19 Facts About Silvio Spaventa

Silvio Spaventa was an Italian journalist, politician and statesman who played a leading role in the unification of Italy, and subsequently held important positions within the newly formed Italian state.

Younger brother of the Italian philosopher Bertrando Spaventa, Silvio was born into a middle-class family of limited means.

When Croce's parents died in an earthquake, in 1883, Silvio became his guardian, an experience that had a deep influence on Croce.

In 1836, Silvio Spaventa joined his brother at the Diocesan Seminary in Chieti.

Silvio Spaventa was elected to parliament, where he joined the effort to give Neapolitan patriotism a national dimension.

Silvio Spaventa, accused of supporting General Guglielmo Pepe's resistance movement, was arrested on 19 March 1849 and held in the prison of San Francesco.

Silvio Spaventa spent the next six years in Santo Stefano prison, dedicating his time to studying politics and philosophy.

Silvio Spaventa was put on a boat to America with 68 other exiles, including Filippo Agresti and Luigi Settembrini, both condemned for their political activities.

In Turin, Silvio Spaventa contacted Cavour, becoming a staunch supporter of the statesman and a leading advocate of his political ideas.

In July 1860, Silvio Spaventa was sent to Naples by Cavour and the Savoy monarchy.

Silvio Spaventa's mandate was to prepare for the annexation of the South of Italy to the future Kingdom of Italy.

Silvio Spaventa unsuccessfully tried to achieve this without waiting for Garibaldi to reach Naples.

Silvio Spaventa was a member of the Chamber of Deputies, for the Destra storica, from 1861 to 1889.

Silvio Spaventa was appointed Under-Secretary to the Ministry of the Interior in the governments of Luigi Carlo Farini and Marco Minghetti, becoming the principal architect of the State's policy on internal security.

Silvio Spaventa organised the repression of banditry in southern Italy, and of the disturbances in Turin, in 1864.

Silvio Spaventa became a Senator in 1889 and, through the good offices of Francesco Crispi was appointed to the IV section of the Italian Council of State.

Silvio Spaventa wrote that the state should be strong, but not authoritarian.

Silvio Spaventa fought tenaciously for a rigorous separation of the political and administrative spheres of government, and argued against Agostino Depretis's trasformismo, in favour of a British-style two-party system.

Silvio Spaventa was given a state funeral and buried in the cemetery of Verano in Rome.