Libyan Italians
Encyclopedia
Italian settlers in Libya typically refers to Italians, and their descendants, who resided or were born in Italian Libya
, in the colonial period preceding independent Libya
.
, when the Romans
controlled and colonized Libya for a period of more than five centuries
prior to the fall of the Roman Empire
and its takeover by Arab
and Turkish
civilizations. But predominantly Italian heritage in Libya refers to modern-day Italians.
In 1911, the Kingdom of Italy
waged war on the Ottoman Empire
and captured Libya as a colony. Italian settlers were encouraged to come to Libya and did so from 1911 until the outbreak of World War II.
, an international motor racing event first held in 1925 on a racing circuit outside Tripoli (it lasted until 1940).
Italian farmers cultivated lands that had returned to native desert for many centuries, and improved Italian Libya
's agriculture to international standards (even with the creation of new farm villages).
Catholicism
experienced a huge growth in those years, with many new churches built for the growing Italian community: in the late 1920s the two catholic Cathedrals of Tripoli
and Benghazi
were built. The one in Benghazi was considered the biggest in north Africa.
The governor Italo Balbo
is attributed with the creation of modern Libya in 1934, when he convinced Italian leader Benito Mussolini
to unite the Italian colonies of Tripolitania
, Cirenaica and the Fezzan
into one single country named "Libia" in Italian.
.
The Italians in Libya numbered 108,419 (12.37% of the total population) at the time of the 1939 census. They were concentrated in the coast around the city of Tripoli (they constituted 37% of the city's population) and Benghazi (31%).
In 1938, Governor Balbo brought 20,000 Italian farmers to colonize Libya, and 26 new villages were founded for them, mainly in Cyrenaica.
On January 9, 1939, the colony of Libya was incorporated into metropolitan Italy and thereafter considered an integral part of the Italian state. Libya, as the Fourth Shore, was to be part of the Greater Italia, desired by the Italian irredentists
.
By 1939 the Libyan Italians had built 400 km of new railroads and 4,000 km of new roads (the largest and most important was the one from Tripoli to Tobruk, on the coast) in Libya.
Libya: A Country Study
broke out between Italy and Great Britain
. The defeat of the Axis forces in the North African Campaign
s of World War II meant Italy lost Libya to British and French control. After these Western Desert Campaign
defeats in 1941, Italy was forced to abandon its colonial intentions and projects.
fostered an exodus of Italians from Libya, especially after Libya became independent in 1953. After 1970 the Italian population almost disappeared after Libyan president Muammar Gaddafi
ordered the expulsion of Italians.
There are also many descendants (probably 10,000, according to estimates of Italian historian Vidali) of Italian settlers who married Arabs and/or Berbers, and Libyans of mixed Italian and Arab/Berber blood may be considered Arabs or Berbers in the Libyan census.
At present, the Libyan Italians are organized in the Associazione Italiani Rimpatriati dalla Libia .
Well-known Italian Libyans born in Libya (according to their place of birth):
Italian Libya
Italian Libya was a unified colony of Italian North Africa established in 1934 in what represents present-day Libya...
, in the colonial period preceding independent Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
.
History
Italian heritage in Libya can be dated back to Ancient RomeAncient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
, when the Romans
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
controlled and colonized Libya for a period of more than five centuries
Roman Libya
The area of North Africa which has been known as Libya since 1911 was under Roman domination between 146 BC and 670 AD.The Latin name Libya at the time referred to the continent of Africa in general....
prior to the fall of the Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
and its takeover by Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
and Turkish
Turkish people
Turkish people, also known as the "Turks" , are an ethnic group primarily living in Turkey and in the former lands of the Ottoman Empire where Turkish minorities had been established in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Romania...
civilizations. But predominantly Italian heritage in Libya refers to modern-day Italians.
In 1911, the Kingdom of Italy
Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946)
The Kingdom of Italy was a state forged in 1861 by the unification of Italy under the influence of the Kingdom of Sardinia, which was its legal predecessor state...
waged war on the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
and captured Libya as a colony. Italian settlers were encouraged to come to Libya and did so from 1911 until the outbreak of World War II.
Developments
In less than thirty years (1911-1940), the Italians in Libya built a significant amount of public works (roads, railways, buildings, ports, etc.) and the Libyan economy flourished. They even created the Tripoli Grand PrixTripoli Grand Prix
The Tripoli Grand Prix was a motor racing event first held in 1925 on a racing circuit outside Tripoli, the capital of what was then Italian Tripolitania...
, an international motor racing event first held in 1925 on a racing circuit outside Tripoli (it lasted until 1940).
Italian farmers cultivated lands that had returned to native desert for many centuries, and improved Italian Libya
Italian Libya
Italian Libya was a unified colony of Italian North Africa established in 1934 in what represents present-day Libya...
's agriculture to international standards (even with the creation of new farm villages).
Catholicism
Roman Catholicism in Libya
The Roman Catholic Church in Libya is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and Curia in Rome.-Characteristics:...
experienced a huge growth in those years, with many new churches built for the growing Italian community: in the late 1920s the two catholic Cathedrals of Tripoli
Tripoli Cathedral
Tripoli Cathedral was a Roman Catholic cathedral in Tripoli, the capital of Libya, located on Algeria/Elgazayer Square - Maidan al Jazair /Maydan elgazayer in the city centre.-History:...
and Benghazi
Benghazi Cathedral
Benghazi Cathedral was a Roman Catholic cathedral in the city of Benghazi, Libya. It is located in the city center and is currently disused and undergoing renovation work.-History:...
were built. The one in Benghazi was considered the biggest in north Africa.
The governor Italo Balbo
Italo Balbo
Italo Balbo was an Italian Blackshirt leader who served as Italy's Marshal of the Air Force , Governor-General of Libya, Commander-in-Chief of Italian North Africa , and the "heir apparent" to Italian dictator Benito Mussolini.After serving in...
is attributed with the creation of modern Libya in 1934, when he convinced Italian leader 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....
to unite the Italian colonies of Tripolitania
Tripolitania
Tripolitania or Tripolitana is a historic region and former province of Libya.Tripolitania was a separate Italian colony from 1927 to 1934...
, Cirenaica and the Fezzan
Fezzan
Fezzan is a south western region of modern Libya. It is largely desert but broken by mountains, uplands, and dry river valleys in the north, where oases enable ancient towns and villages to survive deep in the otherwise inhospitable Sahara.-Name:...
into one single country named "Libia" in Italian.
Emigrants
Libya was considered the new "America" for the Italian emigrants in the 1930s, substituting the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
The Italians in Libya numbered 108,419 (12.37% of the total population) at the time of the 1939 census. They were concentrated in the coast around the city of Tripoli (they constituted 37% of the city's population) and Benghazi (31%).
In 1938, Governor Balbo brought 20,000 Italian farmers to colonize Libya, and 26 new villages were founded for them, mainly in Cyrenaica.
On January 9, 1939, the colony of Libya was incorporated into metropolitan Italy and thereafter considered an integral part of the Italian state. Libya, as the Fourth Shore, was to be part of the Greater Italia, desired by the Italian irredentists
Italia irredenta
Italian irredentism was an Italian Irredentist movement that aimed at the unification of all ethnically Italian peoples....
.
By 1939 the Libyan Italians had built 400 km of new railroads and 4,000 km of new roads (the largest and most important was the one from Tripoli to Tobruk, on the coast) in Libya.
Libya: A Country Study
- Helen Chapin Metz wrote in her book titled Libya: A Country Study the following observations:
..."Once pacification had been accomplished, Fascist ItalyNational Fascist PartyThe National Fascist Party was an Italian political party, created by Benito Mussolini as the political expression of fascism...
endeavored to convert Libya into an Italian province to be referred to popularly as Italy's Fourth Shore. In 1934 TripolitaniaItalian TripolitaniaItalian Tripolitania was an African colony, in present day western Libya, of the Kingdom of Italy from 1927 to 1934. It was part of the Italian North Africa territory conquered from the Ottoman empire in 1911...
and CyrenaicaItalian CyrenaicaItalian Cyrenaica was an African colony, in present day eastern Libya, of the Kingdom of Italy from 1927 to 1934. It was part of the Italian North Africa territory conquered from the Ottoman empire in 1911.-History:...
were divided into four provincesProvinces of LibyaThe Provinces of Libya existed during the last period of colonial Italian Libya through post-independence Libya. The country was divided into provinces from 1934 in the colonial era to 1963 when the Governorates system was instituted.-Italian colonial era:...
--Tripoli, Misrata, Benghazi, and Darnah--which were formally linked as a single colony known as Italian LibyaItalian LibyaItalian Libya was a unified colony of Italian North Africa established in 1934 in what represents present-day Libya...
, thus officially resurrecting the name that Diocletian had applied nearly 1,500 years earlier. Fezzan, designated as South Tripolitania, remained a military territory. A governor general, called the first consul after 1937, was in overall direction of the colony, assisted by the General Consultative Council, on which Arabs were represented. Traditional tribal councils, formerly sanctioned by the Italian administration, were abolished, and all local officials were thereafter appointed by the governor general. Administrative posts at all levels were held by Italians.
An accord with Britain and Egypt obtained the transfer of a corner of the Anglo-Egyptian SudanAnglo-Egyptian SudanAnglo-Egyptian Sudan referred to the manner by which Sudan was administered between 1899 and 1956, when it was a condominium of Egypt and the United Kingdom.-Union with Egypt:...
, known as the Sarra Triangle, to Italian control in 1934. The next year, a French-Italian agreement was negotiated that relocated the 1,000-kilometer border between Libya and Chad southward about 100 kilometers across the Aouzou Strip, but this territorial concession to Italy was never ratified by the French legislature.
In 1939 Libya was incorporated into metropolitan Italy. During the 1930s, impressive strides were made in improving the country's economic and transportation infrastructure. Italy invested capital and technology in public worksPublic worksPublic 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, extension and modernization of cities, highway and railroad construction, expanded port facilities, and irrigationIrrigationIrrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
, but these measures were introduced to benefit the Italian-controlled modern sector of the economy. Italian development policy after World War I had called for capital-intensive "economic colonization" intended to promote the maximum exploitation of the resources available.
One of the initial Italian objectives in Libya, however, had been the relief of overpopulation and unemployment in Italy through emigrationEmigrationEmigration is the act of leaving one's country or region to settle in another. It is the same as immigration but from the perspective of the country of origin. Human movement before the establishment of political boundaries or within one state is termed migration. There are many reasons why people...
to the undeveloped colony. With security established, systematic "demographic colonization" was encouraged by Mussolini's government. A project initiated by Libya's governor, Italo Balbo, brought the first 20,000 settlers — the ventimilli — to Libya in a single convoy in October 1938. More settlers followed in 1939, and by 1940 there were approximately 110,000 Italians in Libya, constituting about 12 percent of the total population. Plans envisioned an Italian colony of 500,000 settlers by the 1960s.
Libya's best land was allocated to the settlers to be brought under productive cultivation, primarily in olive groveOlive GroveOlive Grove was Sheffield Wednesday F.C.'s first permanent football ground, home to the club for just over a decade at the end of the 19th century...
s. Settlement was directed by a state corporation, the Libyan Colonization Society, which undertook land reclamation and the building of model villages and offered a grubstake and credit facilities to the settlers it had sponsored. The Italians made modern medical care available for the first time in Libya, improved sanitary conditions in the towns, and undertook to replenish the herds and flocks that had been depleted during the war. But, although Mussolini liked to refer to the Libyans as "Muslim Italians," little more was accomplished that directly improved the living standards of the Arab population.
World War II
In 1940 World War IIWorld 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...
broke out between Italy and Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
. The defeat of the Axis forces in the North African Campaign
North African campaign
During the Second World War, the North African Campaign took place in North Africa from 10 June 1940 to 13 May 1943. It included campaigns fought in the Libyan and Egyptian deserts and in Morocco and Algeria and Tunisia .The campaign was fought between the Allies and Axis powers, many of whom had...
s of World War II meant Italy lost Libya to British and French control. After these Western Desert Campaign
Western Desert Campaign
The Western Desert Campaign, also known as the Desert War, was the initial stage of the North African Campaign during the Second World War. The campaign was heavily influenced by the availability of supplies and transport. The ability of the Allied forces, operating from besieged Malta, to...
defeats in 1941, Italy was forced to abandon its colonial intentions and projects.
After World War II
The era of international decolonizationDecolonization
Decolonization refers to the undoing of colonialism, the unequal relation of polities whereby one people or nation establishes and maintains dependent Territory over another...
fostered an exodus of Italians from Libya, especially after Libya became independent in 1953. After 1970 the Italian population almost disappeared after Libyan president Muammar Gaddafi
Muammar Gaddafi
Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar Gaddafi or "September 1942" 20 October 2011), commonly known as Muammar Gaddafi or Colonel Gaddafi, was the official ruler of the Libyan Arab Republic from 1969 to 1977 and then the "Brother Leader" of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya from 1977 to 2011.He seized power in a...
ordered the expulsion of Italians.
21st century
Only a few hundred of Italians have been allowed to return to Libya in the 2000s. In 2006 the Italian Embassy in Tripoli calculated that there are approximately 1,000 original Libyan Italians in Libya, mostly elderly people living in Tripoli and Benghazi.There are also many descendants (probably 10,000, according to estimates of Italian historian Vidali) of Italian settlers who married Arabs and/or Berbers, and Libyans of mixed Italian and Arab/Berber blood may be considered Arabs or Berbers in the Libyan census.
At present, the Libyan Italians are organized in the Associazione Italiani Rimpatriati dalla Libia .
Libyan Italians chart
| YEAR | ITALIANS | PERCENTAGE | TOTAL LIBYA | SOURCE FOR DATA ON POPULATION |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1936 | 112,600 | 13.26% | 848,600 | Enciclopedia Geografica Mondiale K-Z, De Agostini,1996 |
| 1939 | 108,419 | 12.37% | 876,563 | Guida Breve d'Italia Vol.III, C.T.I., 1939 (Censimento Ufficiale) |
| 1962 | 35,000 | 2.1% | 1,681,739 | Enciclopedia Motta, Vol.VIII, Motta Editore, 1969 |
| 1982 | 1,500 | 0.05% | 2,856,000 | Atlante Geografico Universale, Fabbri Editori, 1988 |
| 2004 | 22,530 | 0.4% | 5,631,585 | L'Aménagement Linguistique dans le Monde |
Notable people
Tripoli
- Claudio GentileClaudio GentileClaudio Gentile is an Italian football coach and former defender of the 1970s and 1980s. Gentile appeared for Italy in two World Cup tournaments, including playing in the winning Italian team in the 1982 final. His club career was notably spent with Juventus for whom he made almost 300 league...
(born 1953), international football player and coach - Rossana PodestàRossana PodestàRossana Podestà is a former Italian actress.-Life:She was born in the Italian colony of Libya, where she spent her first years in Tripoli and later moved to Rome after World War II...
(born 1934), international actress - Franco CalifanoFranco CalifanoFranco Califano is an Italian musician, singer and actor.Born on an airplane above Tripoli, he has lived most of his life in Rome and Milan. He was arrested two times in 1970 and 1984 for possession of drugs...
(born 1938), singer and music composer - Don CoscarelliDon CoscarelliDon Coscarelli is an American film director, producer and screenwriter best known for horror films. His credits include the Phantasm series, The Beastmaster, and Bubba Ho-Tep.-Biography:...
(born 1954), movie director and writer - Herbert PaganiHerbert PaganiHerbert Pagani is an artist and musician.He comes from a family of Libyan Jews who were italianized by the Colonial Administration. He spent his childhood and adolescence between Italy, Germany and France...
(1944–1988), singer - Adriano ViscontiAdriano ViscontiMajor Adriano Visconti di Lampugnano was one of Italy's top flying aces of the Second World War, shooting down between 10 to 26 enemy aircraft...
(1915–1945), fighter pilot and flying ace - Nicolò D'Alessandro (born 1944), artist and writer
- Emanuele Caracciolo (1912–1944), movie productor
- Nicola Conte (1920–1976), navy officer
- Victor Magiar (born 1957), writer
- Valentino Parlato (born 1930), journalist and newspaper editor
- Gianni Pilo (born 1939), writer
- Ottavio Macaione (Born 1925), favorite local football player in Tripoli.
Benghazi
- Maurizio Seymandi (born 1939), TV anchor
- Gabriele de Paolis (1924–1984), Italian Army General
See also
- Libyan resistance movementLibyan resistance movementThe Libyan resistance movement was the resistance movement against the Italian colonization of Libya.-History:It was initially led by Omar Mukhtar , who was from the tribe of Mnifa, born in a small village called Janzour located in the eastern part of Barqa...
- Italian Colonial Empire
- Greater Italia
- Italo-Turkish WarItalo-Turkish WarThe Italo-Turkish or Turco-Italian War was fought between the Ottoman Empire and the Kingdom of Italy from September 29, 1911 to October 18, 1912.As a result of this conflict, Italy was awarded the Ottoman provinces of Tripolitania, Fezzan, and...
- Italian LibyaItalian LibyaItalian Libya was a unified colony of Italian North Africa established in 1934 in what represents present-day Libya...
- Mare NostrumMare NostrumMare Nostrum may refer to:*Mare Nostrum, the Roman term for the Mediterranean Sea, adopted by Italian nationalists and fascists.*Mare Nostrum , a Spanish-language novel by Vicente Blasco Ibáñez...
- Italy–Libya relationsItaly–Libya relationsItaly–Libya relations are foreign relations between Italy and Libya. Between 1911 and 1947, what is now Libya was an Italian colony. Both countries established diplomatic relations in 1947. Italy has an embassy in Tripoli and a general consulate in Benghazi...
External links
- Photos of former Italian settlers and their villages in Libya
- The Italians in Libya after World War II
- Italian Libyan citizenship problems
- Agreement to restore Italian Cemetery in Tripoli
- Photos of Italian Tripoli