Giuseppe Prina
Encyclopedia
Count
Giuseppe Prina (20 July 1766 in Novara
- 20 April 1814) was an Italian
statesman killed in the Milan
riots of 1814.
, he became a doctor of law in 1789. He worked in his native town, Novara
, for some years as a lawyer
.
From 1791 he was appointed with different charges in the piedmontese administration of the Kingdom of Sardinia
.
In the first years of the French
invasion of Piedmont
, Prina refused any collaboration with the French, but after the battle of Marengo, he returned to public life. Napoleon Bonaparte appointed Prina Minister of Finance first in 1802 for the Italian Republic
and then in 1805 for the new Kingdom of Italy
.
Genial in private life, he was harsh and unyielding in his official capacity. His singular skill in devising fresh tax
es to meet the enormous demands of Napoleon's government made him the most-hated man in Lombardy
. This was further intensified because he was a Piedmont
ese and he was regarded as a foreigner.
The news of the emperor's forced abdication on 11 April 1814 reached Milan on the 16th, and raised hopes of Italian independence. The Senate assembled on 19 April and Prina's party suggested that delegates should be despatched to Vienna
to request that Eugene Beauharnais be raised to the throne of a free Italian kingdom. In spite of precautions, the suggestion became public and provoked the formidable riot called the "battle of the umbrellas". A furious mob burst into the senate on 20 April 1814, pillaged its halls and searched for Prina. Not finding him there, the rioters rushed to his house, which they wrecked, and seized the doomed minister, who was discovered in a remote chamber donning a disguise. Over the course of four hours, the angry rioters dragged him about the town, until wounded, mutilated, almost torn to pieces, Prina received his death-blow.
The mob then insulted his miserable remains, stuffing stamped paper
into his mouth. These horrors were enacted by day, in a thoroughfare crowded with citizens sheltered from the rain by umbrellas. The authorities were passive, and although some courageous persons actually rescued the victim at an early stage and concealed him in a friendly house, the bloodthirsty mob soon discovered his refuge and were about to force an entrance, when the dying man surrendered to save his saviors' property. The riots and murder directly contributed to the re-establishment of Austrian
rule in Milan.
Count
A count or countess is an aristocratic nobleman in European countries. The word count came into English from the French comte, itself from Latin comes—in its accusative comitem—meaning "companion", and later "companion of the emperor, delegate of the emperor". The adjective form of the word is...
Giuseppe Prina (20 July 1766 in Novara
Novara
Novara is the capital city of the province of Novara in the Piedmont region in northwest Italy, to the west of Milan. With c. 105,000 inhabitants, it is the second most populous city in Piedmont after Turin. It is an important crossroads for commercial traffic along the routes from Milan to Turin...
- 20 April 1814) was an 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...
statesman killed in the Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
riots of 1814.
Biography
Prina gave early evidence of his rare talent. After studying at the University of PaviaUniversity of Pavia
The University of Pavia is a university located in Pavia, Lombardy, Italy. It was founded in 1361 and is organized in 9 Faculties.-History:...
, he became a doctor of law in 1789. He worked in his native town, Novara
Novara
Novara is the capital city of the province of Novara in the Piedmont region in northwest Italy, to the west of Milan. With c. 105,000 inhabitants, it is the second most populous city in Piedmont after Turin. It is an important crossroads for commercial traffic along the routes from Milan to Turin...
, for some years as a lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
.
From 1791 he was appointed with different charges in the piedmontese 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...
.
In the first years of the French
Military history of France
The military history of France encompasses an immense panorama of conflicts and struggles extending for more than 2,000 years across areas including modern France, greater Europe, and European territorial possessions overseas....
invasion of 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...
, Prina refused any collaboration with the French, but after the battle of Marengo, he returned to public life. Napoleon Bonaparte appointed Prina Minister of Finance first in 1802 for the Italian Republic
Italian Republic (Napoleonic)
The Italian Republic was a short-lived republic located in Northern Italy. It was a vassal state of the First French Republic of Napoleon.-The republic:...
and then in 1805 for the new Kingdom of Italy
Kingdom of Italy (Napoleonic)
The Kingdom of Italy was a state founded in Northern Italy by Napoleon, fully influenced by revolutionary France, that ended with his defeat and fall.-Constitutional statutes:...
.
Genial in private life, he was harsh and unyielding in his official capacity. His singular skill in devising fresh tax
Tax
To tax is to impose a financial charge or other levy upon a taxpayer by a state or the functional equivalent of a state such that failure to pay is punishable by law. Taxes are also imposed by many subnational entities...
es to meet the enormous demands of Napoleon's government made him the most-hated man in Lombardy
Lombardy
Lombardy is one of the 20 regions of Italy. The capital is Milan. One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy and about one fifth of Italy's GDP is produced in this region, making it the most populous and richest region in the country and one of the richest in the whole of Europe...
. This was further intensified because he was a 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 and he was regarded as a foreigner.
Murder
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
to request that Eugene Beauharnais be raised to the throne of a free Italian kingdom. In spite of precautions, the suggestion became public and provoked the formidable riot called the "battle of the umbrellas". A furious mob burst into the senate on 20 April 1814, pillaged its halls and searched for Prina. Not finding him there, the rioters rushed to his house, which they wrecked, and seized the doomed minister, who was discovered in a remote chamber donning a disguise. Over the course of four hours, the angry rioters dragged him about the town, until wounded, mutilated, almost torn to pieces, Prina received his death-blow.
The mob then insulted his miserable remains, stuffing stamped paper
Stamped paper
Stamped paper refers to an, often, foolscap piece of paper which bears a pre-printed revenue stamp. Stamped papers are not a form of postal stationery...
into his mouth. These horrors were enacted by day, in a thoroughfare crowded with citizens sheltered from the rain by umbrellas. The authorities were passive, and although some courageous persons actually rescued the victim at an early stage and concealed him in a friendly house, the bloodthirsty mob soon discovered his refuge and were about to force an entrance, when the dying man surrendered to save his saviors' property. The riots and murder directly contributed to the re-establishment of Austrian
Austrian Empire
The Austrian Empire was a modern era successor empire, which was centered on what is today's Austria and which officially lasted from 1804 to 1867. It was followed by the Empire of Austria-Hungary, whose proclamation was a diplomatic move that elevated Hungary's status within the Austrian Empire...
rule in Milan.