Silone was born in a rural family, in the town of Pescina in the Abruzzo region. His father, Paolo Tranquilli, died in 1911 and in the 1915 Avezzano earthquake, he lost many of his family members, including his mother, Marianna Delli Quadri. He left his hometown and finished high school. In 1917, Silone joined the Young Socialists group of the Italian Socialist Party (PSI), rising to be their leader.