Teofilo Rossi (1865–1927) was an Italian lawyer and politician who served at the Italian Parliament for four successive terms between 1898 and 1909. He was also minister of industry and commerce from 31 October 1922 to 31 July 1923. He was the co-owner of the Italian company

Martini & Rossi Martini & Rossi is an Italian multinational alcoholic beverage company primarily associated with the Martini brand of vermouth and also with sparkling wine (for example, Asti). It also produces the French vermouth, Noilly Prat. History The co ...

Early life and education

Rossi was born in

Chieri Chieri (; pms, Cher) is a town and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Turin, Piedmont (Italy), located about southeast of Turin, by rail and by road. It borders the following municipalities: Baldissero Torinese, Pavarolo, Montaldo Torine ...

on 27 October 1865. His father was the founder of an aromatized wine and liqueur company, which became Martini & Rossi. He was a graduate of the

University of Turin The University of Turin (Italian: ''Università degli Studi di Torino'', UNITO) is a public research university in the city of Turin, in the Piedmont region of Italy. It is one of the oldest universities in Europe and continues to play an impo ...

where he obtained a degree in law in 1886.

Career

Rossi was the councilor of the chamber of commerce in Turin in 1893. Between 1896 and 1908 he served as the city councilor of Turin which he held again in the period 1921–1924. He headed the chamber twice: first between 1902 and 1909 and between 1921 and 1924. He was among the founders and owners of Martini & Rossi. In 1898 he was elected to the Italian Parliament and served in four successive legislatures, namely XX, XXI, XXII and XXIII, representing

Carmagnola Carmagnola (; pms, Carmagnòla ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Turin in the Italian region Piedmont, located south of Turin. The town is on the right side of the Po river. The nature of the soil determined over t ...

. From March to July 1909 he was a member of the Italian Senate. The same year he also served as the state secretary at the Ministry of Posts and Telegraphs from 4 April to 1 July. On 28 June 1909 he was elected as the

mayor of Turin The mayor of Turin (Italian: ''sindaco di Torino'') is an elected politician who, along with the Turin City Council of 40 members, is accountable for the government of Turin, Piedmont, Italy. The current mayor is Stefano Lo Russo, a universit ...

which he held until 11 June 1917. Teofilo Rossi served as vice-president of the Executive Committee for the

Turin International The Turin International was a world's fair held in Turin in 1911 titled ''Esposizione internazionale dell'industria e del lavoro''. It received 7,409,145 visits and covered 247 acres. Summary The fair opened on 29 April, was held just nine ye ...

1911 world fair. Rossi was a member of the

Italian Liberal Party The Italian Liberal Party ( it, Partito Liberale Italiano, PLI) was a liberal and conservative political party in Italy. The PLI, which is the heir of the liberal currents of both the Historical Right and the Historical Left, was a minor party ...

. On 25 February 1922 he was appointed

minister of industry and commerce A Ministry of Trade and Industry, Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industry or variations is a ministry that is concerned with a nation's trade, industry and commerce. Notable examples are: List *Algeria: Ministry of Industry and ...

to the

cabinet Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to: Furniture * Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers * Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets * Filing ...

led by

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

Luigi Facta Luigi Facta (16 November 1861 – 5 November 1930) was an Italian politician, lawyer and journalist and the last Prime Minister of Italy before the leadership of Benito Mussolini. Background and earlier career Facta was born in Pinerolo, Piedm ...

. Rossi continued to serve in the same post in the next cabinet of Facta and then in the

led by

Benito Mussolini Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (; 29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who founded and led the National Fascist Party. He was Prime Minister of Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 until his deposition in 194 ...

until 31 July 1923. Rossi was removed from office, and the ministry was reorganized as the ministry of national economy to which

Aldo Oviglio Aldo Oviglio (1873–1942) was an Italian lawyer and politician. Being a member of the National Fascist Party he was the minister of justice in the period October 1922–January 1925, being the first Fascist to hold this post in Italy. Early lif ...

was appointed as minister. In 1924 he was elected as the president of the union of chambers of commerce which he held until 1927. Fond of literature, Rossi cofounded the book series ''Societa Storica Subalpina'' in 1895 and ''Biblioteca della Societa' Storica Subalpina''. He was a co-author of the voluminous and unfinished ''Storia di Torino''. He was also the president of the Museo nazionale del Risorgimento Italiano.

Personal life and death

Rossi was married to Clotilde Bosso with whom he had two children: Teofila Alessandrina who married to the Marquis Giovanni dei Medici del Vascello, and Metello Cesare who married to Adele of the Guidobono Cavalchini Roero Di San Severino. He died 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 ...

on 29 December 1927.

Awards and honors

Rossi was named

count Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...

of Monterela by a royal decree dated 27 April 1911. He was the recipient of the following: * Commander of the

Order of the Crown of Italy The Order of the Crown of Italy ( it, Ordine della Corona d'Italia, italic=no or OCI) was founded as a national order in 1868 by King Vittorio Emanuele II, to commemorate the unification of Italy in 1861. It was awarded in five degrees for civi ...

* Grand Cordon of the Order of the Crown of Italy * Commander of the

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 ...

(11 December 1904) * Grand officer of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus (20 January 1913) * Grand cordon of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus (28 December 1913) * Grand Cordon of the

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, ...

(France) * Grand Cross of the

Sovereign Military Order of Malta The Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM), officially the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta ( it, Sovrano Militare Ordine Ospedaliero di San Giovanni di Gerusalemme, di Rodi e di Malta; ...

References

Bibliography

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Rossi, Teofilo 19th-century Italian businesspeople 19th-century Italian lawyers 20th-century Italian businesspeople 20th-century Italian lawyers 1865 births 1927 deaths Recipients of the Order of the Crown (Italy) Grand Officers of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus Deputies of Legislature XX of the Kingdom of Italy Deputies of Legislature XXI of the Kingdom of Italy Deputies of Legislature XXII of the Kingdom of Italy Deputies of Legislature XXIII of the Kingdom of Italy Members of the Senate of the Kingdom of Italy Government ministers of Italy Recipients of the Legion of Honour People from Chieri Mayors of Turin University of Turin alumni Mussolini Cabinet Businesspeople from Turin