Emilio Visconti Venosta

Emilio, marquis Visconti-Venosta (22 January 1829 – 24 November 1914) was an Italian

Biography

Visconti-Venosta was born in Milan, in the Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia. He studied jurisprudence at the University of Pavia.

A disciple of

Elected deputy in 1860, he accompanied Luigi Carlo Farini on diplomatic missions to Modena and Naples, and was subsequently despatched to London and Paris to acquaint the British and French governments with the course of events in Italy. As a recompense for the tact displayed on this occasion, he was given by Cavour a permanent appointment in the Italian foreign office, and was subsequently appointed under-secretary of state by Count Pasolini. Upon the latter's death he became Minister of Foreign Affairs (March 24, 1863) in the Minghetti cabinet, in which capacity he negotiated the September Convention for the evacuation of Rome by the French troops.^[1]

Resigning office with Minghetti in the autumn of 1864, he was in March 1866 sent by

During this long period he was called upon to conduct the delicate negotiations connected with the Franco-Prussian War, the Capture of Rome by the Italians, and the consequent destruction of the temporal power of the Pope, the Law of Guarantees and the visits of Victor Emmanuel II to Vienna and Berlin. Upon the occasion of his marriage with the daughter of the Marquis Alfieri di Sostegno, grand-niece of Cavour, he was created marquis by the king. For a time he remained a member of the parliamentary opposition, and in 1886 was nominated senator.^[1]

In 1894, after eighteen years' absence from active political life, he was chosen to be Italian arbitrator in the

Resigning office in May 1898, on a question of internal policy, he once more retired to private life.[1]

In May 1899 he again assumed the management of foreign affairs in the second

Prudence (dubbed as "clean hands policy"){{efn|On the other side, the "clean hands" policy in diplomacy was judged, in next century, "a dramatic cultural heritage, which Italy should escape now more than ever": Buonomo, Giampiero (2013). "Elezioni europee e nuovo trattato di Lisbona". L'Ago e Il Filo Edizione Online. Archived from the original on 2012-08-01. Retrieved 2016-04-10. and sagacity, coupled with unequalled experience of foreign policy, enabled him to assure to Italy her full portion of influence in international affairs, and secured for himself the unanimous esteem of European cabinets. In recognition of his services he was created

In February 1906 he was Italian delegate to the Algeciras Conference.^[1] The purpose of the conference was to mediate the First Moroccan Crisis between France and Germany, and to assure the repayment of a large loan made to the Sultan in 1904. After this conference, Visconti-Venosta retired from public life. On account of his great experience, profound legal and political culture and sound judgment, he was often consulted by the Italian government, especially on questions of foreign affairs. He explicitly approved of Italy's declaration of neutrality on the outbreak of World War I. He died in Rome on 24th November 1914.^[2]

Notes

References

Sources

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Visconti-Venosta, Emilio, Marquis". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 28 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 129.
•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1922). "Visconti-Venosta, Emilio, Marquis". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 32 (12th ed.). London & New York: The Encyclopædia Britannica Company. p. 928.