Raffaello Lambruschini (also called Abbé or Raphael Lambruschini) (14 August 1788 – 8 March 1873) was a priest, Tuscan agricultural and pedagogical scholar and author; and Italian politician and senator. His diverse interests were pursued through an evolving career.

Biography

Nephew of the future cardinal,

Luigi Lambruschini Luigi Lambruschini (6 March 1776 – 12 May 1854) was an Italian cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church in the mid nineteenth century. He was a member of the Clerics Regular of St. Paul and served in the diplomatic corps of the Holy See. Biograp ...

, Raffaello was born in

Genoa Genoa ( ; ; ) is a city in and the capital of the Italian region of Liguria, and the sixth-largest city in Italy. As of 2025, 563,947 people live within the city's administrative limits. While its metropolitan city has 818,651 inhabitan ...

to a merchant who soon moved to

Livorno Livorno () is a port city on the Ligurian Sea on the western coast of the Tuscany region of Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Livorno, having a population of 152,916 residents as of 2025. It is traditionally known in English as Leghorn ...

. In 1805, he traveled to Rome to pursue an ecclesiastical career. He completed his studies in a Jesuit seminary in

Orvieto Orvieto () is a city and ''comune'' in the Province of Terni, southwestern Umbria, Italy, situated on the flat summit of a large butte of volcanic tuff. The city rises dramatically above the almost-vertical faces of tuff cliffs that are compl ...

, where an uncle was bishop. In 1812, he was arrested and exiled to

Corsica Corsica ( , , ; ; ) is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the Regions of France, 18 regions of France. It is the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean and lies southeast of the Metro ...

by the Napoleonic government. Freed by 1814, he did not join the priesthood. By 1816 he returned to

Florence Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence ...

with his family, and in 1817 established himself in a country residence near Figline, where he passed a dozen years in the study of the natural sciences, agriculture and political economy. He joined the

Accademia dei Georgofili The Accademia dei Georgofili (Academy of Georgofili) is an educational institution in Florence, Italy. It was established in 1753. The academy has been a historic institution for over 250 years, and is best known for promoting, amongst scholars a ...

of Florence and published some observations on progressive agronomy. By 1827, along with Cosimo Ridolfi, Lapo de' Ricci, and

Gino Capponi Marquis Gino Capponi (Florence, 13 September 1792 – Florence, 3 February 1876) was an Italian statesman and historian of a Liberal Catholic bent. Biography The Capponi was an illustrious Florentine aristocratic family, and is mentioned as ea ...

, they began publication of the ''Giornale Agrario Toscano'' (Tuscan Journal of Agriculture). In 1830, he founded and taught a small institute or school for young children at San Cerbone. By 1836, he had started ''Guida dell'educatore'', a journal of pedagogy, that was printed until 1845. His principal pedagogical works were “Concerning Education" (1849) and posthumously published companion volume, "A Treatise on Instruction". In 1847, he moves to Florence, and along with

Bettino Ricasoli Bettino Ricasoli, 1st Count of Brolio, 2nd Baron Ricasoli (; 9 March 180923 October 1880) was an Italian statesman. He was a central figure in the politics of Italy during and after the unification of Italy. He led the Moderate Party. Biograph ...

and Vincenzo Salvagnoli, he publishes a pro-Italian nation journal ''La Patria''. His politics mixed loyalties to an Italian nation-state with a neo-

guelph Guelph ( ; 2021 Canadian Census population 143,740) is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. Known as The Royal City, it is roughly east of Kitchener, Ontario, Kitchener and west of Downtown Toronto, at the intersection of Ontario Highway 6, ...

dedication; he aspired that there could be a more concordance between the Roman Catholic church and the rising liberal and nationalistic forces in the country. While remaining a staunch Catholic, he had misgivings about the church's influence in society. During the turbulent year of the Tuscan Republic of 1848, Lambruschini joined the government, and was elected to the parliament. But by late June 1849, the rule of the Grand-Duke of Habsburg-Lorraine was re-established in Florence. Lambruschini again retired to San Cerbone. A decade later the Grand-Duke Leopold II and his son, Ferdinand IV, were deposed by both Tuscan and Piedmontese forces. This prompted Lambruschini to return to politics, becoming vice-president of the Consulta di Stato and deputy to the Tuscan Assembly and in 1861 to the Italian Senate. Lambruschini also persisted in his pedagogical interests, publishing and helping manage his institute. In 1865, he became president of the

; in 1867, Professor of Pedagogy and Anthropology at the Istituto di Studi Superiori of Florence, in 1869, Arch-consul of the

Accademia della Crusca The (; ), generally abbreviated as La Crusca, is a Florence-based society of scholars of Italian linguistics and philology. It is one of the most important research institutions of the Italian language, as well as the oldest Academy#Linguisti ...

. He continued to publish, including ''Dell'Istruzione'' (1871); ''Delle virtù e dei vizi'' (1871) and ''Elogi e Biografie'' (1873). He died in his villa di San Cerbone; and was buried at Figline Valdarno.

Bibliography

Appletons' Annual Cyclopædia and Register of Important Events
Volume 13; New York 1873; page 592. *Paraphrase from Italian Wikipedia. {{DEFAULTSORT:Lamburschini Raffaello 1788 births 1873 deaths 19th-century Italian writers Italian agronomists Writers from Florence Members of the Senate of the Kingdom of Italy 19th-century Italian male writers