Francesco Crispi - Palermo, Sicily, Italy
Posted by: 
neoc1
N 38° 07.815 E 013° 21.140
33S E 355590 N 4221548
A statue of Italian statesman and patriot Francesco Crispi is located in Piazza Francesco Crispi along Via Della Liberta.
Waymark Code: WMV82C
Location: Sicilia, Italy
Date Posted: 03/12/2017
Views: 2
A monument honoring one of the heroes of Italian unification, Francesco Crispi, contains a life-size bronze statue on top of a 15' high stone base that contains a sculptural group. Francesco Crispi is depicted standing with his arms folded left over right. He is wearing a high collar shirt and a knee length overcoat. The monument was created by Mario Rutelli in 1905.
The base contains an allegorical sculpture of three female figures representing Italian unification. The center figure is wearing a hat and a dress. Dhe is holding hands with a semi-nude seated female figure on her right. She has her arm around a standing female figure on her left. This figure is wearing a dress and has her left arm raised reaching towards a large banner.
The front of the base is inscribed in bronze letters:
"LA MONARCHIA
"CI UNISCE
CRISPI
"THE MONARCHY
"UNITES US
CRISPI
At the bottom of the statue is an eagle perched on a fasces that was added to the monument in 1923. The banner is inscribed:
IL GOVERNO FASCISTA PER FRANCESCO CRISPI OTTOBRE 1923
THE FASCIST GOVERNMENT TO FRANCESCO CRISPI OCTOBER 1923
The right side of the base is inscribed in bronze letters:
XXVII MAGGIO
MDCCCLX
XXVII MAY
MDCCCLX
The right side of the base is inscribed in bronze letters:
SALEMI
IV MAGGIO
MDCCCLX
SALEMI
IV MAY
MDCCCLX
Francesco Crispi was born in Ribera, Sicily on October 4, 1818. He studied the classics at a seminary in Palermo. Between 1838 and 1839, Crispi founded a newspaper, L'Oreteo. He was instrumental in the 1848 Sicilian rebellion against the Bourbon monarchy of King Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies. In 1860 he supported the Expedition of the Thousand that led to Italian unification. After the fall of Palermo, Crispi was appointed First Secretary of State in the provisional government.
Under the unified Italy, Crispi was Minister of Foreign Affairs
from July 29, 1887 to February 6, 1891; Minister of the Interior
from December 15,1893 to March 9, 1896; President of the Chamber of Deputies from November 26, 1876 to December 26, 1877 and the 11th Prime Minister of Italy from December 15, 1893 to 10 March 10, 1896.