Marco Minghetti
Encyclopedia
Marco Minghetti was an Italian economist and statesman.
, then part of the Papal States
.
He signed the petition to the Papal conclave, 1846
urging the election of a liberal pope, and was appointed member of the state council summoned to prepare the constitution for the Papal States. With Antonio Montanan and Rodolfo Audinot he founded at Bologna a paper, Il Felsineo. In the first constitutional cabinet of the Papal States, presided over by Cardinal Antonelli
, Minghetti held the portfolio of public works, but after Pius IX
publicly spoke against the Italian Risorgimento
he resigned and joined the Piedmontese army as captain on the general staff.
Returning to Rome in September 1848, he refused to form a cabinet after the assassination of Pellegrino Rossi
(15 November), and spent the next eight years in study and travel. Summoned to Paris
by Cavour in 1856 to prepare the memorandum on the Romagna
provinces for the Paris congress resolving the Crimean War
, he was in 1859 appointed by Cavour secretary-general of the Piedmontese Foreign Office. In the same year he was elected president of the assembly of the Romagna after the rejection of pontifical rule by those provinces, and prepared their annexation to Piedmont.
Appointed Piedmontese minister of the interior, he resigned office shortly after Cavour's death, but was subsequently chosen to be minister of finance by Farini
, whom he succeeded as premier in 1863. With the help of Emilio, marquis Visconti-Venosta
he concluded (September 15, 1864) the September Convention
with France, whereby Napoleon III agreed to evacuate Rome, and Italy to transfer her capital from Turin to Florence. The convention excited violent opposition at Turin
, in consequence of which Minghetti was obliged to resign office. He took little part in public life until 1869, when he accepted the portfolio of agriculture in the Menabrea
Cabinet.
Both in and out of office he exercised his influence against an Italo-French alliance and for an immediate advance upon Rome, and in 1870 was sent to London and Vienna by the Lanza
-Sella Cabinet to organize a league of neutral powers on the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War
. In 1873 he overthrew the Lanza-Sella Cabinet and regained the premiership, which, with the portfolio of finance, he held until the fall of the Right from power on March 18, 1876.
During his premiership he inaugurated the rapprochement between Italy, Austria and Germany, and reformed the naval and military administration; and before his ouster he was able, as finance minister, to balance the State budget for the first time since 1860. After the advent of the Left, Minghetti remained for some years in opposition, but towards 1884 joined Depretis
in creating the Trasformismo ("Tansformation" movement), which consisted in bringing Conservative support to Liberal cabinets. Minghetti, however, drew from it no personal advantage, and died at Rome on the 10th of December 1886 without having returned to power.
His writings include: Della economia pubblica e delle sue attinenze con la morale e col diritto (Bologna, 1859), and La Chiesa e lo Stato (Milan, 1878).
Biography
Minghetti was born at BolognaBologna
Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,...
, then part of the Papal States
Papal States
The Papal State, State of the Church, or Pontifical States were among the major historical states of Italy from roughly the 6th century until the Italian peninsula was unified in 1861 by the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia .The Papal States comprised territories under...
.
He signed the petition to the Papal conclave, 1846
Papal conclave, 1846
The death of Pope Gregory XVI on 1 June 1846 triggered the Papal conclave of 1846. Fifty of the 62 members of the College of Cardinals assembled in the Quirinal Palace, one of the papal palaces in Rome and the seat of two earlier 19th century conclaves...
urging the election of a liberal pope, and was appointed member of the state council summoned to prepare the constitution for the Papal States. With Antonio Montanan and Rodolfo Audinot he founded at Bologna a paper, Il Felsineo. In the first constitutional cabinet of the Papal States, presided over by Cardinal Antonelli
Giacomo Antonelli
Giacomo Antonelli was an Italian cardinal deacon. He was the Cardinal Secretary of State from 1848 until his death; he played a key role in Italian politics, resisting the unification of Italy and affecting Roman Catholic interests in European affairs...
, Minghetti held the portfolio of public works, but after Pius IX
Pope Pius IX
Blessed Pope Pius IX , born Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, was the longest-reigning elected Pope in the history of the Catholic Church, serving from 16 June 1846 until his death, a period of nearly 32 years. During his pontificate, he convened the First Vatican Council in 1869, which decreed papal...
publicly spoke against the Italian Risorgimento
Italian Independence wars
The Wars of Italian Independence were three wars fought between Italian states and the Austrian Empire between 1848 and 1866, ending with the conquest of the entire Italian Peninsula...
he resigned and joined the Piedmontese army as captain on the general staff.
Returning to Rome in September 1848, he refused to form a cabinet after the assassination of Pellegrino Rossi
Pellegrino Rossi
Pellegrino Rossi was an Italian economist, politician and jurist. He was an important figure of the July Monarchy in France, and the Minister of Justice in the government of the Papal States, under Pope Pius IX.-Biography:...
(15 November), and spent the next eight years in study and travel. Summoned 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...
by Cavour in 1856 to prepare the memorandum on the Romagna
Romagna
Romagna is an Italian historical region that approximately corresponds to the south-eastern portion of present-day Emilia-Romagna. Traditionally, it is limited by the Apennines to the south-west, the Adriatic to the east, and the rivers Reno and Sillaro to the north and west...
provinces for the Paris congress resolving the Crimean War
Treaty of Paris (1856)
The Treaty of Paris of 1856 settled the Crimean War between Russia and an alliance of the Ottoman Empire, the British Empire, Second French Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The treaty, signed on March 30, 1856 at the Congress of Paris, made the Black Sea neutral territory, closing it to all...
, he was in 1859 appointed by Cavour secretary-general of the Piedmontese Foreign Office. In the same year he was elected president of the assembly of the Romagna after the rejection of pontifical rule by those provinces, and prepared their annexation to Piedmont.
Appointed Piedmontese minister of the interior, he resigned office shortly after Cavour's death, but was subsequently chosen to be minister of finance by Farini
Luigi Carlo Farini
Luigi Carlo Farini was an Italian statesman and historian.-Biography:Farini was born at Russi, in what is now the province of Ravenna....
, whom he succeeded as premier in 1863. With the help of Emilio, marquis Visconti-Venosta
Emilio, marquis Visconti-Venosta
Emilio, marquis Visconti-Venosta was an Italian statesman.-Biography :Visconti-Venosta was born at Milan...
he concluded (September 15, 1864) the September Convention
September Convention
The September Convention was a treaty, signed on 15 September 1864, between the Italian government and Napoleon III, under which:* Napoleon III agreed to withdraw all French troops from Rome within two years....
with France, whereby Napoleon III agreed to evacuate Rome, and Italy to transfer her capital from Turin to Florence. The convention excited violent opposition at 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...
, in consequence of which Minghetti was obliged to resign office. He took little part in public life until 1869, when he accepted the portfolio of agriculture in the Menabrea
Federico Luigi, Conte Menabrea
Federico Luigi, 1º Conte Menabrea, 1st Marquis of Valdora was an Italian general, statesman and mathematician.-Biography:Menabrea was born at Chambéry, then part of the Kingdom of Sardinia....
Cabinet.
Both in and out of office he exercised his influence against an Italo-French alliance and for an immediate advance upon Rome, and in 1870 was sent to London and Vienna by the Lanza
Giovanni Lanza
Domenico Giovanni Giuseppe Maria Lanza was an Italian politician and the tenth Prime Minister from 1869 to 1873.Lanza was born in the Piedmontese city of Casale Monferrato...
-Sella Cabinet to organize a league of neutral powers on the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
. In 1873 he overthrew the Lanza-Sella Cabinet and regained the premiership, which, with the portfolio of finance, he held until the fall of the Right from power on March 18, 1876.
During his premiership he inaugurated the rapprochement between Italy, Austria and Germany, and reformed the naval and military administration; and before his ouster he was able, as finance minister, to balance the State budget for the first time since 1860. After the advent of the Left, Minghetti remained for some years in opposition, but towards 1884 joined Depretis
Agostino Depretis
Agostino Depretis was an Italian statesman.-Biography:Depretis was born at Mezzana Corte, near Stradella, in the province of Pavia ....
in creating the Trasformismo ("Tansformation" movement), which consisted in bringing Conservative support to Liberal cabinets. Minghetti, however, drew from it no personal advantage, and died at Rome on the 10th of December 1886 without having returned to power.
His writings include: Della economia pubblica e delle sue attinenze con la morale e col diritto (Bologna, 1859), and La Chiesa e lo Stato (Milan, 1878).
Writings
- I partiti politici e la ingerenza loro nella giustizia e nell' amministrazione
- Della economia pubblica: e delle sue attinenze colla morale e col. diritto
- Des rapports de l'économie publique avec la morale et le droit
- Stato e chiesa By Marco Minghetti
- L'état et l'église
- La convenzione di settembre: un capitolo dei miei ricordi
- Scritti vari