Marquis Gino Capponi was an Italian statesman and historian.
Background
Marquis Gino Capponi was born on the 13th of September 1792. The Capponi family is one of the most illustrious Florentine houses, and is mentioned as early as 1250. It acquired great wealth as a mercantile and banking firm, and many of its members distinguished themselves in the service of the republic and the Medicis and later in that of the house of Lorraine. Gino was the son of the Marquis Pier Roberto Capponi, a nobleman greatly attached to the reigning grand duke of Tuscany, Ferdinand III.
Career
Although the family were very anti-French Marquis Gino Capponi was chosen with other notables to pay homage to Napoleon in Paris in 1813.
On the fall of Napoleon Ferdinand returned to Tuscany (September 1814), but the restoration proved less reactionary there than in any other part of Italy.
After sundry journeys in Italy he again visited Paris in 1818, and then went to England.
At Edinburgh he met Francis Jeffrey, the editor of the Edinburgh Review, and conceived a desire to found a similar review in Italy.
This visit had a great effect in forming his character, and while it made him an ardent Anglophil, he realized more and more the distressing conditions of his own country.
He contributed largely to its columns, as well as to those of the Archivio Storico, another of Vieusseux's ventures.
He had discussed the possibility of liberating Italy with Prince Charles Albert of Savoy-Carignano, to whom he had iivtroduced the Milanese revolutionist Count Confalonieri {q. v. ).
In 1847 he again plunged into politics and discussed plans for an Italian alliance against Austria.
During his short tenure of office he conducted foreign affairs with great skill, and made every effort to save the Italian situation after the defeat of Charles Albert on the Mincio.
In October 1848 he resigned; soon afterwards the grand duke fled, anarchy followed, and then in 1849 he returned, but with an escort of Austrian soldiery.
The blind statesman thanked God that he could not see the hated white uniforms in Florence.
He returned to his studies and commenced his great Storia della Repubblica di Firenze', but he followed political affairs with great interest, and helped to convince Lord John Russell, who stayed with him in 1859, of the hopelessness of the grand duke's position.
On Leopold's second flight (27th of April 1859) a Tuscan assembly was summoned, and Capponi elected member of it.
He voted for the grand duke's deposition and for the union of Tuscany with Piedmont.
King Victor Emmanuel made him senator in 1860.
His last years were devoted almost exclusively to his Florentine history, which was published in 1875 and achieved an immediate success.
Capponi was one of the best specimens of the Tuscan landlord class. "
He knew nearly all the most interesting people in Italy, besides many distinguished foreigners: Giuseppe Giusti, the poet, A. Manzoni, the novelist, Niccolo Tommaseo, Richard Cobden, A. von Reumont, the historian, were among those whom he entertained at his palace or his villas, and many were the struggling students and revolutionists to whom he gave assistance.
Achievements
As a historian Capponi's reputation rests on his Storia della Repubblica di Firenze (Florence, 1875). It was the first comprehensive Italian book on the subject based on documents and written in a modern critical spirit, and if the chapters on the early history of the city are now obsolete in view of recent discoveries, yet, as a whole, it remains a standard work. Besides his history a large number of essays and pamphlets have been published in his Scritti Inediti.
Membership
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Personality
He represents, " wrote his biographer Tabarrini, " one of the most striking personalities of a generation, now wholly passed away, which did not resign itself to the beatitudes of 1815, but wished to raise Italy from the humble state to which the European peace of that year had condemned her; and he succeeded by first raising the character of the Italians in the opinion of foreigners, so as to deserve their esteem and respect. "
Connections
In 1811 Gino Capponi married the marchesina Giulia Vernaccia.
