Antonio Starrabba (or Starabba), Marquess of Rudinì (16 April 18397 August 1908) was an Italian statesman, Prime Minister of Italy between 1891 and 1892 and from 1896 until 1898.
Biography
Early life and patriotic activities
He was born in Palermo (then part of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies) into an aristocratic Sicilian family. However, his family was of a more cultured, liberal disposition than many of their contemporaries.
In 1859, he joined the revolutionary committee which paved the way for Garibaldi's triumphs in the following year. After spending a short time in Turin as attaché to the Italian foreign office, he was elected mayor of Palermo. In 1866, he displayed considerable personal courage and energy in quelling an insurrection of separatist and reactionary tendencies. The prestige thus acquired led to his appointment as prefect of Palermo. It was while occupying that position that he put down brigandage throughout the province. In 1868, he was prefect of Naples. He endangered relations with Great Britain by the unauthorized publication of confidential diplomatic correspondence in a Green-book on Abyssinian affairs. He made it clear though that a reorganization of the Fasci would not be tolerated. Di Rudinì's minister of the treasury Luigi Luzzatti passed two measures of social legislation in 1898. The industrial workmen's compensation scheme from 1883 was made obligatory with the employer bearing all costs, and a voluntary fund for contributory disability and old age pensions was created.
To satisfy the anti-colonial party, he ceded Kassala to Great Britain, thereby provoking much indignation in Italy. His internal policy was marked by continual yielding to Radical pressure and by the persecution of Crispi. During his second term of office, he thrice modified his cabinet (July 1896, December 1897, and May 1898) without strengthening his political position. By dissolving the Chamber early in 1897 and favouring Radical candidates in the general election, he paved the way for the outbreak of popular uprisings about rising prices in May 1898.
Death and legacy
Di Rudinì retained his seat in Parliament until his death in 1908. Has reputed to be a thorough gentleman and grand seigneur. One of the largest and wealthiest landowners in Sicily, he managed his estates on liberal lines and was never troubled by agrarian disturbances. The marquis, who had not been in office since 1898, died at Rome in August 1908, leaving a son, Carlo, who married a daughter of Henry Labouchère.
List of Rudinì's cabinets
1st cabinet (6 February 1891 15 May 1892)
{| class="wikitable"
! Portfolio
! colspan=2 | Holder
! Party
|-
| President of the Council of Ministers
| style="background:;"|
| The Marquess of Rudinì
| Liberal-Conservative
|-
! colspan=4 align=center | Ministers
|-
| Minister of Foreign Affairs
| style="background:;"|
| The Marquess of Rudinì
| Liberal-Conservative
|-
| Minister of the Interior
| style="background:;"|
| Giovanni Nicotera
| Dissident Left
|-
| Minister of Justice and Worship
| style="background:;"|
| Luigi Ferraris
| Liberal-Conservative
|-
| Minister of War
| style="background:#808080;"|
| Lt. General Luigi Pelloux
| Military
|-
| Minister of the Navy
| style="background:;"|
| Admiral Simone Antonio Saint-Bon
| Liberal-Conservative
|-
| Minister of Finance
| style="background:;"|
| Giuseppe Colombo
| Liberal-Conservative
|-
| Minister of Treasury
| style="background:;"|
| Luigi Luzzatti
| Liberal-Conservative
|-
| Minister of Public Education
| style="background:;"|
| Pasquale Villari
| Liberal-Conservative
|-
| Minister of Public Works
| rowspan=2 style="background:;"|
| rowspan=2 | Ascanio Branca
| rowspan=2 | Liberal-Conservative
|-
| Minister of Post and Telegraph
|-
| Minister of Agricolture, Industry and Commerce
| style="background:;"|
| Bruno Chimirri
| Liberal-Conservative
|}
2nd cabinet (10 March 1896 15 July 1896)
{| class="wikitable"
! Portfolio
! colspan=2 | Holder
! Party
|-
| President of the Council of Ministers
| style="background:;"|
| The Marquess of Rudinì
| Liberal-Conservative
|-
! colspan=4 align=center | Ministers
|-
| Minister of the Interior
| style="background:;"|
| The Marquess of Rudinì
| Liberal-Conservative
|-
| Minister of Justice and Worship
| style="background:;"|
| Giacomo Costa
| None
|-
| Minister of Foreign Affairs
| style="background:;"|
| Onorato Caetani
| Liberal-Conservative
|-
| Minister of War
| style="background:#808080;"|
| Lt. General Cesare Ricotti-Magnani
| Military
|-
| Minister of the Navy
| style="background:;"|
| Benedetto Brin
| Liberal-Conservative
|-
| Minister of Finance
| style="background:;"|
| Ascanio Branca
| Liberal-Conservative
|-
| Minister of Treasury
| style="background:;"|
| Giuseppe Colombo
| Liberal-Conservative
|-
| Minister of Public Education
| style="background:;"|
| Emanuele Gianturco
| Democrat
|-
| Minister of Public Works
| style="background:;"|
| Costantino Perazzi
| None
|-
| Minister of Post and Telegraph
| style="background:;"|
| Pietro Carmine
| Liberal-Conservative
|-
| Minister of Agricolture, Industry and Commerce
| style="background:;"|
| Francesco Guicciardini
| Democrat
|-
! colspan=4 align=center | Ministers without portfolio
|-
| Civil Commissioner for Sicily
| style="background:;"|
| Giovanni Codronchi
| Liberal-Conservative
|}
3rd cabinet (15 July 1896 14 December 1897)
{| class="wikitable"
! Portfolio
! colspan=2 | Holder
! Party
|-
| President of the Council of Ministers
| style="background:;"|
| The Marquess of Rudinì
| Liberal-Conservative
|-
! colspan=4 align=center | Ministers
|-
| Minister of the Interior
| style="background:;"|
| The Marquess of Rudinì
| Liberal-Conservative
|-
| Minister of Justice and Worship
| style="background:;"|
| Giacomo Costa
| None
|-
| Minister of Foreign Affairs
| style="background:;"|
| Emilio Visconti Venosta
| Liberal-Conservative
|-
| Minister of War
| style="background:#808080;"|
| Lt. General Luigi Pelloux
| Military
|-
| Minister of the Navy
| style="background:;"|
| Benedetto Brin
| Liberal-Conservative
|-
| Minister of Finance
| style="background:;"|
| Ascanio Branca
| Liberal-Conservative
|-
| Minister of Treasury
| style="background:;"|
| Luigi Luzzatti
| Liberal-Conservative
|-
| Minister of Public Education
| style="background:;"|
| Emanuele Gianturco
| Democrat
|-
| Minister of Public Works
| style="background:;"|
| Giulio Prinetti
| Liberal-Conservative
|-
| Minister of Post and Telegraph
| style="background:;"|
| Emilio Sineo
| None
|-
| Minister of Agricolture, Industry and Commerce
| style="background:;"|
| Francesco Guicciardini
| Democrat
|-
! colspan=4 align=center | Ministers without portfolio
|-
| Civil Commissioner for Sicily
| style="background:;"|
| Giovanni Codronchi
| Liberal-Conservative
|}
Changes:
- On 18 September 1897, Giovanni Codronchi became Minister of Public Education, substituting Emanuele Gianturco
4th cabinet (14 December 1897 1 June 1898)
{| class="wikitable"
! Portfolio
! colspan=2 | Holder
! Party
|-
| President of the Council of Ministers
| style="background:;"|
| The Marquess of Rudinì
| Liberal-Conservative
|-
! colspan=4 align=center | Ministers
|-
| Minister of the Interior
| style="background:;"|
| The Marquess of Rudinì
| Liberal-Conservative
|-
| Minister of Justice and Worship
| style="background:;"|
| Giuseppe Zanardelli
| Democrat
|-
| Minister of Foreign Affairs
| style="background:;"|
| Emilio Visconti Venosta
| Liberal-Conservative
|-
| Minister of War
| style="background:#808080;"|
| Lt. General Alessandro Asinari di San Marzano
| Military
|-
| Minister of the Navy
| style="background:;"|
| Benedetto Brin
| Liberal-Conservative
|-
| Minister of Finance
| style="background:;"|
| Ascanio Branca
| Liberal-Conservative
|-
| Minister of Treasury
| style="background:;"|
| Luigi Luzzatti
| Liberal-Conservative
|-
| Minister of Public Education
| style="background:;"|
| Nicolò Gallo
| Democrat
|-
| Minister of Public Works
| style="background:;"|
| Giuseppe Pavoncelli
| Liberal-Conservative
|-
| Minister of Post and Telegraph
| style="background:;"|
| Emilio Sineo
| None
|-
| Minister of Agricolture, Industry and Commerce
| style="background:;"|
| Francesco Cocco-Ortu
| Democrat
|}
5th cabinet (1 June 1898 29 June 1898)
{| class="wikitable"
! Portfolio
! colspan=2 | Holder
! Party
|-
| President of the Council of Ministers
| style="background:;"|
| The Marquess of Rudinì
| Liberal-Conservative
|-
! colspan=4 align=center | Ministers
|-
| Minister of the Interior
| rowspan=2 style="background:;"|
| rowspan=2 | The Marquess of Rudinì
| rowspan=2 | Liberal-Conservative
|-
| Minister of Agricolture, Industry and Commerce
|-
| Minister of Justice and Worship
| style="background:;"|
| Teodorico Bonacci
| None
|-
| Minister of Foreign Affairs
| style="background:;"|
| Raffaele Cappelli
| Liberal-Conservative
|-
| Minister of War
| style="background:#808080;"|
| Lt. General Alessandro Asinari di San Marzano
| Military
|-
| Minister of the Navy
| style="background:#808080;"|
| Vice Admiral Felice Napoleone Canevaro
| Military
|-
| Minister of Finance
| style="background:;"|
| Ascanio Branca
| Liberal-Conservative
|-
| Minister of Treasury
| style="background:;"|
| Luigi Luzzatti
| Liberal-Conservative
|-
| Minister of Public Education
| style="background:;"|
| Luigi Cremona
| Democrat
|-
| Minister of Public Works
| style="background:;"|
| General Achille Afan de Rivera
| Liberal-Conservative
|-
| Minister of Post and Telegraph
| style="background:;"|
| Secondo Frola
| Liberal-Conservative
|}
Orders and decorations
- : Knight of the Supreme Order of the Most Holy Annunciation, 23 October 1896
- Kingdom of Prussia: Knight of the Order of the Black Eagle, 3 February 1892
See also
- Fiorenzo Bava Beccaris
- Umberto I
- Gaetano Bresci
References
- Sarti, Roland (2004). Italy: a reference guide from the Renaissance to the present, New York: Facts on File Inc.,
- Seton-Watson, Christopher (1967). Italy from liberalism to fascism, 1870-1925, New York: Taylor & Francis, 1967