Ferruccio Lantini (1886–1958) was one of the leading figures in the

Fascist Italy Fascist Italy () is a term which is used in historiography to describe the Kingdom of Italy between 1922 and 1943, when Benito Mussolini and the National Fascist Party controlled the country, transforming it into a totalitarian dictatorship. Th ...

. He was a member of the

National Fascist Party The National Fascist Party (, PNF) was a political party in Italy, created by Benito Mussolini as the political expression of Italian fascism and as a reorganisation of the previous Italian Fasces of Combat. The party ruled the Kingdom of It ...

and served as the minister of corporations between 1936 and 1939 in the cabinet of

Benito Mussolini Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who, upon assuming office as Prime Minister of Italy, Prime Minister, became the dictator of Fascist Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 un ...

Early life and education

Lantini was born in

Desio Desio () is a (municipality) in the province of Monza and Brianza, in the Italian region of Lombardy. History In 1277 it was the location of the battle between the Visconti and della Torre families for the rule of Milan. On 24 February 1924, ...

on the 24 August 1886. He joined the socialists and after moving to

Liguria Liguria (; ; , ) is a Regions of Italy, region of north-western Italy; its Capital city, capital is Genoa. Its territory is crossed by the Alps and the Apennine Mountains, Apennines Mountain chain, mountain range and is roughly coextensive with ...

he was admitted to

Freemasonry Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...

at age 18. He received a degree in commercial sciences and involved in the nationalist movement.

Career and activities

Settled in Genoa in 1912 Lantini became part of the early nationalist group and its secretary. He was enlisted in the army in 1916 and took part in

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

as an officer. He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant and was awarded the war cross. Returning to Genoa after his discharge from the army Lantini began to work in the provincial administration of the city's treasury for which he worked until 1923. From 1920 to 1923 he was also a municipal councilor. In November 1921 Lantini participated in the congress of the National Fascist Party in Rome and was appointed representative for Liguria in the central committee of the party which he held until January 1923 when he was named as the political commissioner for Liguria. In 1922 he also became political secretary of the Genoa fasces and continued to lead the movement in Genoa. In 1923 Lantini launched a newspaper entitled ''Giornale di Genova'' of which the first issue appeared on 1 August and directed the paper until January 1925. In April 1924 Lantini was elected to the

Chamber of Deputies The chamber of deputies is the lower house in many bicameral legislatures and the sole house in some unicameral legislatures. Description Historically, French Chamber of Deputies was the lower house of the French Parliament during the Bourb ...

for the district of Liguria. In 1927 he was appointed president of the Fascist Confederation of Merchants which he held until 1934. During his tenure Lantini and Professor Filippo Carli carried a detailed study on retail prices. From January 1934 to 1935 Lantini headed the National Institute for Export, a body created in 1926 to promote the development of Italian trade abroad. He was appointed minister of corporations to the cabinet led by Benito Mussolini on 11 June 1936 and was in office until 31 October 1939. In November 1939 he was named as the president of the Fascist National Institute for Social Security, a body established in March 1933 following the transformation of the National Insurance Fund and his term lasted until 1943. He was the national councillor between March and October 1939 and from 8 July 1940 he was made a member of the paper and printing corporation and subsequently of the pension and credit corporation. After the fall of Fascism Lantini remained in Rome and did not join the

Italian Social Republic The Italian Social Republic (, ; RSI; , ), known prior to December 1943 as the National Republican State of Italy (; SNRI), but more popularly known as the Republic of Salò (, ), was a List of World War II puppet states#Germany, German puppe ...

. After the Liberation on 20 September 1945 he was arrested and put in the prison of Regina Coeli where he remained for nine months. Following the trial which took place from 15 to 17 June 1946 he was freed and retired from public activity.

Death

Lantini died in Rome on 26 November 1958.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lantini, Ferruccio 20th-century Italian journalists 1886 births 1958 deaths Government ministers of Italy National Fascist Party politicians Italian prisoners and detainees Mussolini Cabinet Italian Freemasons People from Desio Members of the Chamber of Deputies (Kingdom of Italy) Italian military personnel of World War I