Lorenzo Panepinto
Encyclopedia
Lorenzo Panepinto was an Italian politician and teacher. He was the founder of the Fascio dei lavoratori
(Workers League) in his hometown Santo Stefano Quisquina
, editor of the newspaper La Plebe and member of the Comitato della Federazione Regionale Socialista. He was killed by the Sicilian Mafia.
, he became a primary school teacher and an artist. His great passion was painting and the other was politics. In 1889 he was elected city councilor in the democratic-republican group inspired by Giuseppe Mazzini
, challenging the traditional powers.
The latter reacted vehemently by dissolving the council and replace it with a Royal Commissioner. Nevertheless, the move failed to prevent a second defeat of the conservatives in the elections of August 1890. The government of the Antonio di Rudini again dissolved the council and appointed a commissioner. Panepinto resigned in protest and dedicated himself to teaching and painting.
. He set up the Fascio in Santo Stefano Quisquina, which was dissolved after only a few months by the Government of Francesco Crispi
, which repressed the movement in January 1894. In the same year joined the Italian Socialist Party
. In an act of political reprisal, he was dismissed from his post of elementary school teacher by the municipality. Not discouraged, he continued to study pedagogy and educational methodologies and published two didactic volumes in 1897.
In the early 20th century, with the resumption of agricultural strikes, Panepinto joined other peasant leaders like Bernardino Verro
from Corleone
and Nicola Alongi
from Prizzi
with whom he designed a change of strategy of political struggle, aiming to organise peasants in collective leaseholds through cooperatives and agricultural banks, to reduce dependence on the leaseholders (gabelloto
) of the large rural estates. In 1907 he moved to the United States, but returned to Sicily just one year later.
In October 1920, the socialists of Santo Stefano Quisquina managed to conquer the city hall again, electing as mayor Giuseppe Cammarata, Panepinto’s friend and collaborator, who continued the battle.
Fasci Siciliani
The Fasci Siciliani, short for Fasci Siciliani dei Lavoratori , were a popular movement of democratic and socialist inspiration, which arose in Sicily in the years between 1889 and 1894...
(Workers League) in his hometown Santo Stefano Quisquina
Santo Stefano Quisquina
Santo Stefano Quisquina is a comune in the Province of Agrigento in the Italian region Sicily, located about 60 km south of Palermo and about 35 km north of Agrigento...
, editor of the newspaper La Plebe and member of the Comitato della Federazione Regionale Socialista. He was killed by the Sicilian Mafia.
Early years
Born in Santo Stefano Quisquina in the Province of AgrigentoProvince of Agrigento
Agrigento is a province in the autonomous island region of Sicily in Italy. It has an area of 3,042 km², and a total population of 454,370...
, he became a primary school teacher and an artist. His great passion was painting and the other was politics. In 1889 he was elected city councilor in the democratic-republican group inspired by Giuseppe Mazzini
Giuseppe Mazzini
Giuseppe Mazzini , nicknamed Soul of Italy, was an Italian politician, journalist and activist for the unification of Italy. His efforts helped bring about the independent and unified Italy in place of the several separate states, many dominated by foreign powers, that existed until the 19th century...
, challenging the traditional powers.
The latter reacted vehemently by dissolving the council and replace it with a Royal Commissioner. Nevertheless, the move failed to prevent a second defeat of the conservatives in the elections of August 1890. The government of the Antonio di Rudini again dissolved the council and appointed a commissioner. Panepinto resigned in protest and dedicated himself to teaching and painting.
Organizing the peasantry
He married and moved to Naples. Returning to Sicily in 1893, he noted the state of turmoil caused by the movement of the Fasci SicilianiFasci Siciliani
The Fasci Siciliani, short for Fasci Siciliani dei Lavoratori , were a popular movement of democratic and socialist inspiration, which arose in Sicily in the years between 1889 and 1894...
. He set up the Fascio in Santo Stefano Quisquina, which was dissolved after only a few months by the Government of Francesco Crispi
Francesco Crispi
Francesco Crispi was a 19th-century Italian politician of Arbëreshë ancestry. He was instrumental in the unification of Italy and was its 17th and 20th Prime Minister from 1887 until 1891 and again from 1893 until 1896.-Sicily:Crispi’s paternal family came originally from the small agricultural...
, which repressed the movement in January 1894. In the same year joined the Italian Socialist Party
Italian Socialist Party
The Italian Socialist Party was a socialist and later social-democratic political party in Italy founded in Genoa in 1892.Once the dominant leftist party in Italy, it was eclipsed in status by the Italian Communist Party following World War II...
. In an act of political reprisal, he was dismissed from his post of elementary school teacher by the municipality. Not discouraged, he continued to study pedagogy and educational methodologies and published two didactic volumes in 1897.
In the early 20th century, with the resumption of agricultural strikes, Panepinto joined other peasant leaders like Bernardino Verro
Bernardino Verro
Bernardino Verro was a Sicilian sindicalist and politician. He was involved in the Fasci Siciliani a popular movement of democratic and socialist inspiration in 1891-1894, and became the first socialist mayor of Corleone...
from Corleone
Corleone
Corleone is a small town and comune of approximately 12,000 inhabitants in the Province of Palermo in Sicily, Italy....
and Nicola Alongi
Nicola Alongi
Nicola Alongi , was a Sicilian socialist leader, involved in the Fasci Siciliani a popular movement of democratic and socialist inspiration in 1891-1894...
from Prizzi
Prizzi
Prizzi is a town and comune of 5,711 inhabitants in the Italian province of Palermo, on the island of Sicily. It is located south of the city of Palermo at an altitude of 696 m above sea level on a hill in the upper valley of the River Sosio...
with whom he designed a change of strategy of political struggle, aiming to organise peasants in collective leaseholds through cooperatives and agricultural banks, to reduce dependence on the leaseholders (gabelloto
Gabelloto
In Sicily, a gabelloto was a person who rented farmland for short-term use. They were rural entrepreneurs who leased the lands from aristocrats more attracted to the comforts of the city.Many gabelloti were associated with, if not members of, the Mafia...
) of the large rural estates. In 1907 he moved to the United States, but returned to Sicily just one year later.
Death
On May 16, 1911, he was assassinated in Santo Stefano Quisquina, just before the entrance of his house, with two gunshots to the chest. At the funeral, over 4,000 people followed the open coffin in procession. His killers were identified among the gabelloti with links to the Mafia, but the material killer was released by the Court of Catania in April 1914. No one has ever been convicted for the crime.In October 1920, the socialists of Santo Stefano Quisquina managed to conquer the city hall again, electing as mayor Giuseppe Cammarata, Panepinto’s friend and collaborator, who continued the battle.