The Honourable Giacomo Matteotti |
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Matteotti (center)
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Member of the Italian Chamber of Deputies | |
In office 1 December 1919 – 10 June 1924 |
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Constituency | Ferrara & Rovigo |
Personal details | |
Born |
Fratta Polesine, near Rovigo, Italy |
22 May 1885
Died | 10 June 1924 Rome, Italy |
(aged 39)
Political party |
Italian Socialist Party (1907–1922) Unitary Socialist Party (1922–1924) |
Spouse(s) | Velia Titta (m. 1916; d. 1924) |
Children | Giancarlo |
Alma mater | University of Bologna |
Profession | Lawyer, journalist |
Giacomo Matteotti (Italian pronunciation: [ˈdʒaːkomo matteˈɔtti]; 22 May 1885 – 10 June 1924) was an Italian socialist politician. On 30 May 1924, he openly spoke in the Italian Parliament alleging the Fascists committed fraud in the recently held elections, and denounced the violence they used to gain votes. Eleven days later he was kidnapped and killed by Fascists.
Matteotti was born a son of a wealthy family, in Fratta Polesine, Province of Rovigo in Veneto. He graduated in law at the University of Bologna.
An atheist and from early on an activist in the socialist movement and the Italian Socialist Party, he opposed Italy's entry into World War I (and was interned in Sicily during the conflict for this reason).
He was elected deputy three times: in 1919, 1921 and 1924.
As a follower of Filippo Turati, Matteotti became the leader of the Unitary Socialist Party in the Italian Chamber of Deputies after the scission of the Socialist Party. He openly spoke out against Fascism and Benito Mussolini, and for a time was leader of the opposition to the National Fascist Party (NFP). From 1921 he denounced fascist violence in a pamphlet titled Inchiesta socialista sulle gesta dei fascisti in Italia (Socialist enquiry on the deeds of the fascists in Italy).