That Tempest by Matteotti
"Storm. The life (and not the death) of Giacomo Matteotti" by Antonio Funiciello read by Tullio Fazzolari
One hundred years ago, on 10 June 1924, Giacomo Matteotti was kidnapped and murdered in Rome on the Arnaldo da Brescia riverside by a fascist gang. Almost always, until today, the commemorations of the martyrdom of the socialist leader have focused on the circumstances of his death. It was a political crime because the killers were not just any squad members but a nucleus of the fascist secret police. And Matteotti was certainly the politician most feared by the regime after the courageous speech given on May 30th in the Chamber of Deputies. Less often it is remembered that in those days he was investigating serious cases of corruption such as the Sinclair affair in which the Savoia family could be implicated.
But above all, the right attention has very rarely been paid to Matteotti's personality. Antonio Funiciello instead recounts its greatness with “Tempesta. The life (and not the death) of Giacomo Matteotti” (Rizzoli, 192 pages, 17.50 euros). It is a "reasoned" biography in the sense that it does not slavishly follow a chronological criterion but prefers a thematic approach. And without a doubt it is the best way to give a more complete vision of the character, courage and culture of a politician who was not just a martyr.
“Tempesta” is the nickname given to Matteotti by his socialist comrades from a very young age for the enthusiasm he put into action. With affection and regret they will remember that "he got involved in everything and nothing ever went well for him". But, however determined, he was not an intransigent. All his choices, even the riskiest ones, were thoughtful and conscious.
And it has been like this since the beginning when, at just thirteen years old, following the example of his brother Matteo, he joined the socialist party. They could live on an income because their father's commercial activity has created a decent family fortune. But Giacomo and Matteo were not made for that kind of life. And they have before their eyes the suffering of the Polesine laborers and then of all the exploited.
Both are brilliant students. Giacomo completed his law studies in England. If he wanted, he could have a great career as a lawyer ahead of him. He is offered a professorship in criminal law but he refuses. The justice that is closest to his heart is social justice and he is convinced that the violence of revolutions is not necessary to achieve it.
In politics Matteotti is a reformist like Filippo Turati. And as a moderate he immediately had a conflictual relationship with Mussolini who was instead a leader of the maximalists. Then Mussolini changed his coat and became an interventionist while Matteotti consistently remained a pacifist and for this reason, during the First World War, he was sent into exile in Sicily. Upon his return he became a deputy and continued his battle until his death.
Historical nemesis: exactly sixteen years after his assassination, on 10 June 1940, Mussolini declared war on France and England. It is the beginning of the end of that dictatorship that Giacomo Matteotti had courageously tried to prevent.
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/mondo/quella-tempesta-di-matteotti/ on Sun, 02 Jun 2024 07:06:29 +0000.