Historic Figure: Giuseppe Mazzini - Tarquinia, Lazio, Italy

Giuseppe Mazzini

Tarquinia

Lazio, Italy

N 42° 15.217 E 011° 45.331

Short Description: 

A statue honoring activist for the unification of Italy, Giuseppe Mazzini, is located near the city gate opposite Palazzo Vitelleschi on Corso Vittorio Emannuele in Tarquinia, Italy.

Long Description:

A life-size bronze bust of Italian politician, journalist and leader in the movement for Italian unification is the focal point of a large monument. The bust is set on a 5' high marble base on the second of four steps leading up to a tall circular ionic column which is topped with a bronze eagle with its wings outspread.

The front of the base is inscribed:

A

G. MAZZINI

A small marble plaque on the base of the column is inscribed:

1861-2011

150 anniversario Unita d'Italia

-----------------------------

MONUMENTO RESTAURATO

A CURA DELLA PRESIDENZA

DEL CONSIGLIO DEI MINISTRI

UNITA TECNICA DI MISSIONE

PER IL 150 ANNIVERSARIO

DELL UNITA D'ITALIA

TARQUINIA MARZO 2012

1861-2011

150th Anniversary Unification of Italy

-----------------------------

MONUMENT RESTORED

BY THE PRESIDENCY

COUNCIL OF MINISTERS

TECHNICAL MISSION UNIT 

FOR THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY

OF UNITY OF ITALY

TARQUINIA MARCH 2012

Giuseppe Mazzini was born on June 22, 1805 in Genoa, Ligurian Republic which was under rule of the French Empire. He graduated from the University of Genoa with a degree in law in 1828. He had an avid interest in both politics and literature and wrote essays for newspapers until he moved to Tuscany in 1927. There he became a member of the secret political organization the Carbonari. He was arrested and imprisoned. In early 1831, he was released from prison, but exiled to Geneva in Switzerland.

In exile Mazzini organized La Giovine Italia ("Young Italy"), a secret society formed to promote Italian unification. Together with other Italian exiles he led a failed attempted to spread the unification movement to the Piedmont area of Italy. On April 30, 1840 Mazzini reformed the Giovine Italia in London.

In 1849, Mazzini return to Italy after Tuscany and Rome were declared Republics. Mazzini was elected leader of the new republic. However, the Pope with military help from the French and the Catholic forces were able to destroy the republic and restore the Pope to power.

In 1861, a new united Kingdom of Italy, minus Venice and Rome, was declared. Italy was partially unified under of monarchy under Victor Emmanuel rather than a republic as Mazzini wished. In 1870, he was arrested after leading a republican uprising in Sicily but was released after Italian troops occupied Rome. Mazzini died in Pisa on March 10, 1872. He was buried in his home town of Genoa.