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Petru Giovacchini (french: Pierre Giovacchini, it, Pietro Giovacchini; 1 February 1910 – 29 September 1955) was a Corsican activist, born in
Canale-di-Verde
Canale-di-Verde (French form) or Canale di Verde (, ) is a commune in the French department of Haute-Corse, collectivity and island of Corsica.
Administration
Since 2015, Canale-di-Verde is part of the canton of Castagniccia, together with 36 ...
to an old family of the
Corsican nobility with deep-rooted pro-Italian feelings. Giovacchini was the most renowned of the
Corsican Italians
Italian irredentism in Corsica was a cultural and historical movement promoted by Italians and by people from Corsica who identified themselves as part of Italy rather than France, and promoted the Italian annexation of the island.
History
Cors ...
, who actively promoted the unification of Corsica to the
Kingdom of Italy
The Kingdom of Italy ( it, Regno d'Italia) was a state that existed from 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Sardinia was proclaimed King of Italy, until 1946, when civil discontent led to an institutional referendum to abandon the monarchy and f ...
during the
Fascist years.
Life
Since young he collaborated with writings to the literary newspaper ''A Muvra''. In 1927 he was expelled from the "Liceo National" of
Bastia
Bastia (, , , ; co, Bastìa ) is a commune in the department of Haute-Corse, Corsica, France. It is located in the northeast of the island of Corsica at the base of Cap Corse. It also has the second-highest population of any commune on the is ...
and founded the pro-Italian magazine "Primavera", where he published the poems "Musa canalinca" and "Rime notturne". Giovacchini was disappointed with the moderate positions of the ''Movimento Autonomista Corso'' and decided to move to
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
in 1930 to study medicine at the Pisa University.
In Italy Giovacchini entered in contact with the Italian
irredentism
Irredentism is usually understood as a desire that one state annexes a territory of a neighboring state. This desire is motivated by ethnic reasons (because the population of the territory is ethnically similar to the population of the parent sta ...
movement and because of this was harshly attacked by the
French authorities when he returned to Corsica. One of the main accusations he received was that he considered
Pasquale Paoli
Filippo Antonio Pasquale de' Paoli (; french: link=no, Pascal Paoli; 6 April 1725 – 5 February 1807) was a Corsican patriot, statesman, and military leader who was at the forefront of resistance movements against the Genoese and later ...
(the hero of Corsica) as the precursor of the Corsican irredentism in favor of the unification of the island to Italy.
He escaped to Italy and in November 1933 founded in
Pavia
Pavia (, , , ; la, Ticinum; Medieval Latin: ) is a town and comune of south-western Lombardy in northern Italy, south of Milan on the lower Ticino river near its confluence with the Po. It has a population of c. 73,086. The city was the cap ...
the famous "Gruppi di Cultura Corsa", with Corsican university students in Italy. In 1936 Giovacchini got his degree and, as a member of the
Fascist Party, he quickly volunteered to fight in
Ethiopia
Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...
and successively in
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
, where he was wounded and got the "bronze" medal of honor.
In June 1940 Petru Giovacchini organized hundreds of manifestations in many cities of Italy in order to request the Corsica unification to Italy. Because of this he was elected to represent Corsica in the Italian Fascist Parliament in 1942. When Italy occupied Corsica in November 1942, Giovacchini was named as the possible ''Governor of Corsica'' if the
Kingdom of Italy
The Kingdom of Italy ( it, Regno d'Italia) was a state that existed from 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Sardinia was proclaimed King of Italy, until 1946, when civil discontent led to an institutional referendum to abandon the monarchy and f ...
would have annexed the island of Corsica. He worked with colonel
Petru Simone Cristofini to make the Corsican population accept the
Italian occupation of Corsica
Italian-occupied Corsica refers to the military (and administrative) occupation by the Kingdom of Italy of the island of Corsica during the Second World War, from November 1942 to September 1943. After an initial period of increased control over th ...
(and later a possible union to Italy).
After the
Italian armistice
The Armistice of Cassibile was an armistice signed on 3 September 1943 and made public on 8 September between the Kingdom of Italy and the Allies during World War II.
It was signed by Major General Walter Bedell Smith for the Allies and Brigad ...
in September 1943, Petru Giovacchini was forced to hide until 1945. Prosecuted by a French tribunal in Corsica, he received a death sentence in 1945 and so went in exile to
Canterano (near
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 ...
).
In September 1955 Petru Giovacchini died, as a consequence of former combat wounds, and since his death, is considered one of the most famous
Corsican Italians
Italian irredentism in Corsica was a cultural and historical movement promoted by Italians and by people from Corsica who identified themselves as part of Italy rather than France, and promoted the Italian annexation of the island.
History
Cors ...
of the
Italian Irredentism era.
Works
The literary works of Petru Giovacchini were:
*''Musa Canalinca'' (1929)
*''Rime notturne'' (1930)
*''Aurore, poesie corse'' (1936)
*''Corsica Nostra'' (1942)
*''Archiatri pontifici corsi'' (1951)
The Corsican Italians who promoted the ideal of Corsican irredentism published mainly in Italy, because of the persecutions from the French regime in the island. This was the case of Petru Giovacchini, who (after his initial poems ''Musa canalinca'' and ''Rime notturne'', done when young) wrote his main literary works in Italy.
Indeed, he wrote ''Aurore, poesie corse'' in 1936 in
Livorno, followed by ''Corsica nostra'' and the ''Archiatri pontifici corsi'' in 1942 and 1951 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 ...
(the last, just a few years before his premature death).
External links
Excerpt about "Corsica nostra", book of Petru Giovacchini (in Italian)
Bibliography
* Mastroserio, Giuseppe. ''Petru Giovacchini – Un Patriota esule in Patria''. Editrice Proto. Bari, 2004.
* Vignoli, Giulio. ''Gli Italiani Dimenticati'' Ed. Giuffè. Roma, 2000
* ''Vita e Tragedia dell'Irredentismo Corso'', Rivista Storia Verità, n.4, 1997
See also
*
Italia irredenta
Italian irredentism ( it, irredentismo italiano) was a nationalist movement during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries in Italy with irredentist goals which promoted the unification of geographic areas in which indigenous peoples ...
*
Corsican Italians
Italian irredentism in Corsica was a cultural and historical movement promoted by Italians and by people from Corsica who identified themselves as part of Italy rather than France, and promoted the Italian annexation of the island.
History
Cors ...
*
Italian-occupied Corsica
Italian-occupied Corsica refers to the military (and administrative) occupation by the Kingdom of Italy of the island of Corsica during the Second World War, from November 1942 to September 1943. After an initial period of increased control over th ...
*
Simon Petru Cristofini Simon Petru Cristofini (1903–1943), also known as Pietro Simone Cristofini (french: Pierre Simon Cristofini), was a Corsican soldier who commanded the Phalange Africaine during World War II and was executed for treason by the French authorities ...
*
Pietro Rocca
{{DEFAULTSORT:Giovacchini, Petru
1910 births
1955 deaths
People from Haute-Corse
Members of the Chamber of Fasces and Corporations
People of the Italian Social Republic
Irredentism
Italian irredentism
History of Corsica
Italian people of the Spanish Civil War
French people of the Spanish Civil War
20th century in Italy
People sentenced to death in absentia