/archives/speech/statement-principal-deputy-press-secretary-speakes-achille-lauro-hijacking-incident","https://www.reaganlibrary.gov/archives/speech/remarks-and-question-and-answer-session-reporters"],"title":"A standoff at Sigonella","url":"Italy.html#history-italy-sigonella"}],"relatedPeople":[],"relationships":[],"researchStatus":"reviewed","reviewedOn":"2026-10-28","revision":"664eb0d39226a457","sources":[{"accessedOn":"2026-10-28","date":"2002-03-25","id":"petrignani-boeing","locator":"Appointment release and career background","publisher":"Boeing","title":"Boeing Names Rinaldo Petrignani To Lead Boeing-Italy","type":"primary-record","url":"https://boeing.mediaroom.com/2002-03-25-Boeing-Names-Rinaldo-Petrignani-To-Lead-Boeing-Italy"},{"accessedOn":"2026-10-28","date":"","id":"petrignani-marsilio","locator":"Author biography","publisher":"Marsilio Editori","title":"Rinaldo Petrignani","type":"official-biography","url":"https://www.marsilioeditori.it/lista-autori/scheda-autore/4191-rinaldo-petrignani"},{"accessedOn":"2026-10-28","date":"","id":"petrignani-longo","locator":"Reflections, paragraphs on Petrignani","publisher":"American Foreign Service Association; D. Thomas Longo Jr.","title":"The Achille Lauro Affair, 1985","type":"primary-record","url":"https://afsa.org/achille-lauro-affair-1985"},{"accessedOn":"","date":"","id":"mission-7fc24eb1e3731ae8a3ae","locator":"","publisher":"","title":"Previous Italian ambassadors","type":"Mission record","url":"https://ambwashingtondc.esteri.it/en/chi-siamo/lambasciatore/ambasciatori-precedenti/"},{"accessedOn":"","date":"","id":"mission-a301b9b6fe6645c46cf5","locator":"","publisher":"","title":"Rinaldo Petrignani — mission record (1981–1991)","type":"Mission record","url":"https://italiausa.org/en/rinaldo-petrignani-appointed-as-director-of-international-relations-of-the-italy-usa-foundation/"},{"accessedOn":"","date":"","id":"mission-ae93e7158f9021c8c060","locator":"","publisher":"","title":"Rinaldo Petrignani — mission record (1981–1991)","type":"Mission record","url":"https://archives.nato.int/uploads/r/null/1/4/145727/0048_NATO_Facts_and_Figures_1989_ENG.pdf"}],"topics":["NATO","Achille Lauro hijacking","Sigonella crisis","aviation"]},"schemaVersion":1}