Aurelio Saffi

Aurelio Saffi ( born August 13 1819 in Forli, † April 10, 1890 ) was an Italian politician at the time of the Renaissance in radical, republican wing, who was played by Giuseppe Mazzini.

He graduated in law at the University of Ferrara, where he began his political activities in his hometown. There he took a stand against the poorly -led government, which was led by the Kirchenlegaten. Forli was like back then Bologna and the whole Romagna, part of the Papal States. Saffi was community counselor and secretary of the province in the years 1844-45. He was fast approaching the mindset Giuseppe Mazzini, so that he took part in the most important political action that had Mazzini organized: the establishment of the Roman Republic. In the capital, was the power of the former Pius IX. restricted and republic -like institutions set up. This newly created institutions should the time established by the United States democratic institutions come close.

At the Roman events he first took over as deputy of Forlì in the Constituent Assembly in part, then as Minister, finally as a member of the triumvirate, the board of the new form of government, along with Armellini and Mazzini himself This political experience, however, was of short duration, because the new republic fell in July 1849. having lived first in Liguria in exile, he reached Mazzini again in Switzerland and later moved with him to London.

It was not until 1853 Saffi returned to his home and tried a number of uprisings that have to take place in Milan to organize. As a result of the failure of this project, he was sentenced to twenty years in prison. In prison he married in 1857 Georgina Janet Craufurd, which was later known as Georgina Saffi, a militant representative of the movement of Mazzini and the emerging Italian feminism. They had four sons.

Saffi in 1860 was released from prison and went on to Naples, where he again met Mazzini. In 1861 he was elected a deputy of the new Kingdom of Italy. After a few years he moved back to London, where he stayed until 1867 before it was finally established in his country home of San Varano ( a city of Forlì). He then began his career as a professor at the University of Bologna. Meanwhile, he also dealt with the historical significance of the already deceased friend Mazzini, by cultivating his writings and their publication. He died at the age of 70 years at his country house, the Villa Saffi, which is now a museum.

Aurelio Saffi is now the main square (Piazza Saffi ) dedicated to Forlì, where there is also the town hall. In the middle of the square there is a monument with a statue of the politician, which was built shortly after his death. However, current monument is the reconstruction of the destroyed version of the Fascist era.