Minghetti, Marco (1818-1886)

Minghetti, Marco

ECONOMIST, STATESMAN (ITALY)

BORN 18 Nov 1818, Bologna, Emilia-Romagna - DIED 10 Dec 1886, Roma, Lazio
GRAVE LOCATION Bologna, Emilia-Romagna: Cimitero monumentale della Certosa di Bologna, Via della Certosa 18 (Chiostro V)

Marco Minghetti was the son of the wealthy landowner Giuseppe Minghetti and Rosa Sarti, who came from a liberal family. His father died when he was ten years old and at the Latin school of the Barnabites in Bologna he was taught by Ugo Bassi and Alessandro Gavazzi. His cultural interests were stimulated by visits to Vienna in 1830 and Paris in 1832. In Paris he met La Fayette and Talleyrand. He received scientific training from Vincenzo Michelini and Paolo costa taught him philosophy. In 1838 he met many scientists during the first Congress of Italian Scientists in Pisa. In 1841 he published his work on economics "Intorno alla tendenza agli interessi materiali che è nel secolo presente".

In the cabinet of Cardinal Antonelli he held the portfolio of public works, but after the new pope Pius IX spoke against the Italian Risorgimento he resigned and joined the Piedmontese army. After a few months he returned to Rome where his friend Pellegrino Rossi was now prime minister. But Rossi was murdered by extremists and after the restoration of Pius IX he lived in Bologna and Turin. He travelled widely and met Gladstone and others in England.

In 1856 Cavour sent him to the congress in Paris that took place after the Crimean War. From 1859 to 1863 he held several positions in the Piedmontese government and on 24 March 1863 he succeeded Luigi Carlo Farini as prime minister. On 28 September 1864 he resigned and he held a low public profile until he he became minister of agriculture under Menebrae in 1869. This cabinet fell in December 1869 but for the Lanza-Sella cabinet he travelled to London and Vienna in 1870 after the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War.

On 10 July 1873 he was appointed prime minister again and this lasted until 25 March 1876. He remained active in politics and died in 1886 in Rome.

Related persons
• was pupil of Angelelli, Massimiliano, marquis Malvezzi
• was pupil of Bassi, Ugo
• was pupil of Costa, Paolo
• met Quetelet, Adolphe

Images
The tomb of Marco Minghetti at the Cimitero monumentale della Certosa, Bologna. Picture by Androom (10 Feb 2017)	Statue of Marco Minghetti in Bologna. Picture by Androom (12 Feb 2017)