Born in
Parma on 16 July 1941, Valentini graduated from the
University of Parma with a thesis on
honor killings. She began working as a journalist for
Corriere della Sera. In 1968, she was selected for a commentary competition by
RAI; although she did not place in the competition, it jumpstarted her journalism career. She became a culture editor at
Panorama and worked as a biographer and investigative journalist in the 1970s. Following disagreements with the editor-in-chief of
Panorama, she joined ''
L'Espresso'' and became a correspondent in the Soviet Union. In the 1990s, she covered the
Bosnian War and wrote a hard-hitting piece on ethnic rape in the conflict. She worked on book projects for until 2018. Valentini died in
Rome on 7 January 2026, at the age of 84. ==Publications==