Urbano Rattazzi

Summary

Urbano Pio Francesco Rattazzi (Italian pronunciation: [urˈbaːno ratˈtattsi]; 29 June 1808  – 5 June 1873) was an Italian politician and statesman.

Urbano Rattazzi
Prime Minister of Italy
In office
10 April 1867 – 27 October 1867
MonarchVictor Emmanuel II
Preceded byBettino Ricasoli
Succeeded byLuigi Federico Menabrea
In office
3 March 1862 – 8 December 1862
MonarchVictor Emmanuel II
Preceded byBettino Ricasoli
Succeeded byLuigi Carlo Farini
President of the Chamber of Deputies
In office
18 February 1861 – 3 March 1862
MonarchVictor Emmanuel II
Preceded byGiovanni Lanza
Succeeded bySebastiano Tecchio
In office
10 January 1859 – 21 January 1860
MonarchVictor Emmanuel II
Preceded byCarlo Bon Compagni
Succeeded byGiovanni Lanza
In office
11 May 1852 – 27 October 1853
MonarchVictor Emmanuel II
Preceded byPier Dionigi Pinelli
Succeeded byCarlo Bon Compagni
Member of the Chamber of Deputies
In office
18 February 1861 – 5 June 1873
ConstituencyAlessandria (1st)
Tortona (2nd)
Personal details
Born(1808-06-20)20 June 1808
Alessandria, French Empire
Died5 June 1873(1873-06-05) (aged 64)
Frosinone, Kingdom of Italy
NationalityItalian
Political partyHistorical Left
Spouse(s)
(m. 1863⁠–⁠1873)
; his death
ChildrenRomana Rattazzi
Alma materUniversity of Turin
ProfessionLawyer
Signature

Personal life edit

He was born in Alessandria, Piedmont. He studied law at Turin, and in 1838 began his practice, which met with marked success at the capital and Casale. His wife, Laetitia Marie Wyse Bonaparte, whom he married in 1863, was a noted French novelist and a grandniece of Emperor Napoleon I.[1] Together they had one daughter: Romana Rattazzi (1871–1943).

Career edit

In 1848, Rattazzi was sent to the Sardinian chamber of deputies in Turin as representative of his native town. He allied himself with the Liberal party, i.e. Democrats. By his debating powers, he contributed to the defeat of the Balbo ministry, and in August received the portfolio of Public Instruction, though he left office after a few days. In December, in the Gioberti cabinet, he became Minister of the Interior, and on the fall of Gioberti, in February 1849, Rattazzi was entrusted with the formation of a new cabinet. The defeat at Novara compelled Rattazzi's resignation in March 1849.[1][2]

He left the Democrats for the Moderate Liberals, and formed the group of the center-left. This party formed a coalition with the center-right headed by Cavour. This coalition was known as the connubio, i.e. the union of the moderate men of the Right and of the Left, and brought about the fall of the d'Azeglio cabinet in November 1852 and the organization of a new ministry by Cavour. Rattazzi gave up a Parliament presidency in 1853 to become Minister of Justice and later Minister of the Interior. As Minister of the Interior, he carried a number of measures of reform, including that for the suppression of certain of the monastic orders, partial secularization of church property, and restricting the influence of the religious associations. This precipitated a bitter struggle with the Clerical party. During a momentary reaction of public opinion he resigned office in 1858, but again entered the cabinet under La Marmora in 1859 as Minister of the Interior.[1][2]

In consequence of the negotiations for the cession of Nice and Savoy to France, which cession he opposed, he again retired in January 1860. On changing his views on this policy, he became president of the lower chamber in the first Italian Parliament, and in March 1862 succeeded Ricasoli in the government, retaining for himself the portfolios of Foreign Affairs and of the Interior. However, in consequence of his policy of repression towards Garibaldi at Aspromonte, he was driven from office in the following December. He was again Prime Minister in 1867, from April to October. Popular reaction to his hostility to Garibaldi again drove him from office. He died at Frosinone on 5 June 1873.[1][2]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d   One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domainChisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Rattazzi, Urbano". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 22 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 919. This work in turn cites:
    • Rattazzi, Laetitia (1881). Rattazzi et son temps. Paris.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
    • King, Bolton (1899). History of Italian Unity. London.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  2. ^ a b c Rines, George Edwin, ed. (1920). "Rattazzi, Urbano" . Encyclopedia Americana.

External links edit

Political offices
Preceded by Piedmontese Minister of the Instruction
1848
Succeeded by
Preceded by
Felice Merlo
Piedmontese Minister of Justice
1848–1849
Succeeded by
Preceded by Piedmontese Minister of the Interior
1849
Succeeded by
Preceded by Chairman of the Piedmontese Chamber of Deputies
1852–1853
Succeeded by
Preceded by Piedmontese Minister of Justice
1853–1855
Succeeded by
Giovanni De Foresta
Preceded by Piedmontese Minister of the Interior
1854–1858
Succeeded by
Preceded by Chairman of the Piedmontese Chamber of Deputies
1859–1860
Succeeded by
Preceded by Piedmontese Minister of the Interior
1859–1860
Succeeded by
Preceded by Chairman of the Italian Chamber of Deputies
1861–1862
Succeeded by
Preceded by Prime Minister of Italy
1862
Succeeded by
Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs
1862
Succeeded by
Italian Minister of the Interior
1862
Succeeded by
Preceded by Prime Minister of Italy
1867
Succeeded by
Italian Minister of the Interior
1867
Succeeded by
Filippo Antonio Gualterio