Minghetti

Minghetti, MARCO, Cavour's most distinguished disciple and successor as leader of the Italian Right, was born 8th September 1818 of a commercial family in Bologna, and supplemented a brilliant course at its university by a prolonged tour in France, Germany, and Great Britain. Free trade as vindicated by Richard Cobden found him prepared for its acceptance, by familiarity with the teaching of its Tuscan anticipator Bandini. With the election in 1846 of Pope Pius IX. young Italy's aspirations for national unity and constitutional government seemed nearing their fruition, and Minghetti started a journal in aid of his country's regeneration. He enjoyed Pio Nono's favour, and was made member of the 'Consulta della Finanze' and minister of Public Works. But under the pressure of Austria, backed by Radetsky's forces, the pope's reforming zeal was short-lived, and Minghetti, like others of his school, abjured the papal government and enrolled in the Sardinia army to fight for his country's cause under King Charles Albert. He served with distinction in the Lombard campaign; was promoted captain, then major; and on the field of Custoza earned the cross of the Knights of St Maurizio. After the fatal defeat at Novara he settled at Turin, an ardent student of economics and devoted friend of Cavour, whose confidences he shared during the diplomatic meetings at Paris which preceded the Crimean war, the war of 1859, and the expulsion of Austria from Lombardy. In the eventful years 1859-60 he was Cavour's secretary for foreign affairs, till he resigned with his chief over the treaty of Villafranca. His next post was that of minister of the Interior, and on Cavour's death in June 1861 he was regarded as his ablest representative in the Italian chamber. In 1863 he became prime-minister, in 1864 he concluded with the Emperor Napoleon the 'September Convention.' In 1868 he was Italian minister in London, and thereafter minister of Agriculture. In 1870 the collapse of the Second Empire brought with it the dissolution of the September Convention, and Rome became the capital of Italy and seat of government. From 1873 to 1876 Minghetti was prime-minister for the second time, and among many useful measures earned his country's gratitude by effecting the 'paraggio' or financial equilibrium between her outlay and income. For the next ten years Minghetti was still the most prominent member of the Italian parliament. His lectures and essays on Raphael and Dante illustrate on the æsthetic side a catholicity of culture which in the sphere of practical politics can point to his treatises on Economia Publica (1859) and La Chiesa e lo Stato (1878). He died in Rome, 10th December 1886. See his Miei Ricordi (Turin, 1888).