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Felice Cavallotti | |
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| Born | (1842-11-06)6 November 1842 |
| Died | 6 March 1898(1898-03-06) (aged 55) Rome |
| Cause of death | Duel with CountMacola |
| Occupation(s) | Politician, Poet, Writer |
| Political party | Historical Far Left |
Felice Cavallotti (6 November 1842 – 6 March 1898) was an Italian politician, poet and dramatic author.
Born inMilan, Cavallotti fought with theGaribaldian Corps in their 1860 and 1866 campaigns during theItalian Wars of Independence.
Following his military service he created a series of anti-monarchical lampoons in theGazzetta di Milano and in theGazzettina Rosa between 1866 and 1872.[1] He also commented on Garibaldi's deeds in the NeapolitanIndipendente, directed byAlexandre Dumas, père.
In 1872 Cavallotti was elected to theItalian Parliament as deputy forCorteolona. When sworn in Cavallotti took the oath of allegiance, despite having lampooned the oath in his articles. Eloquent and turbulent, his combativeness in and out of Parliament secured for him the leadership of theExtreme Left on the death ofAgostino Bertani in 1886. During his twelve years' leadership, his party increased in number from twenty to seventy, and at the time of his death his parliamentary influence was greater than ever before.[1]
Although he was ambitious and used defamatory methods of personal attack, Cavallotti's eloquent advocacy of democratic reform and apparent generosity of sentiment secured for him a popularity surpassed by that of no Italian political contemporary exceptFrancesco Crispi.[1]
Services rendered in thecholera epidemic of 1885, his numerous lawsuits and thirty-threeduels, his bitter campaign against Crispi, and his championship ofFrench interests combined to enhance his notoriety and to increase his political influence. By skillful alliances with the MarquisAntonio di Rudinì he more than once obtained practical control of the Italian government and exacted notable concessions to Radical demands.[1]
In 1889 he contributed to the erection of the statue ofGiordano Bruno inCampo de' Fiori atRome, a symbol of the lay struggle against the unceasing encroachment of theHoly See in Italian politics.
Aged 55, Cavallotti was killed in a duel against CountFerruccio Macola, editor of the conservativeGazzetta di Venezia, whom he had insulted.[2] Poet and FreemasonGiosuè Carducci issued a celebrative discourse for his death. Cavallotti was buried in the cemetery of Dagnente, on theLake Maggiore.
However, Felice Cavallotti denied being a member of the Italian Freemasonry in a letter addressed on 9 January 1875 to the director of the journalItalia Reale.[3] With the permission of his political opponentFrancesco Crispi, Cavallotti contributed to the erection of the monument commemoratingGiordano Bruno in Rome, placeCampo de' Fiori, a work of the sculptorEttore Ferrari which was Grand Master of theGrand Orient of Italy.[4]
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Steed, Henry Wickham (1911). "Cavallotti, Felice". InChisholm, Hugh (ed.).Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 5 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 563.