Teofilo Rossi (1865–1927) was an Italian lawyer and politician who served at the Italian Parliament for four successive terms between 1898 and 1909. He was also minister of industry and commerce from 31 October 1922 to 31 July 1923. He was the co-owner of the Italian company

Martini & Rossi Martini & Rossi is an Italian multinational alcoholic beverage company primarily associated with the Martini (vermouth), Martini brand of vermouth and also with sparkling wine (for example, Asti (wine), Asti). It also produces the French vermo ...

Early life and education

Rossi was born in

Chieri Chieri (; ) is a town and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Turin, Piedmont (Italy), located about southeast of Turin, by rail and by road. It borders the following municipalities: Baldissero Torinese, Pavarolo, Montaldo Torinese, Pino ...

on 27 October 1865. His father was the founder of an aromatized wine and liqueur company, which became Martini & Rossi. He was a graduate of the

University of Turin The University of Turin (Italian language, Italian: ''Università degli Studi di Torino'', UNITO) is a public university, public research university in the city of Turin, in the Piedmont (Italy), Piedmont region of Italy. It is one of the List ...

where he obtained a degree in law in 1886.

Career

Rossi was the councilor of the chamber of commerce in Turin in 1893. Between 1896 and 1908 he served as the city councilor of Turin which he held again in the period 1921–1924. He headed the chamber twice: first between 1902 and 1909 and between 1921 and 1924. He was among the founders and owners of Martini & Rossi. In 1898 he was elected to the Italian Parliament and served in four successive legislatures, namely XX, XXI, XXII and XXIII, representing

Carmagnola Carmagnola (; ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Turin in the Italian region Piedmont, located south of Turin. The town is on the right side of the Po river. The nature of the soil determined over time how the river's ...

. From March to July 1909 he was a member of the Italian Senate. The same year he also served as the state secretary at the Ministry of Posts and Telegraphs from 4 April to 1 July. On 28 June 1909 he was elected as the mayor of Turin which he held until 11 June 1917. Teofilo Rossi served as vice-president of the Executive Committee for the

Turin International The Turin International was a world's fair held in Turin in 1911 titled ''Esposizione internazionale dell'industria e del lavoro''. It received 7,409,145 visits and covered 247 acres. Summary The fair opened on 29 April, was held just nine y ...

1911 world fair. Rossi was a member of the

Italian Liberal Party The Italian Liberal Party (, PLI) was a liberal political party in Italy. The PLI, which was heir to the liberal currents of both the Historical Right and the Historical Left, was a minor party after World War II, but also a frequent junio ...

. On 25 February 1922 he was appointed minister of industry and commerce to the cabinet led by

Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

Luigi Facta Luigi Facta (; 16 November 1861 – 5 November 1930) was an Italian politician, lawyer and journalist and the last prime minister of Italy before the dictatorship of Benito Mussolini. Background and earlier career Facta was born in Pinerolo, P ...

. Rossi continued to serve in the same post in the next cabinet of Facta and then in the cabinet led by

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 ...

until 31 July 1923. Rossi was removed from office, and the ministry was reorganized as the ministry of national economy to which

Aldo Oviglio Aldo Oviglio (7 December 1873–19 August 1942) was an Italian lawyer and politician, who served as the first Minister of Justice (Italy), minister of justice in the Mussolini government between October 1922 and January 1925. Born in Rimini and ...

was appointed as minister. In 1924 he was elected as the president of the union of chambers of commerce which he held until 1927. Fond of literature, Rossi cofounded the book series ''Societa Storica Subalpina'' in 1895 and ''Biblioteca della Societa' Storica Subalpina''. He was a co-author of the voluminous and unfinished ''Storia di Torino''. He was also the president of the Museo nazionale del Risorgimento Italiano.

Personal life and death

Rossi was married to Clotilde Bosso with whom he had two children: Teofila Alessandrina who married to the Marquis Giovanni dei Medici del Vascello, and Metello Cesare who married to Adele of the Guidobono Cavalchini Roero Di San Severino. He died in

Turin Turin ( , ; ; , then ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The city is main ...

on 29 December 1927.

Awards and honors

Rossi was named

count Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...

of Monterela by a royal decree dated 27 April 1911. He was the recipient of the following: * Commander of the

Order of the Crown of Italy The Order of the Crown of Italy ( or OCI) was founded as a national order in 1868 by King Victor Emmanuel II of Italy, Vittorio Emanuele II, to commemorate Italian unification, the unification of Italy in 1861. It was awarded in five degrees for ...

* Grand Cordon of the Order of the Crown of Italy * Commander of the

Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus The Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus () (abbreviated OSSML) is a Roman Catholic dynastic order of knighthood bestowed by the royal House of Savoy. It is the second-oldest order of knighthood in the world, tracing its lineage to AD 1098, a ...

(11 December 1904) * Grand officer of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus (20 January 1913) * Grand cordon of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus (28 December 1913) * Grand Cordon of the

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...

(France) * Grand Cross of the

Sovereign Military Order of Malta The Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM), officially the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta, and commonly known as the Order of Malta or the Knights of Malta, is a Catholic lay religious ...

References

Bibliography

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Rossi, Teofilo 19th-century Italian businesspeople 19th-century Italian lawyers 20th-century Italian businesspeople 20th-century Italian lawyers 1865 births 1927 deaths Recipients of the Order of the Crown (Italy) Grand Officers of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus Deputies of Legislature XX of the Kingdom of Italy Deputies of Legislature XXI of the Kingdom of Italy Deputies of Legislature XXII of the Kingdom of Italy Deputies of Legislature XXIII of the Kingdom of Italy Members of the Senate of the Kingdom of Italy Government ministers of Italy Recipients of the Legion of Honour People from Chieri Mayors of Turin University of Turin alumni Mussolini Cabinet Businesspeople from Turin