Francesco Renda (18 February 1922 – 12 May 2013) was an Italian Marxist historian, Communist politician and a university professor. Renda was born in Cattolica Eraclea in Sicily. He graduated in philosophy. At a young age he enrolled in the Italian Communist Party (Partito Comunista Italiano – PCI). He became Secretary in charge of Camera Confederale del Lavoro in Agrigento.