Carlo Ilarione Petitti di Roreto
Encyclopedia
Carlo Ilarione Petitti count of Roreto (21 October 1790 – 10 April 1850) was an Italian economist
, academic, writer
, counsellor of state, and senator of the Kingdom of Sardinia
. He is seen as a prominent figure in the Italian
Risorgimento.
on 21 October 1790, son of the count Giuseppe Antonio Petitti di Roreto (1729–1795) and of the noblewoman Innocenza Gabriella Ferrero di Ponziglione e Borgo d’Ales (1767–1797).
In 1813 at Alessandria
he married the noblewoman Maria Teresa Gabriella Genna of the counts of Cocconato (1791–1826); the marriage produced four children: Alessandro (1813–1841), Agostino (1814–1890), Maurizio (1816–1852), and Giuseppe (1824–1886).
After graduating in law from the University of Genoa
in 1816, he entered the administration of the Kingdom of Sardinia
, for which he had already worked on an unpaid basis, becoming vice-intendant general of Savoy
at Chambéry
.
In 1819 he was made intendant general of Asti
and in 1826 of Cuneo
. In 1831 he was appointed to the newly founded Council of State
, an institution whose creation he had promoted to the king; in 1836 he became vice-president of the higher commission of statistics, also established by Charles Albert of Savoy, and in 1839 he was appointed to the Accademia delle Scienze di Torino. In 1842 he was a founder member, along with Cavour, of the Associazione Agraria di Torino.
He was identified by Metternich, together with Vincenzo Gioberti
, Massimo d'Azeglio and Cesare Balbo
as one of the most eminent Piedmont
ese Liberals of the time and is regarded as one of the leading intellectuals in the cultural and political spheres of the Risogimento and was described by Gian Mario Bravo as one of the few who emerged not so much because of their aristocratic titles or through their political activities (though both did apply in his case), but above all because of his work as an academic, as an economist, and as a commentator and journalist. Thus he came to be considered by many as the major inspirer of the Albertine
reform programme. His 1845 essay on the advantages to be gained by the development of railways received great attention in political circles both at home and abroad.
In 1848 he was made a senator of the Kingdom of Sardinia.
Carlo Ilarione Petitti died two years later, on 10 April 1850, in Turin. His death was brought about by podagra, a painful disease from which he had suffered for many years.
Economist
An economist is a professional in the social science discipline of economics. The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy...
, academic, writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, counsellor of state, and senator of the Kingdom of Sardinia
Kingdom of Sardinia
The Kingdom of Sardinia consisted of the island of Sardinia first as a part of the Crown of Aragon and subsequently the Spanish Empire , and second as a part of the composite state of the House of Savoy . Its capital was originally Cagliari, in the south of the island, and later Turin, on the...
. He is seen as a prominent figure in the Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
Risorgimento.
Life
Carlo Ilarione Petitti di Roreto was born in TurinTurin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
on 21 October 1790, son of the count Giuseppe Antonio Petitti di Roreto (1729–1795) and of the noblewoman Innocenza Gabriella Ferrero di Ponziglione e Borgo d’Ales (1767–1797).
In 1813 at Alessandria
Alessandria
-Monuments:* The Citadel * The church of Santa Maria di Castello * The church of Santa Maria del Carmine * Palazzo Ghilini * Università del Piemonte Orientale-Museums:* The Marengo Battle Museum...
he married the noblewoman Maria Teresa Gabriella Genna of the counts of Cocconato (1791–1826); the marriage produced four children: Alessandro (1813–1841), Agostino (1814–1890), Maurizio (1816–1852), and Giuseppe (1824–1886).
After graduating in law from the University of Genoa
University of Genoa
The University of Genoa is one of the largest universities in Italy.Located in Liguria on the Italian Riviera, the university was founded in 1471. It currently has about 40,000 students, 1,800 teaching and research staff and about 1,580 administrative staff.- Campus :The University of Genoa is...
in 1816, he entered the administration of the Kingdom of Sardinia
Kingdom of Sardinia
The Kingdom of Sardinia consisted of the island of Sardinia first as a part of the Crown of Aragon and subsequently the Spanish Empire , and second as a part of the composite state of the House of Savoy . Its capital was originally Cagliari, in the south of the island, and later Turin, on the...
, for which he had already worked on an unpaid basis, becoming vice-intendant general of Savoy
Savoy
Savoy is a region of France. It comprises roughly the territory of the Western Alps situated between Lake Geneva in the north and Monaco and the Mediterranean coast in the south....
at Chambéry
Chambéry
Chambéry is a city in the department of Savoie, located in the Rhône-Alpes region in southeastern France.It is the capital of the department and has been the historical capital of the Savoy region since the 13th century, when Amadeus V of Savoy made the city his seat of power.-Geography:Chambéry...
.
In 1819 he was made intendant general of Asti
Asti
Asti is a city and comune of about 75,000 inhabitants located in the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy, about 55 kilometres east of Turin in the plain of the Tanaro River...
and in 1826 of Cuneo
Cuneo
Cuneo is a city and comune in Piedmont, Northern Italy, the capital of the province of Cuneo, the third largest of Italy’s provinces by area...
. In 1831 he was appointed to the newly founded Council of State
Council of State
The Council of State is a unique governmental body in a country or subdivision thereoff, though its nature may range from the formal name for the cabinet to a non-executive advisory body surrounding a head of state. It is sometimes regarded as the equivalent of a privy council.-Modern:*Belgian...
, an institution whose creation he had promoted to the king; in 1836 he became vice-president of the higher commission of statistics, also established by Charles Albert of Savoy, and in 1839 he was appointed to the Accademia delle Scienze di Torino. In 1842 he was a founder member, along with Cavour, of the Associazione Agraria di Torino.
He was identified by Metternich, together with Vincenzo Gioberti
Vincenzo Gioberti
thumb|250px|Vincenzo Gioberti.Vincenzo Gioberti was an Italian philosopher, publicist and politician.-Biography:Gioberti was born in Turin....
, Massimo d'Azeglio and Cesare Balbo
Cesare Balbo
Cesare Balbo , Count of Vinadio, was an Italian writer and statesman.Balbo was born at Turin on the 21st of November 1789. His father, Prospero Balbo, who belonged to a noble Piedmontese family, held a high position in the Sardinian court, and at the time of Cesare’s birth was mayor of the capital...
as one of the most eminent Piedmont
Piedmont
Piedmont is one of the 20 regions of Italy. It has an area of 25,402 square kilometres and a population of about 4.4 million. The capital of Piedmont is Turin. The main local language is Piedmontese. Occitan is also spoken by a minority in the Occitan Valleys situated in the Provinces of...
ese Liberals of the time and is regarded as one of the leading intellectuals in the cultural and political spheres of the Risogimento and was described by Gian Mario Bravo as one of the few who emerged not so much because of their aristocratic titles or through their political activities (though both did apply in his case), but above all because of his work as an academic, as an economist, and as a commentator and journalist. Thus he came to be considered by many as the major inspirer of the Albertine
Charles Albert of Sardinia
Charles Albert was the King of Piedmont-Sardinia from 1831 to 1849. He succeeded his distant cousin Charles Felix, and his name is bound with the first Italian statute and the First War of Independence...
reform programme. His 1845 essay on the advantages to be gained by the development of railways received great attention in political circles both at home and abroad.
In 1848 he was made a senator of the Kingdom of Sardinia.
Carlo Ilarione Petitti died two years later, on 10 April 1850, in Turin. His death was brought about by podagra, a painful disease from which he had suffered for many years.
Principal writings
- Saggio sul buon governo della mendicità, degli istituti di beneficenza e delle carceri, Bocca, Turin, 1837.
- Della condizione attuale delle carceri e dei mezzi di migliorarla, Pomba, Turin, 1840;
- Sul lavoro de’ fanciulli nelle manifatture, Lettere al direttore delle “Letture di Famiglia”, Turin, 1942–1944;
- Delle strade ferrate italiane e del miglior ordinamento di esse. Cinque discorsi, Tipografia ElveticaTipografia ElveticaThe Tipografia e Libreria Elvetica of Capolago was a nineteenth-century Swiss publishing house, which operated in Canton Ticino from 1830 to 1853 and acquired a particular importance as a clandestine press of the patriots of the Italian Risorgimento....
, Capolago, 1845; - Delle più probabili future condizioni del commercio ligure. Tre lettere a Michele Erede, Tip. Sordomuti, Genoa, 1847;
- Considerazioni sopra la necessità di una riforma de’ tributi con alcuni cenni su certe spese dello Stato, Successori Pomba, Turin, 1850;
- Del gioco del lotto considerato ne’ suoi effetti morali, politici ed economici, Stamperia Reale, Turin, 1853;
- Opere Scelte, Fondazione Luigi Einaudi, Turin, 1969.
Honours
Petitti was made Commendatore dell’Ordine dei SS. Maurizio e Lazzaro in 1836 and Cavaliere dell’Ordine civile di Savoia in 1837.External links
- Accademia delle Scienze di Torino, ‘Da Carlo Alberto all’Unità: ripresa riformatrice e rinascita della riflessione economica negli anni del Risorgimento’, Le scienze economiche a Torino tra metà Settecento e metà Novecento.
- Carlo Ilarione Petitti, Della condizione attuale delle carceri e dei mezzi di migliorarla (Turin: Giuseppe Pomba, 1840).
- Carlo Ilarione Petitti, Delle strade ferrate italiane (Capolago:Tipografia e libreria Elvetica, 1845).
- Carlo Ilarione Petitti, Sull’attuale condizione del risorgimento italiano (Turin: Aless. Fontana, 1848).