Giustino Fortunato, also known as Giustino Fortunato senior (20 August 1777 – 22 August 1862) was an Italian

magistrate The term magistrate is used in a variety of systems of governments and laws to refer to a civilian officer who administers the law. In ancient Rome, a '' magistratus'' was one of the highest ranking government officers, and possessed both judici ...

and politician. His nephew was the Italian historian and politician

Giustino Fortunato Giustino Fortunato (4 September 1848 – 23 July 1932) was an Italian historian and politician. Biography He was born in Rionero in Vulture (Basilicata), from a bourgeois family. His great-uncle Giustino Fortunato (1777-1862) was the prime mini ...

(1848-1932).

Biography

Born in

Rionero in Vulture Rionero in Vulture ( aae, Arrionero) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Potenza, in the southern Italian region of Basilicata. It is located on the slopes of Monte Vulture in the northern part of the region. The village was founded and ...

, little town in

Basilicata it, Lucano (man) it, Lucana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = ...

, to a middle-class family, he moved to

Naples Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...

to study

jurisprudence Jurisprudence, or legal theory, is the theoretical study of the propriety of law. Scholars of jurisprudence seek to explain the nature of law in its most general form and they also seek to achieve a deeper understanding of legal reasoning a ...

. Follower of the

Jacobin , logo = JacobinVignette03.jpg , logo_size = 180px , logo_caption = Seal of the Jacobin Club (1792–1794) , motto = "Live free or die"(french: Vivre libre ou mourir) , successor = Pa ...

ideas, he was a student of Carlo Lauberg and met other intellectuals such as

Francesco Mario Pagano Francesco Mario Pagano (8 December 1748 – 29 October 1799) was an Italian jurist, author, thinker, and the founder of the Neapolitan school of law.''The Cambridge History of Eighteenth-Century Political Thought'', ed. Goldie & Wokler, 2006, p. ...

, Ettore Carafa, Emanuele De Deo and

Ignazio Ciaia Ignazio () is a masculine Italian given name. Notable people with the name include: Arts *Ignazio Collino (1736–1793), Italian sculptor *Ignazio Fresu (born 1957), Italian sculptor *Ignazio Gardella (1905–1999), Italian architect and designer ...

. He taught math at the Nunziatella military academy for a short time. With the rise of the

Parthenopean Republic The Parthenopean Republic ( it, Repubblica Partenopea, french: République Parthénopéenne) or Neapolitan Republic (''Repubblica Napoletana'') was a short-lived, semi-autonomous republic located within the Kingdom of Naples and supported by the ...

in 1799, he was nominated judge of the peace. After the arrival of the anti-republican troops of the cardinal

Fabrizio Ruffo Fabrizio Dionigi Ruffo (16 September 1744 – 13 December 1827) was an Italian cardinal and politician, who led the popular anti-republican ''Sanfedismo'' movement (whose members were known as the ''Sanfedisti''). Biography Ruffo was born at ...

, Fortunato fought them in a desperate battle at the "Ponte della Maddalena". Defeated, he was imprisoned in the

Sant'Elmo Castel Sant'Elmo is a medieval fortress located on Vomero Hill adjacent to the Certosa di San Martino, overlooking Naples, Italy. The name "Sant'Elmo" derives from a former 10th-century church dedicated to Sant'Erasmo, shortened to "Ermo" and, ...

castle but, with the help of Vincenzo Parisi, he fled and hid in his house in

Moliterno Moliterno ( Lucano: ''Mulitiernu'') is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Potenza, in the southern Italian region of Basilicata. It is bounded by the comuni of Castelsaraceno, Grumento Nova, Lagonegro, Lauria, Montesano sulla Marcellana, ...

. After the

Bourbon Bourbon may refer to: Food and drink * Bourbon whiskey, an American whiskey made using a corn-based mash * Bourbon barrel aged beer, a type of beer aged in bourbon barrels * Bourbon biscuit, a chocolate sandwich biscuit * A beer produced by Bras ...

restoration, he exercised the lawyer profession. Under the government of

Joachim Murat Joachim Murat ( , also , ; it, Gioacchino Murati; 25 March 1767 – 13 October 1815) was a French military commander and statesman who served during the French Revolutionary Wars and Napoleonic Wars. Under the French Empire he received the ...

, he covered judicial duties and, along with

Vincenzo Cuoco Vincenzo Cuoco (October 1, 1770 – December 14, 1823) was an Italian writer. He is mainly remembered for his ''Saggio Storico sulla Rivoluzione Napoletana del 1799'' ("Historical Essay on the Neapolitan Revolution of 1799"). He is a considered o ...

and Pietro Napoli-Signorelli, had a great role in the rebirth of the

Accademia Pontaniana The Accademia Pontaniana was the first academy in the modern sense, as a learned society for scholars and humanists and guided by a formal statute. Patronized by Alfonso V of Aragon, it was founded by the poet Antonio Beccadelli in Naples during ...

(1808); Fortunato's house was a meeting place of intellectuals like Melchiorre Delfico,

Vincenzo Monti Vincenzo Monti (19 February 1754 – 13 October 1828) was an Italian poet, playwright, translator, and scholar, the greatest interpreter of Italian neoclassicism in all of its various phases. His verse translation of the '' Iliad'' is considered ...

, David Winspeare,

Michele Tenore Michele Tenore (5 May 1780 – 19 July 1861) was an Italian botanist active in Naples, Italy. Tenore studied at the University of Naples, receiving his medical degree in 1800. Then he was a friend of botanists Domenico Maria Leone Cirillo (1739– ...

and Teodoro Monticelli. In 1814, Murat nominated him

intendant An intendant (; pt, intendente ; es, intendente ) was, and sometimes still is, a public official, especially in France, Spain, Portugal, and Latin America. The intendancy system was a centralizing administrative system developed in France. In ...

Chieti Chieti (, ; , nap, label= Abruzzese, Chjïétë, ; gr, Θεάτη, Theátē; lat, Theate, ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in Central Italy, east by northeast of Rome. It is the capital of the province of Chieti in the Abruzzo region. ...

. After the

Treaty of Casalanza The Treaty of Casalanza, which ended the Neapolitan War, was signed on 20 May 1815 between the pro-Napoleon Kingdom of Naples on the one hand and the Austrian Empire, as well as the Great Britain, on the other. The signature occurred in a patricia ...

, Fortunato remained in the rank of bureaucracy under Ferdinand I but was fired for having supported the

Carbonari The Carbonari () was an informal network of secret revolutionary societies active in Italy from about 1800 to 1831. The Italian Carbonari may have further influenced other revolutionary groups in France, Portugal, Spain, Brazil, Uruguay and Ru ...

riots in 1820. He was reinstated by his nephew Ferdinand II, who gave him the mansion of

minister without portfolio A minister without portfolio is either a government minister with no specific responsibilities or a minister who does not head a particular ministry. The sinecure is particularly common in countries ruled by coalition governments and a cabinet w ...

(1841) and

finance minister A finance minister is an executive or cabinet position in charge of one or more of government finances, economic policy and financial regulation. A finance minister's portfolio has a large variety of names around the world, such as "treasury", " ...

(1847). In 1849, he became prime minister and

minister of foreign affairs A foreign affairs minister or minister of foreign affairs (less commonly minister for foreign affairs) is generally a cabinet minister in charge of a state's foreign policy and relations. The formal title of the top official varies between cou ...

of the

Kingdom of the Two Sicilies The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies ( it, Regno delle Due Sicilie) was a kingdom in Southern Italy from 1816 to 1860. The kingdom was the largest sovereign state by population and size in Italy before Italian unification, comprising Sicily and a ...

until 1852. His government, because of the revolution of 1848 against the monarchy, was absolute and conservative. Accused of servility to the king, he was strongly criticized by Giuseppe Ricciardi, Giacomo Racioppi, Pier Silvestro Leopardi and, in particular,

Luigi Settembrini Luigi Settembrini (17 April 1813, Naples – 3 November 1877, Florence) was an Italian man of letters and politician. Biography Born in Naples, his paternal grandfather was an immigrant from Bollita (the actual Nova Siri), in the province of ...

, who considered him an ''insatiable and fierce hyena''. However, Fortunato seconded the sovereign in the convictions against the liberals. He was dismissed by Ferdinand II for not having informed him about the William Gladstone's letters, sent from Naples to the Parliament of London, defining the Kingdom as a ''negation of God erected to a system of government''. Paolo Ruffo, the ambassador in London, had informed Fortunato about the content of the letters, but he did not inform the king. The king was cognizant of Fortunato's past liberal leanings, and suspected Fortunato didn't informed him voluntarily to facilitate the spread of the letters.Raffaele De Cesare, ''La fine di un regno (Napoli e Sicilia)'', S. Lapi, 1900, p. 77 After the discharge, Fortunato was elected president of the "Royal Academy of Sciences" from 1855 to 1857. He died in Naples in 1862.

Honors

Sacro Militare Ordine Costantiniano di San Giorgio

Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George The Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George (SMOCG) ( it, Sacro Militare Ordine Costantiniano di San Giorgio, es, Sagrada Orden Militar Constantiniana de San Jorge), also historically referred to as the Imperial Constantinian Order ...

, Knight Grand Cross''Collezione delle Leggi e de'Decreti Reali del Regno delle Due Sicilie'', Stamperia reale, 1846, p. 85 *

Royal Order of Francis I The Royal Order of Francis I (properly 'The Royal Order of Francis I of the Two Sicilies' it, Reale Ordine di Francesco I) was an extinct order of merit of the former Kingdom of the Two Sicilies which was annexed in 1861 by the King of Italy (u ...

, Knight Grand Cross * Reale e militare ordine di San Giorgio della Riunione

Order of Saint George and Reunion The Order of Saint George of the Reunion is an order of knighthood of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. It was established to replace the Royal Order of the Two-Sicilies. It was created on 1 January 1819 by Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies to rewa ...

, Knight Grand Cross''Almanacco di corte'', Tipografia reale, 1858, p. 318 * Order Orla Bialego1

Order of the White Eagle (Russia) The Imperial Order of the White Eagle (russian: О́рден Бе́лого Орла́) was an Imperial Russian Order based on the Polish honor. Emperor Nicholas I of Russia established the award in 1831 as the ''Imperial and Royal Order of th ...

, Knight * Ord

Order of Saint Stephen of Hungary The Order of Saint Stephen ( hu, Szent István rend) was an order of chivalry An order of chivalry, order of knighthood, chivalric order, or equestrian order is an order (distinction), order of knights, typically founded during or inspired by ...

, Knight Grand Cross * Ord Leopold-GC

Order of Leopold (Austria) The Austrian Imperial Order of Leopold (german: Österreichisch-kaiserlicher Leopold-Orden) was founded by Franz I of Austria on 8 January 1808. The order's statutes stipulated only three grades: Grand Cross, Commander and Knight. During the wa ...

, Knight Grand Cross * VA Ordine Piano BAR

Order of Pius IX , image = , caption = Knight's cross of the Order of Pius IX , awarded_by = , type = Papal order of knighthood , established = 1847 , motto = ''VIRTUTI ET MERITO''(Virtue and Merit) , day ...

, Knight Grand Cross * Ord

Order of the Red Eagle The Order of the Red Eagle (german: Roter Adlerorden) was an order of chivalry of the Kingdom of Prussia. It was awarded to both military personnel and civilians, to recognize valor in combat, excellence in military leadership, long and faithful se ...

, Knight, First Class * Legion Honneur GC ribbon

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon, ...

, Knight Grand Cross * Cavaliere di gran Croce Regno SSML BAR

Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus The Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus ( it, Ordine dei Santi Maurizio e Lazzaro) (abbreviated OSSML) is a Roman Catholic dynastic order of knighthood bestowed by the royal House of Savoy. It is the second-oldest order of knighthood in the wo ...

, Knight Grand Cross * Ord

Order of Saint Joseph The Order of Saint Joseph was instituted on 9 March 1807 by Ferdinand III, Grand Duke of Tuscany during his reign as Grand Duke of Würzburg. It was transformed into a Tuscan Roman Catholic Dynastic Order in 1817. The constitution of the Order ...

, Knight Grand Cross * DNK Order of Danebrog Grand Cross BAR

Order of the Dannebrog The Order of the Dannebrog ( da, Dannebrogordenen) is a Danish order of chivalry instituted in 1671 by Christian V. Until 1808, membership in the order was limited to fifty members of noble or royal rank, who formed a single class known a ...

, Knight Grand Cross * Grand Crest Ordre de Leopold

Order of Leopold (Belgium) The Order of Leopold ( nl, Leopoldsorde, french: Ordre de Léopold, ) is one of the three current Belgian national honorary orders of knighthood. It is the oldest and highest order of Belgium and is named in honour of its founder, King Le ...

, Grand Cordon * LUX Order of the Oak Crown - Grand Cross BAR

Order of the Oak Crown The Order of the Oak Crown (french: Ordre de la Couronne de chêne, german: Eichenlaubkronenorden, lb, Eechelaafkrounenuerden) is an order of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. History The Order of the Oak Crown was established in 1841 by Grand ...

, Grand Cross

References

Bibliography

*Gerardo Raffaele Zitarosa, ''Giustino Fortunato storico'', Pellegrini, 1970 *Raffaele De Cesare, ''La fine di un regno (Napoli e Sicilia)'', S. Lapi, 1900 *

Harold Acton Sir Harold Mario Mitchell Acton (5 July 1904 – 27 February 1994) was a British writer, scholar, and aesthete who was a prominent member of the Bright Young Things. He wrote fiction, biography, history and autobiography. During his stay in Ch ...

, ''Gli ultimi Borboni di Napoli (1825–1861)'', Giunti, 1997 {{DEFAULTSORT:Fortunato, Giustino 1777 births 1862 deaths Italian jurists People from Rionero in Vulture Italian republicans Prime ministers of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies Recipients of the Order of the White Eagle (Russia) Knights Grand Cross of the Order of Pope Pius IX Grand Croix of the Légion d'honneur Knights Grand Cross of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus Grand Crosses of the Order of the Dannebrog Grand Crosses of the Order of Saint Stephen of Hungary 19th-century jurists