Celso Ceretti | |
|---|---|
 Ceretti in a photograph | |
| Born | (1844-01-13)13 January 1844 |
| Died | 12 January 1909(1909-01-12) (aged 64) |
| Occupation | Politician |
Celso Ceretti (13 January 1844 – 12 January 1909) was an Italian supporter ofGiuseppe Garibaldi, an internationalistanarchist and then asocialist politician.
Celso Ceretti was born on 23 January 1844 inMirandola,Emilia-Romagna, at the time part of thePapal States, the son of Luigi Ceretti and Maria Malagodi. His father had been imprisoned for the riots of 1831 and educated his children in democratic ideals.[1] When he was fourteen, he enlisted in Garibaldi's expedition toSicily.[2] He joined in 1859. In 1860–1861, he served in Sicily and the mainland with the rank of sergeant. In 1862, he was inAspromonte. In 1866, he became an officer of the 9th regiment. In 1867, he served inAgro Romano.[1] He became one of Garibaldi's closest followers and later served as a link between him and thelabor movement.[2]
In 1870, Cerretti joined Garibaldi'sArmy of the Vosges.[1] In 1871, he participated in the defense of France and theParis Commune. That year, he founded the Anti-Catholic Republican Society in Mirandola. Ceretti was one of the founders of the Italian Section of theInternational Workingmen's Association (IWA).[2]
By 1871, Garibaldi was still respected by socialists elsewhere in Italy, but it was only inRomagna that his leadership was seen as essential for a people's republic. At first, Ceretti,Lodovico Nabruzzi andParide Suzzara Verdi shared this view.[3] Garibaldi planned to call a democratic congress, but he canceled it due to the factional squabbles. WithMikhail Bakunin's support, Nabruzzi, Ceretti,Andrea Costa and others arranged a conference on 17 March 1872 inBologna, where most of the internationalist sections of Romagna were represented.[4] The congress rejectedGiuseppe Mazzini's view that the question of social reform could follow creation of a republic and also voted against participating in elections, in effect moving towards Bakunin's position.[5]
On 11 March 1873, Ceretti was arrested for his IWA activities and imprisoned for five months. He was then tried for "conspiracy" and acquitted. Later that year, he tried to organize a second IWA Congress in Mirandola, but this was forbidden by the authorities.[2] In 1873, he commanded a force in Spain against theCarlists. In 1874, he was assistant toMićo Ljubibratić inHerzegovina. In 1875, he commanded the Italian Legion inSerbia with the rank of major in the struggle againstTurkish rule.[1]
In 1886, Ceretti founded the Society of Radical Veterans. In 1888, in Mirandola, he founded the socialist periodicalIl Sole dell'Avvenire (The Sun of the Future). In 1890, he was the first socialist to enter the municipal council of Mirandola.[2]
He came into conflict with the anarchists of theIntransigents of London and Paris group after they published a text targetingAmilcare Cipriani, another defector from anarchism who had become a socialist politician.[6] In their text, theManifesto degl’ anarchici in lingua italiana al popolo d’Italia, the anarchists accused him of defending nationalist positions.[6] In response to these criticisms, Ceretti used his newspaper to target the anarchists in question, describing them aspolice informants andprovocateurs.[6] The insults contained in the newspaper greatly displeased the main subjects,Vittorio Pini andLuigi Parmeggiani, who traveled to Mirandola to 'settle the score' with him.[6] They stabbed him, and he survived, according to Pini simply because, upon entering his house, he noticed Ceretti had a child, which reportedly prompted him to spare his life.[7]
Ceretti died on 12 January 1909 inFerrara.[2]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
