Giovanni Passannante (; February 19, 1849 – February 14, 1910) was an
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
anarchist who attempted to assassinate king
Umberto I of Italy
Umberto I ( it, Umberto Rainerio Carlo Emanuele Giovanni Maria Ferdinando Eugenio di Savoia; 14 March 1844 – 29 July 1900) was King of Italy from 9 January 1878 until his assassination on 29 July 1900.
Umberto's reign saw Italy attempt colo ...
, the first attempt against
Savoy monarchy since its origins. Originally condemned to death, his sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment. The conditions of his imprisonment drove him insane and have been denounced as inhumane.
Biography
Attempted murder
![Attent-passanante](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/24/Attent-passanante.gif)
After the death of his father
Victor Emmanuel II
Victor Emmanuel II ( it, Vittorio Emanuele II; full name: ''Vittorio Emanuele Maria Alberto Eugenio Ferdinando Tommaso di Savoia''; 14 March 1820 – 9 January 1878) was King of Sardinia from 1849 until 17 March 1861, when he assumed the title o ...
, Umberto I prepared a tour in the major cities of Italy to present himself as the new sovereign. He was accompanied by his wife
Margherita
Margherita is an Italian feminine given name. It also is a surname. As a word, in Italian it means " daisy".
Given name
As a name, it may refer to:
*Margherita Aldobrandini (1588–1646), Duchess consort of Parma
*Margherita de' Medici (1612 ...
and the prime minister
Benedetto Cairoli
Benedetto Cairoli (28 January 1825 – 8 August 1889) was an Italian politician.
Biography
Cairoli was born at Pavia, Lombardy. From 1848 until the completion of Italian unity in 1870, his whole activity was devoted to the ''Risorgimento'', as ...
. The royal entourage planned to visit Naples, although there was a heated argument in the city council about the high cost that would be incurred on its reception.
On November 17, 1878 Umberto I and his court were parading in Naples. Passannante was among the crowd, waiting for the right moment to act. While the king was on ''Largo della Carriera Grande'', he approached his carriage, faking a supplication; suddenly, he pulled out a knife and attacked him yelling, "Long live
Orsini Orsini is a surname of Italian origin, originally derived from Latin ''ursinus'' ("bearlike") and originating as an epithet or sobriquet describing the name-bearer's purported strength. Notable people with the surname include the following:
*Angel ...
! Long live the Universal Republic!"
Umberto I managed to deflect the weapon, receiving a slight wound on his arm. Queen Margherita threw a bouquet of flowers in his face and shouted: «Cairoli, save the king!». Cairoli grabbed him by his hair, but the prime minister was wounded in his leg. The captain of the
cuirassiers
Cuirassiers (; ) were cavalry equipped with a cuirass, sword, and pistols. Cuirassiers first appeared in mid-to-late 16th century Europe as a result of armoured cavalry, such as men-at-arms and demi-lancers, discarding their lances and adop ...
, Stefano De Giovannini, was able to hit Passannante on the head with a saber, and he was arrested. Passanannte had tried to kill the king with a knife with a blade of for which he traded his jacket. The weapon was wrapped in a red rag on which was written, "Death to the King! Long live the Universal Republic! Long live Orsini!"
Consequences
The attempted regicide shocked the entire nation, and the government feared an anarchist conspiracy. Passannante's action brought disorder in many cities, with a total of several dead, wounded, and arrested. On November 18 of the same year, in
Florence
Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...
, a group of anarchists threw a bomb into a crowd that was celebrating the king's survival. Two men and one girl were killed, and over ten people were injured. Another bomb exploded in
Pisa
Pisa ( , or ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, central Italy, straddling the Arno just before it empties into the Ligurian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa. Although Pisa is known worldwide for its leaning tower, the cit ...
with no casualties, and in
Pesaro
Pesaro () is a city and ''comune'' in the Italian region of Marche, capital of the Province of Pesaro e Urbino, on the Adriatic Sea. According to the 2011 census, its population was 95,011, making it the second most populous city in the Marche, ...
a barrack was assaulted.
Some republicans such as Alberto Mario condemned his action. The poet
Giovanni Pascoli
Giovanni Placido Agostino Pascoli (; 31 December 1855 – 6 April 1912) was an Italian poet, classical scholar and an emblematic figure of Italian literature in the late nineteenth century. Alongside Gabriele D'Annunzio, he was one of the great ...
, during a
socialist
Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the e ...
reunion in
Bologna
Bologna (, , ; egl, label= Emilian, Bulåggna ; lat, Bononia) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nat ...
, gave a public reading of his ''Ode to Passannante'' of which there is no trace anymore because Pascoli destroyed it immediately after his reading. Only the last verse is known, of which this paraphrase has been handed down: "''Con la berretta d'un cuoco faremo una bandiera''" (With the cook's cap, we'll make a flag). After the arrest of some anarchists who protested against Passannante's detention, Pascoli and group of
internationalists protested against the verdict, and the poet shouted, "If these are evil-doers, then long life to evil-doers!" Pascoli and the internationalists were arrested.
Some newspapers directed baseless charges against Passannante: Verona's ''
L'Arena
''L'Arena'' is an Italian local daily newspaper, based in Verona, Italy.
History and profile
Founded in 1866, shortly before the annexation of Veneto into the Kingdom of Italy, ''L'Arena'' is one of the oldest newspapers in Italy and the most p ...
'' and Milan's ''
Corriere della Sera
The ''Corriere della Sera'' (; en, "Evening Courier") is an Italian daily newspaper published in Milan with an average daily circulation of 410,242 copies in December 2015.
First published on 5 March 1876, ''Corriere della Sera'' is one of It ...
'' portrayed him as a brigand who had killed a woman in the past, while in a lithograph published in
Turin
Turin ( , Piedmontese language, Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital ...
it was reported that his father was a
camorrista. A few days after the attempted murder, Cairoli's government was strongly accused of inability to maintain public order, and, after a rejected motion of confidence presented by the minister
Guido Baccelli
Guido Baccelli (25 November 1830 – 10 January 1916) was an Italian physician and statesman. One of the most renowned Italian physicians of the late 19th Century, he was Minister of Education of the then young Kingdom of Italy for six times an ...
, Cairoli resigned.
Passannante's family was jailed; only his brother was able to escape. Giovanni Parrella, mayor of Salvia di Lucania, went to Naples to apologize and ask for a pardon from Umberto I. In a sign of forgiveness, on order of the monarch's counselors, Passannante's hometown was forced to change its name to Savoia di Lucania, by a royal decree on July 3, 1879.
Sentence and death
![Proc-passanante](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7f/Proc-passanante.gif)
During the trial, held on March 6 and 7 1879, Passannante stated that he had acted alone. He claimed that the ideas of
Risorgimento
The unification of Italy ( it, Unità d'Italia ), also known as the ''Risorgimento'' (, ; ), was the 19th-century political and social movement that resulted in the consolidation of different states of the Italian Peninsula into a single ...
had been betrayed and that the government was indifferent to the impact on already poor people of increases in the flour tax. Passannante was sentenced to death on March 29, 1879, although capital punishment was expected only in instances of actual regicide. His sentence was commuted to life imprisonment.
He was imprisoned in
Portoferraio
Portoferraio () is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Livorno, on the edge of the eponymous harbour of the island of Elba. It is the island's largest city. Because of its terrain, many of its buildings are situated on the slopes of a tiny h ...
on the island of
Elba
Elba ( it, isola d'Elba, ; la, Ilva) is a Mediterranean island in Tuscany, Italy, from the coastal town of Piombino on the Italian mainland, and the largest island of the Tuscan Archipelago. It is also part of the Arcipelago Toscano National ...
, off the
Tuscan coast, in a small and dark cell below sea level, with no toilet facilities and in complete isolation. His mental condition deteriorated in these harsh conditions of solitary confinement and reportedly he was brutally tortured. He fell ill with
scurvy
Scurvy is a disease resulting from a lack of vitamin C (ascorbic acid). Early symptoms of deficiency include weakness, feeling tired and sore arms and legs. Without treatment, decreased red blood cells, gum disease, changes to hair, and bleeding ...
, became infested with
taenia solium
''Taenia solium'', the pork tapeworm, belongs to the cyclophyllid cestode family Taeniidae. It is found throughout the world and is most common in countries where pork is eaten. It is a tapeworm that uses humans as its definitive host and pigs ...
and lost body hair. His skin became discolored and his eyes were affected by the lack of light. According to later testimony he came to eat his own feces. Seamen sailing near his prison heard Passannante's screams.
In 1899, the parliamentarian
Agostino Bertani
Agostino Bertani (19 October 1812 – 10 April 1886) was an Italian revolutionary and physician during Italian unification.
Revolutionary
Bertani was born in Milan on 19 October 1812. His father was an administrator for the Napoleonic govern ...
and the journalist
Anna Maria Mozzoni
Anna Maria Mozzoni (5 May 1837 – 14 June 1920) is commonly held as the founder of the woman's movement in Italy. One of the roles she is most known for is her pivotal involvement in gaining woman's suffrage in Italy.
Biography
Mozzoni was born ...
reported Passannante's maltreatment, causing a scandal. After an examination of the prisoner by Professors Serafino Biffi and Augusto Tamburini, who found him in very poor condition, the anarchist was transferred to the asylum of
Montelupo Fiorentino
Montelupo Fiorentino is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Florence in the Italian region Tuscany, located about southwest of Florence.
Geography
The area is predominantly hilly and is crossed by the river Pesa that, particu ...
. The physicians there were unable to reverse his mental and physical deterioration. Passannante died in Montelupo Fiorentino, at the age of 60, five days before his 61st birthday.
Post mortem
After his death, his corpse was beheaded, and his head and brain became subject of the study of criminologists, under the theories of anthropologist
Cesare Lombroso
Cesare Lombroso (, also ; ; born Ezechia Marco Lombroso; 6 November 1835 – 19 October 1909) was an Italian criminologist, phrenologist, physician, and founder of the Italian School of Positivist Criminology. Lombroso rejected the establis ...
. In 1935, his brain and skull, preserved in
formaldehyde
Formaldehyde ( , ) (systematic name methanal) is a naturally occurring organic compound with the formula and structure . The pure compound is a pungent, colourless gas that polymerises spontaneously into paraformaldehyde (refer to section F ...
, were sent to the Criminal Museum in
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
, where they were displayed for over 70 years.
The permanence of the remains at the Museum ranked as one of Italy's more macabre showcases, causing protests and parliamentary questions. In 1998, the then Italian Minister of Justice,
Oliviero Diliberto
Oliviero Diliberto (born 13 October 1956 in Cagliari) is an Italian politician. He has been leader of the Party of Italian Communists.
Early life
Oliviero Diliberto was born in a family of public servants (his father Marco was employed as at ...
, authored a decree allowing for the displacement of his remains to Savoia di Lucania, but it wasn't acted on until 2007. Passannante's skull and brain remained in the museum, in a neon-lit display case.
On the night of May 10, 2007, the remains of Passannante were taken to Savoia di Lucania and buried secretly, with the presence only of Rosina Ricciardi, mayor of the town; an undersecretary of Vito De Filippo, governor of Basilicata; and a journalist of ''La Nuova Del Sud''. Some say it was required by monarchists because they didn't want him to receive any publicity. On June 2 of that year there was a mass in memory of the deceased, in the mother church of the town.
Filmography
*''Passannante'' (2011), directed by Sergio Colabona, starring Fabio Troiano, Ulderico Pesce, Andrea Satta and
Luca Lionello
Luca Lionello (born January 9, 1964) is an Italian actor.
Biography
Born in Rome to actor and voice dubbing artist Oreste Lionello, he has been actor since 1986. Since then, Lionello came to international attention in 2004, when he played the ro ...
.
Notes
References
* Giuseppe Galzerano, ''Giovanni Passannante. La vita, l'attentato, il processo, la condanna a morte, la grazia ‘regale' e gli anni di galera del cuoco lucano che nel 1878 ruppe l'incantesimo monarchico'', Galzerano Editore, Casalvelino Scalo, 2004
* Giuseppe Porcaro, ''Processo a un anarchico a Napoli nel 1878'', Delfino, Napoli, 1975
* Antonio Parente, ''Giovanni Passannante anarchico o mattoide?'', Bulzoni editore, Roma, 1989
* Gaspare Virgilio, ''Passannante e la natura morbosa del delitto'', Loescher, Roma, 1888
* Leopoldo Tarantini, ''In difesa di Giovanni Passannante accusato di tentato regicidio: discorso'', F. Giannini, Napoli, 1879
External links
The Cook that Broke the Spell: Giovanni Passanante Speaks for Rebellion against the Savoy Dynasty
{{DEFAULTSORT:Passannante, Giovanni
1849 births
1910 deaths
1878 crimes in Europe
Anarchist assassins
People from the Province of Potenza
Italian anarchists
Italian prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment
Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by Italy
Prisoners who died in Italian detention
Italian people who died in prison custody
Failed regicides