The year is characterized by the
Banca Romana scandal, discrediting the whole political system, and increasing violence in
Sicily as a result of the
Fasci Siciliani (Sicilian Leagues), a popular movement of democratic and socialist inspiration in 1891–1894.
January
January 18 – An official report confirms the serious state of affairs in the
Banca Romana: a deficiency of cash, cooked accounts, a note circulation of 135 million lire instead of the 75 million permitted by law, a great quantity of bad debts due to building speculation.[1] The next day the governor of the bank, Bernardo Tanlongo, and several of his subordinates are arrested.[2]
January 20 –
Caltavuturo massacre in
Caltavuturo in the
Province of Palermo (Sicily), where local authorities killed 13 and wounded 21 peasants that occupied communal land they claimed was theirs. The claim for land reform was one of the demands of the
Fasci Siciliani.[3]
February
February 1 – Murder of
Emanuele Notarbartolo, former mayor of Palermo and former director general of the
Banco di Sicilia by the
Sicilian Mafia.
Raffaele Palizzolo, a member of the
Italian Chamber of Deputies, was regarded as the mastermind of the assassination. The series of trials over the following decade split Sicilian society in two and astonished public opinion. The conviction of Palizzolo in
August 1902, would be hailed as a big blow against the Mafia. The Assize Court in
Bologna convicted Palizzolo and two others to 30 years of imprisonment.[4]
March
March 20 – Prime Minister
Giovanni Giolitti presents a bill to reorganize the banking system.
March 21 – Due to the
Banca Romana scandal, the Chamber of Deputy's approves a proposal to establish a Commission of Inquiry on banks.
May
May 21–22 – Congress of the
Fasci Siciliani in Palermo attended by 500 delegates from nearly 90 leagues and socialist circles.[5]
May 22 – The President of the
Italian Chamber of Deputies,
Giuseppe Zanardelli, urges King Umberto I not to accept the resignation of Giolitti. Giolitti agrees to reconstruct the government with Senator Gagliardo as Finance Minister.[6]
August
August 10 – A new Bank Act liquidates the Banca Romana and reforms the whole system of note issue, restricting the privilege to the new Banca d'Italia – mandated to liquidate the Banca Romana – and to the Banco di Napoli and the Banco di Sicilia, and providing for stricter state control.[7]
August 16–17 –
Massacre of Italian workers of the Compagnie des Salins du Midi in
Aigues-Mortes (France) by French villagers and workers. The New York Times, reporting from the trial of ringleaders later in the year, reported that "ten men were killed and twenty-six wounded".[8] Anti-French riots erupt in Italy. In Rome the windows of the French Embassy were smashed and for a while the angry mob seemed to get out of hand.
August 23 – Start of a three day popular revolt in
Naples incited by horse-cab drivers notoriously linked to the
Camorra, who called for a strike against the agreement between the city administration and the Belgian tram company Société Anonyme des Tramways Provinciaux (
it), which provides for the extension of the tramway line to other parts of the city.[9] The coachmen created riots and wreak havoc on the streets of Naples together with thousands of other demonstrators descending from the working-class neighbourhoods. Carriages that did not participate in the strike were attacked and a tram was burnt down. The police fired on the demonstrators, injuring some of them and killing a boy. His corpse is carried in a tumultuous procession and continuous clashes with the police, from San Carlo all'Arena to the Prefecture. The riot spreads, shops are attacked, shop windows smashed. Devastations multiply, but do not result in looting.[9]
September
September 8 – While in Sicily the Fasci are spreading, in
Reggio Emilia the Italian Workers' Party is celebrating its second congress and decides to adopt the name of
Italian Socialist Party (
Italian: Partito Socialista Italiano, PSI).
November
November 23 – At the opening of the Italian Parliament, the
Italian Chamber of Deputies insists that the sealed report of the commission that investigated the
Banca Romana scandal will be read immediately. Amidst increasing disorder the report is read and the conclusions of the commission that former Prime Minister Crispi, Prime Minister Giolitti, and former Finance Minister
Luigi Luzzatti, had been aware of the conditions of the Banca Romana but had held back that information, is hailed with shouts for the resignation of Giolitti. Rival deputies exchange insults and push and pull each other over seats and desks over a dispute to impeach the government. While the President of the Chamber,
Giuseppe Zanardelli, and the minister left the session, deputies refused orders to leave until the light was turned off at 10:00 PM and opposition deputies were cheered by a large crowd on the street.[10]
November 24 – The government headed by
Giovanni Giolitti has to resign as a result of the
Banca Romana scandal after the Chamber presented the report of the Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry on banks. The Commission concluded that press charges that Giolitti had used the bank's money in the last election campaign could not be proved although it declined to affirm that was disproved.[11]
November 27 –
Giuseppe Zanardelli, President of the Chamber of Deputies, is charged with the formation of a new Cabinet.[12]
December
December 4 – Zanardelli partly forms a new Cabinet but
Paolo Boselli refuses to accept the Finance Ministry. Most observers predict Zanardelli will not obtain a majority.[13]
December 15 – The new government headed by
Francesco Crispi takes office.
December 21 –
Battle of Agordat between
Italian colonial troops and
Mahdists from the
Sudan. Emir Ahmed Ali campaigned against the
Europeans in eastern
Sudan. The Italian victory is the first decisive victory yet won by Europeans against the Sudanese revolutionaries.
December 25 – Eleven people are killed in
Lercara Friddi during the revolt of the
Fasci Siciliani. In December 1893, 92 peasants lost their lives in clashes with the police and army.[14]
Sports
September 7 – The
Genoa Cricket & Athletics Club, the oldest Italian soccer club, is formed by British expatriates. In its earliest years, it principally competed in athletics and cricket. Association football was secondarily practised.
The year is characterized by the
Banca Romana scandal, discrediting the whole political system, and increasing violence in
Sicily as a result of the
Fasci Siciliani (Sicilian Leagues), a popular movement of democratic and socialist inspiration in 1891–1894.
January
January 18 – An official report confirms the serious state of affairs in the
Banca Romana: a deficiency of cash, cooked accounts, a note circulation of 135 million lire instead of the 75 million permitted by law, a great quantity of bad debts due to building speculation.[1] The next day the governor of the bank, Bernardo Tanlongo, and several of his subordinates are arrested.[2]
January 20 –
Caltavuturo massacre in
Caltavuturo in the
Province of Palermo (Sicily), where local authorities killed 13 and wounded 21 peasants that occupied communal land they claimed was theirs. The claim for land reform was one of the demands of the
Fasci Siciliani.[3]
February
February 1 – Murder of
Emanuele Notarbartolo, former mayor of Palermo and former director general of the
Banco di Sicilia by the
Sicilian Mafia.
Raffaele Palizzolo, a member of the
Italian Chamber of Deputies, was regarded as the mastermind of the assassination. The series of trials over the following decade split Sicilian society in two and astonished public opinion. The conviction of Palizzolo in
August 1902, would be hailed as a big blow against the Mafia. The Assize Court in
Bologna convicted Palizzolo and two others to 30 years of imprisonment.[4]
March
March 20 – Prime Minister
Giovanni Giolitti presents a bill to reorganize the banking system.
March 21 – Due to the
Banca Romana scandal, the Chamber of Deputy's approves a proposal to establish a Commission of Inquiry on banks.
May
May 21–22 – Congress of the
Fasci Siciliani in Palermo attended by 500 delegates from nearly 90 leagues and socialist circles.[5]
May 22 – The President of the
Italian Chamber of Deputies,
Giuseppe Zanardelli, urges King Umberto I not to accept the resignation of Giolitti. Giolitti agrees to reconstruct the government with Senator Gagliardo as Finance Minister.[6]
August
August 10 – A new Bank Act liquidates the Banca Romana and reforms the whole system of note issue, restricting the privilege to the new Banca d'Italia – mandated to liquidate the Banca Romana – and to the Banco di Napoli and the Banco di Sicilia, and providing for stricter state control.[7]
August 16–17 –
Massacre of Italian workers of the Compagnie des Salins du Midi in
Aigues-Mortes (France) by French villagers and workers. The New York Times, reporting from the trial of ringleaders later in the year, reported that "ten men were killed and twenty-six wounded".[8] Anti-French riots erupt in Italy. In Rome the windows of the French Embassy were smashed and for a while the angry mob seemed to get out of hand.
August 23 – Start of a three day popular revolt in
Naples incited by horse-cab drivers notoriously linked to the
Camorra, who called for a strike against the agreement between the city administration and the Belgian tram company Société Anonyme des Tramways Provinciaux (
it), which provides for the extension of the tramway line to other parts of the city.[9] The coachmen created riots and wreak havoc on the streets of Naples together with thousands of other demonstrators descending from the working-class neighbourhoods. Carriages that did not participate in the strike were attacked and a tram was burnt down. The police fired on the demonstrators, injuring some of them and killing a boy. His corpse is carried in a tumultuous procession and continuous clashes with the police, from San Carlo all'Arena to the Prefecture. The riot spreads, shops are attacked, shop windows smashed. Devastations multiply, but do not result in looting.[9]
September
September 8 – While in Sicily the Fasci are spreading, in
Reggio Emilia the Italian Workers' Party is celebrating its second congress and decides to adopt the name of
Italian Socialist Party (
Italian: Partito Socialista Italiano, PSI).
November
November 23 – At the opening of the Italian Parliament, the
Italian Chamber of Deputies insists that the sealed report of the commission that investigated the
Banca Romana scandal will be read immediately. Amidst increasing disorder the report is read and the conclusions of the commission that former Prime Minister Crispi, Prime Minister Giolitti, and former Finance Minister
Luigi Luzzatti, had been aware of the conditions of the Banca Romana but had held back that information, is hailed with shouts for the resignation of Giolitti. Rival deputies exchange insults and push and pull each other over seats and desks over a dispute to impeach the government. While the President of the Chamber,
Giuseppe Zanardelli, and the minister left the session, deputies refused orders to leave until the light was turned off at 10:00 PM and opposition deputies were cheered by a large crowd on the street.[10]
November 24 – The government headed by
Giovanni Giolitti has to resign as a result of the
Banca Romana scandal after the Chamber presented the report of the Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry on banks. The Commission concluded that press charges that Giolitti had used the bank's money in the last election campaign could not be proved although it declined to affirm that was disproved.[11]
November 27 –
Giuseppe Zanardelli, President of the Chamber of Deputies, is charged with the formation of a new Cabinet.[12]
December
December 4 – Zanardelli partly forms a new Cabinet but
Paolo Boselli refuses to accept the Finance Ministry. Most observers predict Zanardelli will not obtain a majority.[13]
December 15 – The new government headed by
Francesco Crispi takes office.
December 21 –
Battle of Agordat between
Italian colonial troops and
Mahdists from the
Sudan. Emir Ahmed Ali campaigned against the
Europeans in eastern
Sudan. The Italian victory is the first decisive victory yet won by Europeans against the Sudanese revolutionaries.
December 25 – Eleven people are killed in
Lercara Friddi during the revolt of the
Fasci Siciliani. In December 1893, 92 peasants lost their lives in clashes with the police and army.[14]
Sports
September 7 – The
Genoa Cricket & Athletics Club, the oldest Italian soccer club, is formed by British expatriates. In its earliest years, it principally competed in athletics and cricket. Association football was secondarily practised.