PRINA, GIUSEPPE (17681814)

This article appears in Volume V22, Page 343 of the Encyclopedia Britannica.

Encyclopedia Britannica - Main :: PRE-PYR

PRINA, GIUSEPPE (17681814) , Italian statesman. He gave early proofs of rare talent, and after studying at the university of Pavia he passed as

doctor

DOCTOR (Lat. for " teacher ")

of law in 1789. He was a firm adherent of

Napoleon

NAPOLEON

Bonaparte, and when

Eugene

EUGENE

Beauharnais became viceroy of Italy, was appointed minister of finance. Genial in private life, he was harsh and unyielding in his official capacity, and his singular skill in devising fresh taxes to meet the enormous demands of

Napoleon

NAPOLEON

's government made him the best-hated man in Lombardy, the more so that, being a Piedmontese, he was regarded as a foreigner. The news of the emperor's forced abdication on the 11th of April 1814 reached Milan on the 16th, and roused hopes of independence. The senate assembled on the 19th and Prina's party moved that delegates should be despatched to Vienna to request that

Eugene

EUGENE

Beauharnais should be raised to the throne of a free Italian kingdom. In spite of precautions this fact became public and provoked the formidable riot styled " The battle of the umbrellas " that broke out the next day. A furious mob burst into the senate, pillaged its halls and sought everywhere for the execrated Prina. Not finding him there, the rioters rushed to his

house

HOUSE
HOUSE (O. Eng. hiss, a word common to Teutonic languages, cf. Dut. huis, Ger. Haus; in
Gothic
- GOTHIC
it is only found in gudhiss, a temple; it may be ultimately connected with the root of " hide," conceal)

, which they wrecked, and seizing the doomed minister, who was discovered in a remote chamber donning a disguise, during four hours dragged him about the town, until wounded, mutilated, almost torn to pieces, he received his death-blow. The mob then insulted his miserable remains, stuffing stamped-

paper

PAPER
PAPER (Fr. papier, from Lat. papyrus)

into his mouth. These horrors were enacted by day, in a thoroughfare crowded with " respectable " citizens sheltered from the rain by umbrellas. The authorities were passive, and although some courageous persons actually rescued the victim at an early stage and concealed him in a friendly

house

HOUSE
HOUSE (O. Eng. hiss, a word common to Teutonic languages, cf. Dut. huis, Ger. Haus; in
Gothic
- GOTHIC
it is only found in gudhiss, a temple; it may be ultimately connected with the root of " hide," conceal)

, the blood-thirsty mob soon discovered his

refuge

REFUGE

and were about to force an entrance, when the dying man surrendered to save his deliverer's property. The riots directly contributed to the re-

establishment

ESTABLISHMENT (0. Fr. establissement, Fr. etablissement,
late
- LATE
Norm. Fr. establishement, from O. Fr. establir, Fr. etablir, Lat. stabilire, to make stable)

of Austrian rule in Milan.
See M. Fabi, Milano ed it ministry Prina (

Novara

NOVARA

, r86o); F. Lemmi, La Restaurazione austriaca a Milano nel 1814 (Bologna,
1902) ; Ugo Foscolo, Alcune parole intorno alla fine del regno d'Italia. The story of the murder of Prina forms the subject of a play by G. Rovetta, entitled Principio di secolo.

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