There were more than 40,000 Catholic Italians in Istanbul at the turn of the 20th century, a figure which not only included the descendants of the local Genoese and Venetian merchants who lived here since the Byzantine and early Ottoman periods, but also the numerous Italian workers and artisans who came to the city from Italy during the 19th century. Giuseppe Garibaldi and Giuseppe Mazzini came to Constantinople in 1832, and again in 1833. Garibaldi lived in Beyoğlu and taught Italian, French and Mathematics in the foreign schools of this district. Garibaldi also established the Società Operaia Italiana di Mutuo Soccorso on May 17, 1863, in Beyoğlu, and became its first President (Mazzini was the second President).
The Società Operaia Italiana di Mutuo Soccorso[*] is still active and is located in its original site, on a side street of İstiklal Avenue. The number of Istanbul's Italians decreased after the end of the Ottoman Empire for several reasons. The Turkish Republic no longer recognized the trade privileges that were given to the descendants of the Genoese and Venetian merchants, and foreigners were no longer allowed to work in Turkey in a wide number of sectors, including many artisanships, in which numerous Istanbulite Italians used to work. The Varlık Vergisi (Wealth Tax) of the World War II years, which imposed higher tariffs on non-Muslims and foreigners in Turkey, also played an important role in the migration of Istanbul's Italians to Italy—who still live in the city, but in far fewer numbers when compared with the early 20th century.
The influence of the Italian community of Istanbul, however, is still visible in the architecture of many quarters, particularly Galata, Beyoğlu and Nişantaşı.
[*] Società Operaia Italiana di Mutuo Soccorso | The Mutual Aid Workers' Societies (SOMS) are associations, whose original forms saw the light around the second half of the nineteenth century. It was the Pinerolesi, in 1848, who founded the first Mutual Aid Society in Italy. Created to make up for the shortcomings of the welfare state and thus help workers to give themselves a first defense system, transferring the risk of harmful events (such as accidents at work, illness or job loss).
The first law regulating Mutual Aid Societies in Italy was enacted by King Umberto on April 15, 1886. The law consists of twelve articles that regulate the subsidy in the event of illness, aid to the families of deceased members, education , the purchase of tools.
Mavi Boncuk |
This book aims to demonstrate how the Italian nationalist ideas were a catalyst to the creation of national unity and freedom to the Turkish people, prompting a drive for freedom that originated from the élite and moved to the masses in a top-down manner. The conspiracy ideas particularly of Giuseppe Mazzini, one of the greatest figures in the Italian national struggle, gave strong impetus to the birth of the pre-republican Young Turks. Giuseppe Garibaldi permanence in Turkey, his contacts with the Italian Workers Society in Constantinople, his letters and deep connections with Europe disclosed the idea that, the birth of the Turkish Republic, was ideologically supported by Italian Carbonari kinds of associations. In order to illustrate this link, the book observes the role of some eminent delegates of the Italian Workers Association and the Italian Freemasonry in Istanbul/Constantinople and other provinces of the Ottoman Empire.
Publisher : Libra (January 1, 2015)
Language : Turkish
Paperback : 147 pages
ISBN-10 : 6059022227
ISBN-13 : 978-6059022224
Item Weight : 6 ounces
Dimensions : 0.39 x 5.31 x 7.68 inches
[1] Veronica Musardo is a Lecturer of Italian language. She studied Comparative Languages and Cultures at the University of Naples in 2009. After a MA in Comparative Studies from the University of Naples, she relocated to Istanbul, where she completed an intense research period for a MA in Political Science and International Relations in Yeditepe University. She is interested in linguistics and languages learning processes, history, international communication, social and political fields. At the moment she works and lives in Italy.
CONTENTS
Chapter ı
Introduction
Chapter II
Framework and Method
2.1. Epistemological Questions
2.2. Historical Background
2.3. The Objectification of History Writing
Chapter III
The Italian Historical Setting
3.1. Introduction
3.2. The Restoration
3.3. The Birth of Secret Societies
3.4. The Unification of Italy
3.5. The Revolts of 1820-21 and 1831
3.6. Mazzini and the Young Italy 7
3.7. The Liberal Experience in Piedmont and the Activity of Cavour
3.8. The Failure of Carlo Pisacane Strategy
3.9. The Expedition of the Thousand and the Unity of Italy
Chapter IV
Lives and Struggles of Garibaldi and Mazzini
4.1. Life and Times of Garibaldi
4.2. Giuseppe Garibaldi in Turkey
4.3. Garibaldi and the Principles of the Unification Between SocietaOperaiaand Freemasonry
4.4. Mazzini's life and Struggles
Chapter V
Activities in Istanbul:
Relations between Italian and Ottoman Society
5.1. Introduction
5.2. Abdulhamid II - Short Introduction
5.3. Starting Contacts
5.4. Young Turks and the "Macedonia Risorta"
5.5. Freemasonry
5.6. The Workers Society
5.7. Italian Colonialism in Libya- The Chronicle of the Consequent Decline of Italian- Turkish Relations
Conclusion
Appendix I - Giuseppe Mazzini's Letters
Appendix II - Giuseppe Garibaldi's Letters
Bibliography
INDEX
Salone della Società Italiana di Costantinopoli | Hall of the Italian Society of Constantinople
MORE: Constantinople, May 17. Under the motto of «Who loves the country, honor it with works» a group of 41 Italians founds the Società Operaia di Mutuo Soccorso Italiana. They were mostly political refugees, who on March 19 had gathered under the name of the Workers' Commission to honor the Hero of Two Worlds, Giuseppe Garibaldi.
The founding members wanted to express their devotion to him, and to Giuseppe Mazzini, by appointing the first as Effective President and Mazzini as Honorary President. They both accepted.
Inspired by the principles of brotherhood, the Society had mutual aid and charity as its main objective, but it also set out to improve the moral and material conditions of the worker, mutual education, the increase of national interests for the homeland, political Risorgimento. and civil, as well as "the decorum of the Italian Name".
From the earliest years, it was a constant thought for the members to have their own prestigious headquarters. Already in 1864, one year after its foundation, they had submitted an application to the Ottoman government to obtain land, without result. They thought about it for themselves, first by purchasing a wooden building (where they also built a theater for the Social Dramatics, an initiative that had a good success with the public) and then finally managing to buy a large land in Pera, in a central position, where to build the definitive seat. The project was entrusted to the partner Alessandro Vallauri, one of the major Italian architects in Istanbul.
On 2 November the first stone was laid, under which a bottle containing a parchment was buried with the day, the hour, the name of the King of Italy Umberto I and that of Sultan Abdul Hamid II, under whose reign the new seat was founded. On November 3, 1885 there was the great inauguration.
The hall with stage and loggia all around, the billiard room, the library, the reading room were places of such an intense social life that in 1909, with the inheritance received from an Italian merchant in Constantinople, the headquarters were renovated to create new spaces. Also this time to design were two very popular architect partners in the Italian community, Giulio Mongeri and Edoardo De Nari. The latter became president of the Workers' Society in 1911, a position that increased his prestige even more.
The Society of Constantinople is an example of the thousands of companies abroad: mutualism without borders. A census by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs shows that in 1898 there were already more than 1000: over 400 in the United States (of which 109 in New York; in the first decade of the twentieth century there will be about 400) and over 300 in Argentina, where with the new century will come to be more than 500.
A varied, widespread universe in which the Societies of our emigrants found themselves coexisting with local solidarity networks: Mutual Aid Associations, Friendly Societies, Sociétés de Secours Mutuels, Sociedad de Socorros Mutuos.
Bibliography
G. Mancini, La Società operaia di Istanbul, in «Il Mulino. Rivista di cultura e di politica», 22 febbraio 2013
Casa Garibaldi. Una storia levantina, in «La Stampa» 28 settembre 2015