The
Italian Republic was a short-lived (1802-1805)
republicA republic is a form of government in which the head of state is not a monarch and the people have an impact on its government. The word 'republic' is derived from the Latin phrase res publica which can be translated as "a public affair".Both modern and ancient republics vary widely in their...
, located in
Northern ItalyNorthern Italy is a wide cultural, historical and geographical definition, without any administrative worth, used to indicate the northern part of the Italian nation...
. It was a
vassal stateThe term vassal state commonly refers to any state that was subordinate to another in the pre-modern international system. The vassal in these cases was the ruler, rather than the state itself...
of the First French Republic of Napoleon.
The republic
The Italian Republic was the successor of the
Cisalpine RepublicThe Cisalpine Republic was a French client republic in Northern Italy that lasted from 1797 to 1802.-Birth:After the Battle of Lodi, in May 1796, the French general Napoleon Bonaparte proceeded to organize two states: one on the south of the Po River, the Cispadane Republic, and one on the north,...
, which changed its constitution to allow the French
First ConsulFirst Consul was a title used by Napoleon Bonaparte following his seizure of power in France. When he overthew the government on 18 Brumaire in 1799 he replaced the Directory with the Consulate, with him at the head as First Consul.-History of the term:...
Napoleon to become its president. The new constitution changed the name to the Italian Republic, which therefore consisted of the same areas that had comprised the Cisalpine Republic, primarily
LombardyLombardy 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...
and
RomagnaRomagna is an Italian historical region that approximately corresponds to the south-eastern portion of present-day Emilia-Romagna. Traditionally, it is limited by the Apennines to the south-west, the Adriatic to the east, and the rivers Reno and Sillaro to the north and west...
.
The republic had a territory of more than 42,500 square kilometers (16,000 square miles), and a population of 3,240,000 in 12
départements.
MilanMilan in Italy, is the capital of the region of Lombardia and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while the urban area is the fifth largest in the E.U. with an estimated population of 4.3 million...
was the capital city, the main center having 124,000 inhabitants in 1764. The country was prosperous despite the spoilings made by occupants in the past centuries. Its economy was based on a
cerealCereals, grains or cereal grains, {as a collective} are grasses cultivated for the edible components of their fruit seeds - the endocarp, germ and bran...
agricultureAgriculture is the production of food and goods through farming and forestry. Agriculture was the key development that led to the rise of human civilization, with the husbandry of domesticated animals and plants creating food surpluses that enabled the development of more densely populated and...
and
cattlingCattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
, plus a flourishing small industry, notably the production of
silkSilk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The best-known type of silk is obtained from cocoons made by the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity...
.
The flag of the Italian Republic maintained the three Italian-Milanese national colours, but with a new, less revolutionary, pattern. The coat of arms was defined with a decree on May 13, 1802. A treaty of friendship and commerce with the Republic of San Marino was signed on June 10, 1802, while the Concordat with the
Holy SeeThe Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome, commonly known as the Pope, and is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and speaks for the whole Catholic...
on September 16, 1803.
The government created a
National GuardThe term National Guard originally referred to a French citizen militia . The term is now used in many countries. According to the country, national guard may now refer to an organized militia, a military force, a paramilitary force, a gendarmerie, or a police force:- Americas :* National Guard of...
, a National Gendarmerie, and a
Finance PoliceThe Guardia di Finanza is an Italian police force under the authority of the Minister of Economy and Finance. As it retains military status, like the Carabinieri, it is part of the Italian Armed Forces...
; the
metric systemThe metric system is an international decimalised system of measurement, first adopted by France in 1791, that is the common system of measuring units used by most of the world. It exists in several variations, with different choices of fundamental units, though the choice of base units does not...
was introduced, and a national currency planned, even if never minted during the republican era.
In 1805, following Bonaparte's assumption of the title of Emperor of the French, the Italian Republic was transformed into the
Kingdom of ItalyThe Kingdom of Italy was founded in Northern Italy by Napoleon, and ended with his defeat and fall.-Constitutional Statutes:...
(
Regno d'Italia), with Napoleon as king and his stepson
Eugène de BeauharnaisEugène Rose de Beauharnais, Prince Français, Prince of Venice, Viceroy of the Kingdom of Italy, Hereditary Grand Duke of Frankfurt, 1st Duke of Leuchtenberg and 1st Prince of Eichstätt ad personam was the first child and only son of the future French emperor Napoleon's first wife, Joséphine...
as
viceroyA viceroy is a royal official who runs a country or province in the name of and as representative of the monarch. The term derives from the Latin prefix vice-, meaning "in the place of" and the French word roi, meaning king. His province or larger territory is called a viceroyalty. The relative...
.
Institutional form
According to the Italian Constitution of 1802, the sovereignity resided in three electoral colleges of three or two hundred membres: the College of Owners, the College of Scholars, and the College of Traders, the first having seat in
MilanMilan in Italy, is the capital of the region of Lombardia and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while the urban area is the fifth largest in the E.U. with an estimated population of 4.3 million...
, the second in
BolognaBologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of northern Italy...
, and the third in
BresciaBrescia is a city in the region of Lombardy in northern Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, between the Mella and the Naviglio, with a population of around 191,000. It is the second largest city in Lombardy, after the capital, Milan...
. All the colleges elected a commission of control and supreme rule, the Censorship, composed by twenty one members seating in
CremonaCremona is a city in northern Italy, situated in Lombardy, on the left bank of the Po River in the middle of the Pianura Padana...
.
The leader of the State was the President of the Republic, Napoleon Bonaparte, elected for 10 years. The President had the full responsability of the executive power, appointed the Vice-President and the Secretary of State, had the legislative and diplomatic initiative, choosed the ministers, public agents, ambassadors, and chiefs of the army, summoned the executive councils, and prepared the budget. The Vice-President, Francesco Melzi d'Eril, was irrevocable and acted for the President during his absence. Melzi was described as a gentleman, and effectively ruled the domestic affairs during the three years of the republic's life. Never submitted to Napoleon, Melzi will be demobed after the monarchy's proclamation in favour of more conditionable men; however, Melzi's character ensured him the Napoleon's deep private respect during all the years of the empire. Melzi also introduced the obligatory conscription in Italy.
The Consulta was a commission of eight members, leaded by the President of the Republic, which had the direction of the foreign policy. The commissioners were appointed by the Censorship over nominations of the three Colleges: many former members of the Cisalpine Directory entered in the office. The Consulta ratified the treaties, approved eventual special decrees about the State's security, and in event of death or resignation of the President, it would appoint the successor. The Minister of Foreign Affairs was chosen between the commissioners.
The Legislative Council was a commission of at least ten members appointed by the President for three years. Its mission was to allow the President to submit projects of laws, helping him in their elaboration and attending during their discussion in the parliament. The Secretary of State was the chief of the public administration. He promulgated the laws, kept the State's seal, and countersigned the presidential acts. The first Secretary was Diego Guicciardi, soon followed by Pellegrino Nobili and, finally, by Luigi Vaccari.
The government comprised seven ministers. Minister of War was at first Alessandro Trivulzi and then, from 1804, General
Domenico PinoDomenico Pino was an Italian soldier. He served as General of Division in Napoleon's Grande Armée.-Biography:...
; Minister of Interior was at first
Luigi VillaLuigi Villa is a backgammon player from Milan, Italy. In 1979, he was the winner of the first World Championship held in Monte Carlo.The same year, he was defeated in a 7-point match by Hans Berliner's computer program BKG 9.8, becoming the first world champion in any board game to be defeated by a...
and then, from 1803, Daniele Felici; Minister for Foreign Affairs was Ferdinando Marescalchi; Minister of Justice and Great Judge was Bonaventura Spannocchi; Minister of Treasury was Antonio Veneri; Minister of Finance was
Giuseppe PrinaCount Giuseppe Prina was an Italian statesman killed in the Milan riots of 1814.Prina gave early evidence of his rare talent. After studying at the University of Pavia, he became a doctor of law in 1789...
;
Minister of ReligionIn Christian churches, a minister is someone who is authorized by a church or religious organization to perform clergy functions such as teaching of beliefs; performing services such as weddings, baptisms or funerals; or otherwise providing spiritual guidance to the community.-Minister:The minister...
was Giovanni Bovara. Writing its budgets, the government was helped by a Commissionership for National Accountancy.
The parliament of the republic was the Legislative Body, with limited powers. It was composed by 75 members elected in each department by the three Colleges. It was summoned by the President of the Republic and it can only approve or reject a law, the discussion being reserved to a more restricted commettee of fifteen Speakers. Firstly appointed by the Meetings of Lyon, it had to be renewed by a third every two years.
The tribunals were divided into Tribunals of First Instance, Courts of Appeal, Courts of Revision, and a Court of Cassation. The judges of the first two were appointed by the Consulta, the latter two by the three Colleges.
Local administration
The state was divided, following the French system, in 12
départements. The chief of the department was the
prefectPrefect is a magisterial title of varying definition....
, an office created on May 6, 1802. The prefect was the State's representative in each province, and had two main functions: the first was to improve the administrative decisions of the central government and to control the local authorities, the second was the leadership of the police. The local legislative body was the
General CouncilThe General councils are assemblies of the French departments. They are elected by universal suffrage.-List of the Presidents of the General councils:-External links:*...
, composed by the representatives of the communes. The government appointed the Central Departmental Administration, composed of five or seven members chosen between the nominations submitted by the General Council: the Administrations had powers over taxes and public works and, generally, had the representation of the local interests.
The departments were divided in districts, equivalent to the French
arrondissements. The chief of the district was the vice-prefect, which had similar powers to the prefect, but over a smaller area. However, the structure of the districts wasn't uniform over all the territory of the republic, and some districts were administrated by a District Council and a Chancellor.
The districts were divided in
communes. The communes with more than 3,000 inhabitants had a City Council (
Consiglio Comunale) of thirty or forty members, chosen by the General Council between the nominations submitted by the same City Council. In the smaller communes, all the taxable citizens were councillors. The Council elected the Municipality of three to nine members, helped in its executive functions by a City Secretary. All the city offices were hold only by owners and traders, and the leadership of the owners was assured. Each commune had a Tax Collector.
List of departments and districts
- Agogna (capital Novara
Novara is the capital city of the province of Novara in the Piedmont region in northwest Italy, to the west of Milan. With c. 103.602 inhabitants, it is the second most populous city in Piedmont after Turin and it is the second urban area of the Region Piedmont with 190,000 inhabitants...
)
- District of Novara, District of Vigevano, District of Domodossola, District of Varallo, District of Arona
- Crostolo (capital Reggio Emilia
Reggio Emilia is an affluent city in northern Italy, in the Emilia-Romagna region. It has about 167,013 inhabitants and is the main comune of the Province of Reggio Emilia....
)
- Lario (capital Como
Como is a city in Lombardy, Italy, north of Milan. Situated at the southern tip of the south-west arm of Lake Como, it is the capital of the province of Como and directly borders the comunes of Blevio, Brunate, Capiago Intimiano, Casnate con Bernate, Cavallasca, Cernobbio, Grandate, Lipomo,...
)
- District of Como, District of Varese, District of Sondrio, District of Lecco
- Lower Po (capital Ferrara
Ferrara is a city in Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy, capital city of the Province of Ferrara.It is situated 50 km north-northeast of Bologna, on the Po di Volano, a branch channel of the main stream of the Po River, located 5 km north. The town has broad streets and numerous palaces...
)
- Mella (capital Brescia
Brescia is a city in the region of Lombardy in northern Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, between the Mella and the Naviglio, with a population of around 191,000. It is the second largest city in Lombardy, after the capital, Milan...
)
- District of Brescia, District of Chiari, District of Verolanuova, District of Salò
- Mincio (capital Mantova)
- District of Mantua, District of Revere, District of Verona, District of Castiglione
- Olona (capital Milan
Milan in Italy, is the capital of the region of Lombardia and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while the urban area is the fifth largest in the E.U. with an estimated population of 4.3 million...
)
- District of Milan
The District of Milan was one of the forth divisions of the Department of Olona, the province of Milan during the Napoleonic Italian Republic. It received the numeral I and its capital was Milan.-The district:...
, District of PaviaThe District of Pavia was one of the forth divisions of the Department of Olona, the province of Milan during the Napoleonic Italian Republic. It received the numeral II and its capital was Pavia.-The district:...
, District of MonzaThe District of Monza was one of the forth divisions of the Department of Olona, the province of Milan during the Napoleonic Italian Republic. It received the numeral III and its capital was Monza.-The district:...
, District of GallarateThe District of Gallarate was one of the forth divisions of the Department of Olona, the province of Milan during the Napoleonic Italian Republic. It received the numeral IV and its capital was Gallarate.-The district:...
- Panaro (capital Modena
Modena is a city and a comune on the south side of the Po valley, in the Province of Modena in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy....
)
- Reno (capital Bologna
Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of northern Italy...
)
- Rubicone (capital Cesena
Cesena is a city in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy, south of Ravenna and west of Rimini, on the Savio River, co-chief of the Province of Forlì-Cesena. It is at the foot of the Apennines, and about 15 km from the Adriatic Sea.-History:...
)
- Serio (capital Bergamo
Bergamo is a town in Lombardy, Italy, about 40 km northeast of Milan. The comune is home to approximately 117,000 inhabitants. It is served by the Orio al Serio Airport, which also serves the Province of Bergamo, and to a lesser extent the metropolitan area of Milan...
)
- District of Bergamo, District of Clusone, District of Treviglio, District of Breno
- Upper Po (capital Cremona
Cremona is a city in northern Italy, situated in Lombardy, on the left bank of the Po River in the middle of the Pianura Padana...
)
- District of Cremona, District of Crema, District of Lodi, District of Casalmaggiore
Sources
- ● Historical database of Lombard laws (it.)
- ● Text of the Constitution of Italy of 1802 (it.)
See also
- French client republic
During its occupation of neighboring parts of Europe during the French Revolutionary Wars, France established republican regimes in these territories...
- Cisalpine Republic
The Cisalpine Republic was a French client republic in Northern Italy that lasted from 1797 to 1802.-Birth:After the Battle of Lodi, in May 1796, the French general Napoleon Bonaparte proceeded to organize two states: one on the south of the Po River, the Cispadane Republic, and one on the north,...