Luigi Razza (1892–1935) was an Italian journalist and fascist politician who died in an aviation accident in Cairo while serving as the

minister of public works This list indicates government departments in various countries dedicated to public works or infrastructure. See also * Public works * Ministry or Board of Public Works, the imperial Chinese ministry overseeing public projects from the Tang ...

. He held several significant posts during the Fascist rule in Italy.

Early life and education

Razza was born in Monteleone di Calabria on 12 December 1892. His parents were Leone and Carmela De Luca, and Razza the eldest of three brothers (Domenico and Giuseppe). Razza obtained a high school diploma in 1912. Later he received a law degree in Milan.

Career

Moving to Apulia in 1912 Razza joined the trade union organization of peasants first in Lecce and then in Corato,

Monopoli Monopoli (; Monopolitano: ) is a town and municipality in Italy, in the Metropolitan City of Bari and region of Apulia. The town is roughly in area and lies on the Adriatic Sea about southeast of Bari. It has a population of 49,24 ...

and

Cerignola Cerignola (; nap, label= Cerignolano, Ceregnòule ) is a town and ''comune'' of Apulia, Italy, in the province of Foggia, southeast from the town of Foggia. It has the third-largest land area of any ''comune'' in Italy, at , after Rome and Ra ...

. He founded some newspapers and directed them such as ''Il Tribuno Salentino'', '' Il Risorgimento'' and ''La Ragione''. In April 1914 following a violent general strike, Razza fled to Milan where he clandestinely continued to work for the

Unione Sindacale Italiana Unione Sindacale Italiana (''USI''; ''Italian Syndicalist Union'' or ''Italian Workers' Union'') is an anarcho-syndicalist trade union. It is the Italian section of the International Workers' Association (IWA; ''Associazione Internazionale dei L ...

. Razza was the editor of ''

Il Popolo d'Italia ''Il Popolo d'Italia'' ("The People of Italy") was an Italian newspaper published from 15 November 1914 until 24 July 1943. It was founded by Benito Mussolini as a pro-war newspaper during World War I, and it later became the main newspaper of ...

'' in the period 1914–1919. He was a member of the central committee and then secretary of the fascist revolutionary action between 1914 and 1916. On 23 March 1919 he was appointed secretary of the Fascist group in Trentino. He participated in the

March on Rome The March on Rome ( it, Marcia su Roma) was an organized mass demonstration and a coup d'état in October 1922 which resulted in Benito Mussolini's National Fascist Party (PNF) ascending to power in the Kingdom of Italy. In late October 1922, ...

in 1922. Razza joined

Edmondo Rossoni Edmondo Rossoni (May 6, 1884 – June 8, 1965) was a revolutionary syndicalist leader and an Italian fascist politician who became involved in the Fascist syndicate movement during Benito Mussolini's regime. Early life Born to a working-class f ...

's fascist trade union organization and became its secretary. In 1923 he was appointed secretary of the local Federation of Fascist trade unions in Milan, and at the same time, he was appointed deputy secretary general of the Confederation of Fascist Trade Unions. In 1924 he was elected a deputy from Tuscany. Rossoni appointed Razza secretary of the National Fascist Agricultural Union, a position he held until 1932. Then he was made a member of the Fascist Grand Council. In 1930 Razza was named first commissioner of the newly established Commissariat for Migration and Internal Colonization which he held until 1933. Razza was appointed minister of public works to the cabinet of Mussolini in January 1935, but his term was short lived due to his death in August that year.

Death and funeral

Razza was sent by Mussolini to East Africa for a mission on 7 August 1935. His plane exploded after taking off from Cairo to Asmara, and he died in the incident with four crews, his secretary, Vincenzo Minasi, and Baron

Raimondo Franchetti Baron Raimondo Franchetti has been the name of more than one 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 I ...

. A funeral ceremony was held in Rome with the attendance of Benito Mussolini on 19 August for seven victims of the accident.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Razza, Luigi 20th-century Italian journalists 1892 births 1935 deaths Italian anti-communists Italian male journalists Italian Ministers of Public Works Italian newspaper founders Mussolini Cabinet National Fascist Party politicians Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in Egypt People from Vibo Valentia Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1935