Federico Sclopis
Encyclopedia
Federico Sclopis di Salerano (10 January 1798 – 8 March 1878) was an Italian
statesman
and jurist
, best remembered for his role in the unification of Italy and his adjudication in the Alabama claims
.
, to a noble family, Sclopis graduated in law
and became an official in the administration of Prospero Balbo. In 1822 he became magistrate
in Savoy
and later president of the Court of Cassation
.
While still comparatively young he was appointed Attorney-General to the Sardinian Senate
, and took part in the compilation of the new codes. An advocate of liberal
ideas and reform, he proclaimed the necessity for a constitution
, and was himself one of the authors of the Statuto albertino
, or Sardinian charter of 1848, which became the constitution of the Kingdom of Italy
. The introduction is said to be entirely the work of Sclopis.
Sclopis also wrote the proclamation in which Charles Albert
announced to the people of Lombardy
and Venetia his war against Austria
. He was minister in the first Sardinian constitutional ministry under the presidency of Cesare Balbo
, and afterwards president of the senate.
In 1871 he was sent to Geneva
as Victor Emmanuel II's representative on the Alabama arbitration, and was appointed president of that tribunal.
The last years of his life were mainly occupied with municipal affairs and charitable
administration at Turin
.
.
On his return from the Geneva arbitration, the King conferred on him the Order of the Annunziata.
, jurisprudence
, politics
and literature
, in Italian
, Latin
, and French
. His most important work is his Storia della legislazione Italiana dalle origini fino al 1847 (Turin, 1840), issued as a sequel to his Storia dell' antica legislazione del Piemonte, published in 1833.
Among his other writings are:
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
statesman
Statesman
A statesman is usually a politician or other notable public figure who has had a long and respected career in politics or government at the national and international level. As a term of respect, it is usually left to supporters or commentators to use the term...
and jurist
Jurist
A jurist or jurisconsult is a professional who studies, develops, applies, or otherwise deals with the law. The term is widely used in American English, but in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth countries it has only historical and specialist usage...
, best remembered for his role in the unification of Italy and his adjudication in the Alabama claims
Alabama Claims
The Alabama Claims were a series of claims for damages by the United States government against the government of Great Britain for the assistance given to the Confederate cause during the American Civil War. After international arbitration endorsed the American position in 1872, Britain settled...
.
Life
Born TurinTurin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
, to a noble family, Sclopis graduated in law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
and became an official in the administration of Prospero Balbo. In 1822 he became magistrate
Magistrate
A magistrate is an officer of the state; in modern usage the term usually refers to a judge or prosecutor. This was not always the case; in ancient Rome, a magistratus was one of the highest government officers and possessed both judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a...
in Savoy
Savoy
Savoy is a region of France. It comprises roughly the territory of the Western Alps situated between Lake Geneva in the north and Monaco and the Mediterranean coast in the south....
and later president of the Court of Cassation
Court of Cassation (Italy)
The Supreme Court of Cassation is the major court of last resort in Italy. It has its seat in the Rome Hall of Justice.The Court of Cassation exists also to “ensure the observation and the correct interpretation of law” by ensuring the same application of law in the inferior and appeal courts...
.
While still comparatively young he was appointed Attorney-General to the Sardinian Senate
Italian Senate
The Senate of the Republic is the upper house of the Italian Parliament. It was established in its current form on 8 May 1948, but previously existed during the Kingdom of Italy as Senato del Regno , itself a continuation of the Senato Subalpino of Sardinia-Piedmont established on 8 May 1848...
, and took part in the compilation of the new codes. An advocate of liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
ideas and reform, he proclaimed the necessity for a constitution
Constitution
A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...
, and was himself one of the authors of the Statuto albertino
Statuto Albertino
The Statuto Albertino or Albertine Statute was the constitution that King Charles Albert conceded to the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia in Italy on 4 March 1848...
, or Sardinian charter of 1848, which became the constitution of the Kingdom of Italy
Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946)
The Kingdom of Italy was a state forged in 1861 by the unification of Italy under the influence of the Kingdom of Sardinia, which was its legal predecessor state...
. The introduction is said to be entirely the work of Sclopis.
Sclopis also wrote the proclamation in which Charles Albert
Charles Albert of Sardinia
Charles Albert was the King of Piedmont-Sardinia from 1831 to 1849. He succeeded his distant cousin Charles Felix, and his name is bound with the first Italian statute and the First War of Independence...
announced to the people of Lombardy
Lombardy
Lombardy is one of the 20 regions of Italy. The capital is Milan. One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy and about one fifth of Italy's GDP is produced in this region, making it the most populous and richest region in the country and one of the richest in the whole of Europe...
and Venetia his war against Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
. He was minister in the first Sardinian constitutional ministry under the presidency of Cesare Balbo
Cesare Balbo
Cesare Balbo , Count of Vinadio, was an Italian writer and statesman.Balbo was born at Turin on the 21st of November 1789. His father, Prospero Balbo, who belonged to a noble Piedmontese family, held a high position in the Sardinian court, and at the time of Cesare’s birth was mayor of the capital...
, and afterwards president of the senate.
In 1871 he was sent to Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
as Victor Emmanuel II's representative on the Alabama arbitration, and was appointed president of that tribunal.
The last years of his life were mainly occupied with municipal affairs and charitable
Charity (practice)
The practice of charity means the voluntary giving of help to those in need who are not related to the giver.- Etymology :The word "charity" entered the English language through the Old French word "charité" which was derived from the Latin "caritas".Originally in Latin the word caritas meant...
administration at Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
.
Honours
At the age of thirty he was elected member of the Turin Academy of Sciences, of which he became life president in 1864. He was also foreign member of the Institut de FranceInstitut de France
The Institut de France is a French learned society, grouping five académies, the most famous of which is the Académie française.The institute, located in Paris, manages approximately 1,000 foundations, as well as museums and chateaux open for visit. It also awards prizes and subsidies, which...
.
On his return from the Geneva arbitration, the King conferred on him the Order of the Annunziata.
Works
Between 1819 and 1878 he published over seventy works on historyHistory
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
, jurisprudence
Jurisprudence
Jurisprudence is the theory and philosophy of law. Scholars of jurisprudence, or legal theorists , hope to obtain a deeper understanding of the nature of law, of legal reasoning, legal systems and of legal institutions...
, politics
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
and literature
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
, in Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
, Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
, and French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
. His most important work is his Storia della legislazione Italiana dalle origini fino al 1847 (Turin, 1840), issued as a sequel to his Storia dell' antica legislazione del Piemonte, published in 1833.
Among his other writings are:
- Ricerche sui Longobardi in Italia (1827);
- Delle relazioni politiche fra la dinastia di Savoia e it governo Britannico dal 1240 al 1815 (1853);
- Rimembranze sul Conte di Cavour (1876); and
- Considerazioni storiche sulle antiche assemblee rappresentative del Piemonte e della Savoia (1878).