The National Association of Italian Partisans was created by volunteers who took part in the war in the central regions of the Italian peninsula. After the fall of the Italian Social Republic, the ANPI spread over the country as far as the southern tip of Italy. Most of the partisans who fought came from the center-north of Italy, but there were also members from Yugoslavia, Greece and France. On 5 April 1945, the day that the ANPI was recognized as a charitable foundation, the association represented all the Italian partisans and was managed by a council where the different brigades that fought in the war were present
ANPI’s objectives are the maintenance of the historical role of the partisan war by means of research and the collection of personal stories. Its goals are a continued defense against historical revisionism and the ideal and ethical support of the high values of freedom and democracy expressed in the 1948 constitution, in which the ideals of the Italian resistance were collected.
The association is currently structured with local groups, district groups, council groups, and provincial and regional committees. The association's headquarters are at Via degli Scipioni 271, Rome. Arrigo Boldrini was the ANPI president from the first congress until 2006. Until June 2009 Tino Casali was the honorary president, Raimondo Ricci was the national president and Armando Cossutta was the vice-president. In April 2011 the national committee of the ANPI elected new leadership. Carlo Smuraglia, partisan fighter, lawyer, senator, and labor-rights professor was elected to be the new national president. The following vice-presidents were also elected: Armando Cossutta, Luciano Guerzoni, Giovanna Stanka Hrovatin, Lino "William" Michelini, Carla Nespolo, Marisa Ombra, Alessandro Pollio Salimbeni, and Massimo Rendina. National secretaries include: Carlo Smuraglia, Luciano Guerzoni, Marisa Ferro, Marisa Ombra, Carla Argenton, Andrea Liparoto, and Paolo Papotti. In May 2016 the national committee confirmed the presidency of Carlo Smuraglia, electing Luciano Guerzoni, Carla Nespolo, Marisa Ombra, Alessandro Pollio Salimbeni as vice-presidents. In 2017, following an announcement by Smuraglia, Carla Nespolo was elected to the office of national president, the first woman to be elected to the position and also the first president not to have participated in the original partisan struggle in WWII. Smuraglia was conferred the title president emeritus.
ANPI publishes a magazine called Patria Indipendente. Since 2015 it is only published digitally. The magazine focuses on historical-political issues, noting events related to the Italian resistance and promoting the respect of Constitutional themes.
ANPI national festival
Since 2008, every two years ANPI organizes its national festival. During the event, meetings, debates, and musical concerts that focus on antifascism, peace, and democracy are organized.