Rattazzi, URBANO, an Italian statesman, was born at Alessandria, June 29, 1808. He studied law at Turin and practised as an advocate with great success at Casale. After the proclamation of the constitution in 1848 he was elected member of the Second Chamber for Alessandria, and began his political career as a democrat. His eloquence and liberal principles raised him to the ministry: Gioberti made him minister of the Interior and later of Justice; but after the defeat of Novara he was obliged to retire along with the rest of the ministry. When Napoleon III. threatened the liberty of Piedmont, Cavour, Rattazzi, and their parties joined together to defeat his schemes, and in 1853 Rattazzi took the portfolio of Justice under Cavour, and presented the bill for the abolition of convents. Being accused of weakness in suppressing the Mazzinian movement in 1857, he retired from office early in the following year. In 1859, however, he was back again in office as minister of the Interior. The threatened cession of Savoy and Nice, which he opposed, led to his retirement in 1860. Having changed his views on this point, he was in March 1862 entrusted with the formation of a new ministry, but had to resign at the end of the year in consequence of his opposition to Garibaldi; and once more prime-minister for six months in 1867, he lost the post for the same reason. He died at Frosinone, June 5, 1873. A want of stability was his chief drawback as a statesman.
His Speeches were edited by Scovazzi (8 vols. Rome, 1876-80). See a Life by Morelli (Padua, 1874), and Rattazzi et son Temps (Paris, 1881).