Manin, DANIELE

Manin, DANIELE, an Italian patriot of Jewish descent, was born 13th May 1804 at Venice, studied law at Padua, and subsequently practised at the bar. From 1831 he became a recognised leader of liberal opinion in Venice. Previous to the outbreak of 1848 Manin was imprisoned for presenting a somewhat outspoken petition to the authorities; but on the promulgation of the news that Paris, Naples, and Tuscany were in revolution he was released in triumph by the populace, and was at once invested with supreme power. From the period of his election to the presidency of the Venetian republic Manin's energies were devoted to the organisation of the inhabitants for self-defence. During the annexation of Lombardy to Piedmont he laid down his authority; but on the defeat of the Sardinian army at Novara, 23d March 1849, he resumed it, and was the animating spirit of the entire population of Venice during the heroic defence of the city for five months against the besieging Austrian army. On the 24th of August Venice capitulated; but Manin, with forty of the principal citizens, being excluded from the amnesty, quitted the city. He retired to Paris, where he taught Italian, and where he died of heart-disease, 22d September 1857. The bones of this truly great and noble man were brought to free Venice in 1868, and a statue of him was erected in 1875. See Lives by Henri Martin (Paris, 1859), Finzi (1872), and Errera (1875).