While many viewers first heard the song on Netflix, its roots stretch back over a century. Historians trace "Bella Ciao" to two distinct eras of Italian resistance:
The earliest version of the song is believed to have been sung by female workers ( mondine ) in the rice paddies of Northern Italy. These women worked in harsh conditions—standing in waist-deep water under a scorching sun for low pay—and used the song to protest their mistreatment . Bella Ciao La Casa De Papel
In the show, the Professor reveals that his grandfather was an Italian partisan who taught him the song. This lineage justifies why the crew adopts it as their anthem—it positions their heist not as a mere bank robbery, but as an act of resistance against a corrupt financial system . While many viewers first heard the song on
During World War II, the lyrics were adapted by the Italian partisans who fought against Nazi German occupiers and the fascist regime of Benito Mussolini. This "partisan version" is what we hear in the show, featuring lyrics about a fighter bidding farewell to his loved one ("Goodbye, beautiful") before sacrificing his life for liberty. Why La Casa de Papel Chose "Bella Ciao" In the show, the Professor reveals that his
