Fernando de Rosa
Encyclopedia
Fernando de Rosa was an Italian student who attempted to assassinate Umberto Prince of Piedmont, later Umberto II of Italy in Brussels
on October 24, 1929. De Rosa was born in Milan
and studied law in Turin
before fleeing Italy for France in order to avoid imprisonment for his political views. He remained in Paris for about a year, studying law at the University of Paris
and writing for an anti-fascist journal.
In October 1929, de Rosa traveled to Brussels and fired a shot at Italian Crown Prince Umberto II in an attempted assassination. The shot missed and de Rosa was promptly arrested. His trial became a major political event, and though he was found guilty of attempted murder, he was given a light sentence of five years in prison. This sentence caused a political uproar in Italy and a brief rift in Belgian-Italian relations. In March 1932, de Rosa was pardoned at the request of Prince Umberto and released, having served slightly less than half of his sentence. He announced an intention to return to Paris and continue his legal studies, but ended up in Spain, where he was arrested for taking part in a socialist uprising in 1934. He died in October 1936 while fighting in the Spanish Civil War
.
on skis into France. Upon his arrival in France, he was arrested by the French police, but after explaining his circumstances, he was given a French identity card and allowed to remain in the country. He then moved to Paris
where he wrote for an anti-fascist journal and studied law at the University of Paris
. While he was in Paris, de Rosa's political views also radicalized. He became a committed socialist and declared himself a member of the Second International
.
In October 1929, de Rosa traveled from Paris to Brussels (he later gave contradictory statements about the precise date to the police) armed with a revolver
, and planning to shoot Umberto II, then Crown Prince of Italy. De Rosa got within twelve feet of Prince Umberto, who was visiting Belgium's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
, then fired one shot from his revolver; however, he slipped just as he was firing the shot, which missed. After firing the shot, De Rosa's revolver jammed, preventing him from firing another, and he was quickly subdued by a Belgian policeman. De Rosa told the police that before firing, he shouted "Long Live Matteoti!" in reference to Giacomo Matteotti
, an Italian socialist killed by the fascist party, but other witnesses stated that he yelled "Down with Mussolini!"
After the assassination attempt, the crowd grew angry, yelling "Death to the assassin" and a lynch mob formed with the goal of killing de Rosa. The police, however, took De Rosa away after a struggle with the crowd. The struggle left De Rosa "so bruised ... as to be all but unconscious", but he reached the police station without suffering permanent injuries. According to media accounts, Prince Umberto heard the shots, "but scarcely turned his head," continuing the planned program at the tomb, then reviewing the Belgian honor guard, and carrying on with his day. The Belgian people were thoroughly outraged by the event and King Albert
immediately visited Prince Umberto at the Italian Embassy, where he was staying, to offer his apologies and congratulate the prince on his good fortune in escaping the attempt.
On September 25, 1930, de Rosa's trial began in Brussels. In the trial, he was represented by Paul-Henri Spaak
, later the Prime Minister of Belgium and a specialist in defending political radicals, and Paul De Bock, a noted Belgian writer and lawyer. The trial began with a statement from de Rosa, which "sounded mostly like a sermon against fascism," setting a political tone that would continue throughout the proceedings.
By way of a defense, de Rosa claimed that "he had intentionally fired into the air" rather than at Prince Umberto, and that his shot was intended to clear the crowd before a second shot which would have killed the prince. He stated that after firing the first shot, "his hat blew off and he felt suddenly ridiculous" so he laid down the pistol instead of firing again. De Rosa reiterated that he had acted alone, and that none of the anti-Fascist groups to which he belonged had been involved in planning the attack.
The second day of de Rosa's trial was intensely political. Francesco Nitti, former Prime Minister of Italy and a strong anti-fascist, testified on behalf of de Rosa calling him "an honest, moderate, loyal, and well-educated young man" and defended de Rosa's actions through a sharp attack on fascism. His testimony was not nearly as sensational as that of Louis de Brouckere, a Belgian Senator, who testified that the Italian government was "preparing for war on both sides of the Albanian border as well as along the Alps." Other major Belgian and Italian figures testified as well, as part of a strategy "to show that the Fascist era had crushed out liberty in Italy and that an action such as de Rosa's was explainable by the effect such repression might have." In their closing statement, De Rosa's lawyers even went so far as to say: "It is the fascist rule that is being tried."
In reaction to the intense politicization of the case, the prosecutor urged the jury to only consider the matter of whether de Rosa had attempted to kill Umberto (staying out of the political matters), and demanded "severe punishment". After only half an hour of deliberation, the jury returned a guilty verdict, but sentenced de Rosa to only five years in prison. The news was greeted by immediate "disappointment" in Italy, where the public and government had hoped for a much longer sentence. Upon learning of the light sentence and the considerable anti-fascist content of the trial, Benito Mussolini
was "so dissatisfied ... that he suggested the recall of the Italian ambassador from Brussels."
. After his release, he joined socialist forces in the Spanish Civil War
. He died in October 1936 in fighting near Madrid.
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
on October 24, 1929. De Rosa was born in Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
and studied law in Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
before fleeing Italy for France in order to avoid imprisonment for his political views. He remained in Paris for about a year, studying law at the University of Paris
University of Paris
The University of Paris was a university located in Paris, France and one of the earliest to be established in Europe. It was founded in the mid 12th century, and officially recognized as a university probably between 1160 and 1250...
and writing for an anti-fascist journal.
In October 1929, de Rosa traveled to Brussels and fired a shot at Italian Crown Prince Umberto II in an attempted assassination. The shot missed and de Rosa was promptly arrested. His trial became a major political event, and though he was found guilty of attempted murder, he was given a light sentence of five years in prison. This sentence caused a political uproar in Italy and a brief rift in Belgian-Italian relations. In March 1932, de Rosa was pardoned at the request of Prince Umberto and released, having served slightly less than half of his sentence. He announced an intention to return to Paris and continue his legal studies, but ended up in Spain, where he was arrested for taking part in a socialist uprising in 1934. He died in October 1936 while fighting in the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
.
Early life
De Rosa was born October 7, 1908 in Milan as Fernando Lencioni, and left at the hospital there by a midwife. He was adopted by a local family and brought up as their own child, changing his name to de Rosa in 1918. He lived in Milan until 1922 or 1923, when he left to study in Turin, eventually entering a program in law there. In 1928, fearing that he would be imprisoned by Mussolini's regime for his political views, he crossed the AlpsAlps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
on skis into France. Upon his arrival in France, he was arrested by the French police, but after explaining his circumstances, he was given a French identity card and allowed to remain in the country. He then moved to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
where he wrote for an anti-fascist journal and studied law at the University of Paris
University of Paris
The University of Paris was a university located in Paris, France and one of the earliest to be established in Europe. It was founded in the mid 12th century, and officially recognized as a university probably between 1160 and 1250...
. While he was in Paris, de Rosa's political views also radicalized. He became a committed socialist and declared himself a member of the Second International
Second International
The Second International , the original Socialist International, was an organization of socialist and labour parties formed in Paris on July 14, 1889. At the Paris meeting delegations from 20 countries participated...
.
Assassination attempt
Revolver
A revolver is a repeating firearm that has a cylinder containing multiple chambers and at least one barrel for firing. The first revolver ever made was built by Elisha Collier in 1818. The percussion cap revolver was invented by Samuel Colt in 1836. This weapon became known as the Colt Paterson...
, and planning to shoot Umberto II, then Crown Prince of Italy. De Rosa got within twelve feet of Prince Umberto, who was visiting Belgium's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier refers to a grave in which the unidentifiable remains of a soldier are interred. Such tombs can be found in many nations and are usually high-profile national monuments. Throughout history, many soldiers have died in wars without their remains being identified...
, then fired one shot from his revolver; however, he slipped just as he was firing the shot, which missed. After firing the shot, De Rosa's revolver jammed, preventing him from firing another, and he was quickly subdued by a Belgian policeman. De Rosa told the police that before firing, he shouted "Long Live Matteoti!" in reference to Giacomo Matteotti
Giacomo Matteotti
Giacomo Matteotti was an Italian socialist politician. On 30 May 1924, he openly spoke in the Italian Parliament alleging the Fascists committed fraud in the recently held elections, and denounced the violence they used to gain votes...
, an Italian socialist killed by the fascist party, but other witnesses stated that he yelled "Down with Mussolini!"
After the assassination attempt, the crowd grew angry, yelling "Death to the assassin" and a lynch mob formed with the goal of killing de Rosa. The police, however, took De Rosa away after a struggle with the crowd. The struggle left De Rosa "so bruised ... as to be all but unconscious", but he reached the police station without suffering permanent injuries. According to media accounts, Prince Umberto heard the shots, "but scarcely turned his head," continuing the planned program at the tomb, then reviewing the Belgian honor guard, and carrying on with his day. The Belgian people were thoroughly outraged by the event and King Albert
Albert I of Belgium
Albert I reigned as King of the Belgians from 1909 until 1934.-Early life:Born Albert Léopold Clément Marie Meinrad in Brussels, he was the fifth child and second son of Prince Philippe, Count of Flanders, and his wife, Princess Marie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen...
immediately visited Prince Umberto at the Italian Embassy, where he was staying, to offer his apologies and congratulate the prince on his good fortune in escaping the attempt.
Investigation and trial
After his arrest, de Rosa was quickly questioned by the police about his actions. He testified that he had acted alone and had been planning to kill either Mussolini or a member of the Italian royal family for some time. His desire to kill one of them was motivated by his strong anti-fascist beliefs. He told the investigating magistrate quite unapologetically: "I regret having missed him. I was unable to fire again because my pistol jammed." Although the police believed that de Rosa had acted alone, they found the charred remains of a letter in the room where he had been staying, leading to speculation that he had been put up to the attempt by some other group, and arrested another Italian student who had been at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the time of the attempt.Paul-Henri Spaak
Paul Henri Charles Spaak was a Belgian Socialist politician and statesman.-Early life:Paul-Henri Spaak was born on 25 January 1899 in Schaerbeek, Belgium, to a distinguished Belgian family. His grandfather, Paul Janson was an important member of the Liberal Party...
, later the Prime Minister of Belgium and a specialist in defending political radicals, and Paul De Bock, a noted Belgian writer and lawyer. The trial began with a statement from de Rosa, which "sounded mostly like a sermon against fascism," setting a political tone that would continue throughout the proceedings.
By way of a defense, de Rosa claimed that "he had intentionally fired into the air" rather than at Prince Umberto, and that his shot was intended to clear the crowd before a second shot which would have killed the prince. He stated that after firing the first shot, "his hat blew off and he felt suddenly ridiculous" so he laid down the pistol instead of firing again. De Rosa reiterated that he had acted alone, and that none of the anti-Fascist groups to which he belonged had been involved in planning the attack.
The second day of de Rosa's trial was intensely political. Francesco Nitti, former Prime Minister of Italy and a strong anti-fascist, testified on behalf of de Rosa calling him "an honest, moderate, loyal, and well-educated young man" and defended de Rosa's actions through a sharp attack on fascism. His testimony was not nearly as sensational as that of Louis de Brouckere, a Belgian Senator, who testified that the Italian government was "preparing for war on both sides of the Albanian border as well as along the Alps." Other major Belgian and Italian figures testified as well, as part of a strategy "to show that the Fascist era had crushed out liberty in Italy and that an action such as de Rosa's was explainable by the effect such repression might have." In their closing statement, De Rosa's lawyers even went so far as to say: "It is the fascist rule that is being tried."
In reaction to the intense politicization of the case, the prosecutor urged the jury to only consider the matter of whether de Rosa had attempted to kill Umberto (staying out of the political matters), and demanded "severe punishment". After only half an hour of deliberation, the jury returned a guilty verdict, but sentenced de Rosa to only five years in prison. The news was greeted by immediate "disappointment" in Italy, where the public and government had hoped for a much longer sentence. Upon learning of the light sentence and the considerable anti-fascist content of the trial, Benito Mussolini
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....
was "so dissatisfied ... that he suggested the recall of the Italian ambassador from Brussels."
Pardon and later life
On March 16, 1932, after De Rosa had served about half of his five year sentence, he was pardoned by King Albert at the request of Prince Umberto. He was released the next day and announced that he would return to Paris in order to resume his legal studies. He soon, however, entered Spain where he was arrested in October 1934, for participation in a Socialist uprising in MadridMadrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
. After his release, he joined socialist forces in the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
. He died in October 1936 in fighting near Madrid.