Giorgio La Pira
Encyclopedia
Giorgio La Pira was an Italian
politician
who served as mayor
of Florence
twice (1950-1956, 1960-1964). He also served as deputy of the Christian Democratic Party
and participated in the assembly that wrote the Constitution of Italy
after World War II
. In his public and private life, La Pira was a tireless champion of peace
and human rights
who worked for the betterment of the poor and disenfranchised.
packing-house worker, La Pira was born in Pozzallo
to a family of modest means. His Catholic
upbringing, especially the teachings of St. Francis of Assisi
, played a big role in shaping his political and philosophical beliefs. He saw everything he did and every position he took as an expression of his spiritual beliefs.
After studying accounting in Messina, La Pira received a law degree from the University of Florence
in 1925. He became professor of Roman Law
there in 1933. His openness helped him achieve a cordial relationship with his students.
On the eve of World War II, La Pira founded the review Principles, which promoted human rights and openly criticized fascism
. During the war he continued his outspoken campaign against the fascists. After his offices were raided by the Italian police, La Pira escaped to Siena
, then Rome
.
After the war, La Pira set about rebuilding Florence, which like most Italian cities at the time, was struggling to recover from the destructions of the war. As mayor he steered Florence away from the haphazard reconstruction typical of other Italian recovery efforts. He believed the focus of rebuilding should be self-sufficient neighborhoods.
These neighborhoods centered around local shops, public gardens, markets, churches, schools, and tree-lined streets. The most well-known of these is Isolotto, or "little island". These revitalized neighborhoods became the heart and soul of post-war Florence and continue to thrive to this day.
Additionally La Pira led the reconstruction of bridges, such as the Santa Trinita Bridge. Other public works
projects included such job creating projects as the expansion of the water works, a waste system, and public transportation systems.
At times La Pira took an even more active role in job creation. When Florence's oldest industrial plant "Pignone" threatened to close due to a slump in demand, La Pira persuaded Enrico Mattei
, President and CEO of the public energy conglomerate ENI
to take it over, thus saving more than a thousand jobs. The company, later renamed Nuovo Pignone, is still in operation currently as a division of General Electric
.
La Pira was a Dominican tertiary
, i.e. a lay member of the Dominican order
, who took his Christian
faith quite literally. In the years following the war, it was not uncommon to see him in public barefoot, having given away his shoes, clothing, and most of his salary.
He was also active in national and international politics. In 1946 he was elected to the Italian Constitutional Assembly where he played a major role in drafting the Italian Constitution. Despite sometimes intense criticism, La Pira paid many visits to Moscow
, China
and even Hanoi
, throughout the Cold War era
. Until his death in 1977, La Pira promoted issues such as disarmament
, the importance of third world development
, and tolerance among world religions. In 1986, the Catholic Church began the process of Giorgio La Pira's beatification
.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
who served as mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
twice (1950-1956, 1960-1964). He also served as deputy of the Christian Democratic Party
Christian Democratic Party
Christian democratic parties are those political parties that seek to apply Christian principles to public policy. The underlying Christian democracy movement emerged in 19th-century Europe, largely under the influence of Catholic social teaching, and it continues to be influential in Europe and...
and participated in the assembly that wrote the Constitution of Italy
Constitution of Italy
The Constitution of the Italian Republic was enacted by the Constituent Assembly on 22 December 1947, with 453 votes in favour and 62 against. The text, which has since been amended 13 times, was promulgated in the extraordinary edition of Gazzetta Ufficiale No. 298 on 27 December 1947...
after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. In his public and private life, La Pira was a tireless champion of peace
Peace
Peace is a state of harmony characterized by the lack of violent conflict. Commonly understood as the absence of hostility, peace also suggests the existence of healthy or newly healed interpersonal or international relationships, prosperity in matters of social or economic welfare, the...
and human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
who worked for the betterment of the poor and disenfranchised.
Biography
The son of a SicilianSicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
packing-house worker, La Pira was born in Pozzallo
Pozzallo
Pozzallo is a town and comune in the province of Ragusa, Sicily, Italy. The beaches of Pozzallo have received the Blu Flag by FEE award. A prestigious award given to beaches which meet strict criteria dealing with water quality, environmental education and information, environmental management,...
to a family of modest means. His Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
upbringing, especially the teachings of St. Francis of Assisi
Francis of Assisi
Saint Francis of Assisi was an Italian Catholic friar and preacher. He founded the men's Franciscan Order, the women’s Order of St. Clare, and the lay Third Order of Saint Francis. St...
, played a big role in shaping his political and philosophical beliefs. He saw everything he did and every position he took as an expression of his spiritual beliefs.
After studying accounting in Messina, La Pira received a law degree from the University of Florence
University of Florence
The University of Florence is a higher study institute in Florence, central Italy. One of the largest and oldest universities in the country, it consists of 12 faculties...
in 1925. He became professor of Roman Law
Roman law
Roman law is the legal system of ancient Rome, and the legal developments which occurred before the 7th century AD — when the Roman–Byzantine state adopted Greek as the language of government. The development of Roman law comprises more than a thousand years of jurisprudence — from the Twelve...
there in 1933. His openness helped him achieve a cordial relationship with his students.
On the eve of World War II, La Pira founded the review Principles, which promoted human rights and openly criticized fascism
Fascism
Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...
. During the war he continued his outspoken campaign against the fascists. After his offices were raided by the Italian police, La Pira escaped to Siena
Siena
Siena is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena.The historic centre of Siena has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site. It is one of the nation's most visited tourist attractions, with over 163,000 international arrivals in 2008...
, then Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
.
After the war, La Pira set about rebuilding Florence, which like most Italian cities at the time, was struggling to recover from the destructions of the war. As mayor he steered Florence away from the haphazard reconstruction typical of other Italian recovery efforts. He believed the focus of rebuilding should be self-sufficient neighborhoods.
These neighborhoods centered around local shops, public gardens, markets, churches, schools, and tree-lined streets. The most well-known of these is Isolotto, or "little island". These revitalized neighborhoods became the heart and soul of post-war Florence and continue to thrive to this day.
Additionally La Pira led the reconstruction of bridges, such as the Santa Trinita Bridge. Other public works
Public works
Public works are a broad category of projects, financed and constructed by the government, for recreational, employment, and health and safety uses in the greater community...
projects included such job creating projects as the expansion of the water works, a waste system, and public transportation systems.
At times La Pira took an even more active role in job creation. When Florence's oldest industrial plant "Pignone" threatened to close due to a slump in demand, La Pira persuaded Enrico Mattei
Enrico Mattei
Enrico Mattei was an Italian public administrator. After World War II he was given the task of dismantling the Italian Petroleum Agency Agip, a state enterprise established by the Fascist regime. Instead Mattei enlarged and reorganized it into the National Fuel Trust Ente Nazionale Idrocarburi...
, President and CEO of the public energy conglomerate ENI
Eni
Eni S.p.A. is an Italian multinational oil and gas company, present in 70 countries, and currently Italy's largest industrial company with a market capitalization of 87.7 billion euros , as of July 24, 2008...
to take it over, thus saving more than a thousand jobs. The company, later renamed Nuovo Pignone, is still in operation currently as a division of General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
.
La Pira was a Dominican tertiary
Tertiary
The Tertiary is a deprecated term for a geologic period 65 million to 2.6 million years ago. The Tertiary covered the time span between the superseded Secondary period and the Quaternary...
, i.e. a lay member of the Dominican order
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
, who took his Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
faith quite literally. In the years following the war, it was not uncommon to see him in public barefoot, having given away his shoes, clothing, and most of his salary.
He was also active in national and international politics. In 1946 he was elected to the Italian Constitutional Assembly where he played a major role in drafting the Italian Constitution. Despite sometimes intense criticism, La Pira paid many visits to Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and even Hanoi
Hanoi
Hanoi , is the capital of Vietnam and the country's second largest city. Its population in 2009 was estimated at 2.6 million for urban districts, 6.5 million for the metropolitan jurisdiction. From 1010 until 1802, it was the most important political centre of Vietnam...
, throughout the Cold War era
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
. Until his death in 1977, La Pira promoted issues such as disarmament
Disarmament
Disarmament is the act of reducing, limiting, or abolishing weapons. Disarmament generally refers to a country's military or specific type of weaponry. Disarmament is often taken to mean total elimination of weapons of mass destruction, such as nuclear arms...
, the importance of third world development
Third World
The term Third World arose during the Cold War to define countries that remained non-aligned with either capitalism and NATO , or communism and the Soviet Union...
, and tolerance among world religions. In 1986, the Catholic Church began the process of Giorgio La Pira's beatification
Beatification
Beatification is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a dead person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in his or her name . Beatification is the third of the four steps in the canonization process...
.