Dario Fo was born March 24, 1926 in the small town of San Giano, Italy. His father was an amateur actor, a station master, and a socialist. Fo’s mother has been described as a woman of “great imagination.” As a child, Fo spent many days at his grandfather’s farm in Lomellina. During his visits, Fo would join his grandfather selling produce, where he met a diverse group of people and discovered a love of storytelling. As he came of age, Fo spent time learning about the Italian oral storytelling tradition from fishers and glass blowers. Dario Fo quickly discovered a passion and talent for writing, storytelling, and entertainment.

In 1940, Dario attended the Brera Art Academy, where he studied architecture, but his education was interrupted by World War II. Conscripted into Benito Mussolini’s fascist Italian army, he eventually managed to escape and join his parents, who worked for the resistance while hiding in a small attic room. Fo’s father smuggled Jewish scientists and captured British soldiers to relative safety in Switzerland. Fo’s mother was known to treat and nurse the wounded (“Dario Fo.” The Nobel Prize, 2023).

After World War II ended, Fo returned to his studies but quickly shifted from architecture to theater, using his architectural skills to help him with stage design.