Francisco Gregorio Billini
| Francisco Gregorio Billini | |
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 23rd President of the Dominican Republic
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In office September 1, 1884 – May 16, 1885 |
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| Preceded by | Ulises Heureaux |
| Succeeded by | Alejandro Woss y Gil |
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10th Vice President of the Dominican Republic
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In office 1878–1882 |
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| Preceded by | Juan Isidro Ortea y Kennedy |
| Succeeded by | Casimiro Nemesio de Moya |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
May 25, 1844 Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic |
| Died | November 28, 1898 (aged 54) Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic |
| Nationality | Dominican |
| Political party | Blue Party |
| Religion | Catholic |
Francisco Gregorio Billini Aristi (May 25, 1844 – November 28, 1898 in Santo Domingo) was a Dominican writer, pedagogue, and politician. Supported by the former president Ulises Heureaux, he won the national elections in 1884, and served as the 23rd president of the Dominican Republic, from September 1, 1884 to May 16, 1885. He resigned in 1885 to avoid creating a civil war as he found opposition , as Gregorio Luperon believed he was Ulises Heureaux puppet and a way of the dictator to maintain political power while Heureaux opposed him when Billini's policies affected his power and interests in the country.
The son of Maria de Regla Aristi Guerrero and Hipolito Billini Hernandez, his grandfather Juan Antonio Billini Ruse, a native of Piedmont, Italy, arrived in the island of Santo Domingo with the 1802 French troops commanded by General Charles Leclerc (Napoleon's brother in law) in order to reassert control over a slave rebellion on the western side of the island (currently the Republic of Haiti), eventually capturing and deporting Toussaint Louverture.
Young Billini did his primary and secondary education in his hometown in the College of Father Boneau, where he learned to write in Latin and Italian (he also spoke Italian perfectly, having learned from his Italian grandfather boy). He went to the Theological Seminary St. Thomas Aquinas where he was a disciple of Fernando Arturo de Merino.
He was the uncle of Francisco Xavier Billini, known in the Dominican Republic as "Padre Billini" (Father Billini) who founded in 1882 the still running National Lottery of the Dominican Republic.
Motivated by his militancy in the Blue party and his conviction that the country should preserve its independence, he participated at the age of 21 in the Dominican Restoration War, that ended in 1865. During the War he was trapped by the Spanish troops and in 1865 was exchanged in Puerto Plata after a treaty was made between the Dominican and Spanish troops.
After the Restoration War ended, the Dominican Republic experienced some years of political turmoil, which ended when Buenaventura Baez started his so called "6 year government". Billini was known as one of the primary opponents of Buenaventura Baez government, first through publications and later as part of an armed rebellion against Baez. This costed him the exile in 1868.
On his return to the country he served as a civil servant becoming Representative for Azua (1874), Minister of War and Navy (1880) and President of the Senate and Congress (1882). He was the 10th Vice President of the Dominican Republic, serving under 3 presidents, before announcing his intentions to become President of the Dominican Republic.
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Wikipedia