Emilio Covelli (1846–1915) was an Italian anarchist and socialist who together with Carlo Cafiero was one of the most important figures in the early socialist movement in Italy, a member of the International Workingmen's Association, or "First International". He lived in exile in Paris for a while, returning to Italy for reasons of health, and dying in the psychiatric hospital in Nocera Inferiore.
Covelli was born into an aristocratic family in Trani (Apulia). He received his secondary education at a seminary in Molfetta (where he was in the same class as Cafiero), but after studying law at Naples University and then in Heidelberg and Berlin (where he studied under Eugen Dühring), he moved towards socialism, leaving his bourgeois origins behind him.
ActivismEdit
His extensive knowledge of German socialist literature (Dühring, Marx, etc.) was fundamental in introducing the ideas of "scientific socialism" into his own country, particularly through his 1874 work L’economia politica e la scienza, one of the earliest pieces of socialist theoretical writings in Italian.[1] Later, in 1908, he published Economia e Socialismo.
He joined the Naples branch of the International in 1875,[2] becoming an important influence within it and also contributing to the newspaper, "La Campana". Together with Carlo Cafiero, Errico Malatesta and Andrea Costa, he was instrumental in moving the Italian anarchist movement away from the collectivism it professed in the days of Mikhail Bakunin in order to adopt the communist formula "From each according to ability, to each according to need".[3] At the 1876 congress of the Italian Federation of the International in Florence-Tosi, it was these four who were responsible for the adoption of the anarchist communist programme.
In 1877, together with Malatesta, Cafiero and others, he participated in the unsuccessful Benevento uprising, following which he moved to Genoa, where he founded branches of the International. After a spell in prison he left the country, moving to London first, where he launched and edited a magazine, "Redattori della Lotta!", and then Geneva, where he founded the "I Malfattori" magazine, before returning once more to Italy.
He turned to more radical methods of propaganda by the deed in the 1880s and was forced to live on the run for several years, suffering a mental breakdown in 1884. After his release from the Como psychiatric hospital, he moved abroad, living at various times in Switzerland, Greece and Turkey. The last 23 years of his life were spent in a series of mental institutions and he eventually died in the same hospital as Cafiero, in Nocera Inferiore.
The commemorative plaque on Palazzo Covelli, the family home, in Trani bears his words: "I shall not sell myself either to any government or to any party... I have craved misery, persecution and slander. I have lost everything, there remains only what is me".
ReferencesEdit
^Masini, Pier Carlo, "Emilio COVELLI", in Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani - Volume 30, Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana. Alberto M. Ghisalberti (ed.), Rome 1984
^Masini, Pier Carlo, "Emilio COVELLI", in Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani - Volume 30, Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana. Alberto M. Ghisalberti (ed.), Rome 1984
^Damiani, Franco, Carlo Cafiero nella storia del primo socialismo italiano, Jaca Book, Milano 1974.
External linksEdit
Emilio Covelli, aka Mephistopheles, 1846-1915 by Nick Heath
Emilio COVELLI by Pier Carlo Masini (in Italian)
October 15, 2023
emilio, covelli, 1846, 1915, italian, anarchist, socialist, together, with, carlo, cafiero, most, important, figures, early, socialist, movement, italy, member, international, workingmen, association, first, international, lived, exile, paris, while, returning. Emilio Covelli 1846 1915 was an Italian anarchist and socialist who together with Carlo Cafiero was one of the most important figures in the early socialist movement in Italy a member of the International Workingmen s Association or First International He lived in exile in Paris for a while returning to Italy for reasons of health and dying in the psychiatric hospital in Nocera Inferiore Emilio CovelliBorn 1846 08 05 August 5 1846Trani present day Italy DiedAugust 15 1915 1915 08 15 aged 69 Nocera Inferiore Kingdom of ItalyOccupation s Anarchist revolutionary and political activist Contents 1 Early life 2 Activism 3 References 4 External linksEarly life EditCovelli was born into an aristocratic family in Trani Apulia He received his secondary education at a seminary in Molfetta where he was in the same class as Cafiero but after studying law at Naples University and then in Heidelberg and Berlin where he studied under Eugen Duhring he moved towards socialism leaving his bourgeois origins behind him Activism EditHis extensive knowledge of German socialist literature Duhring Marx etc was fundamental in introducing the ideas of scientific socialism into his own country particularly through his 1874 work L economia politica e la scienza one of the earliest pieces of socialist theoretical writings in Italian 1 Later in 1908 he published Economia e Socialismo He joined the Naples branch of the International in 1875 2 becoming an important influence within it and also contributing to the newspaper La Campana Together with Carlo Cafiero Errico Malatesta and Andrea Costa he was instrumental in moving the Italian anarchist movement away from the collectivism it professed in the days of Mikhail Bakunin in order to adopt the communist formula From each according to ability to each according to need 3 At the 1876 congress of the Italian Federation of the International in Florence Tosi it was these four who were responsible for the adoption of the anarchist communist programme In 1877 together with Malatesta Cafiero and others he participated in the unsuccessful Benevento uprising following which he moved to Genoa where he founded branches of the International After a spell in prison he left the country moving to London first where he launched and edited a magazine Redattori della Lotta and then Geneva where he founded the I Malfattori magazine before returning once more to Italy He turned to more radical methods of propaganda by the deed in the 1880s and was forced to live on the run for several years suffering a mental breakdown in 1884 After his release from the Como psychiatric hospital he moved abroad living at various times in Switzerland Greece and Turkey The last 23 years of his life were spent in a series of mental institutions and he eventually died in the same hospital as Cafiero in Nocera Inferiore The commemorative plaque on Palazzo Covelli the family home in Trani bears his words I shall not sell myself either to any government or to any party I have craved misery persecution and slander I have lost everything there remains only what is me References Edit Masini Pier Carlo Emilio COVELLI in Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani Volume 30 Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana Alberto M Ghisalberti ed Rome 1984 Masini Pier Carlo Emilio COVELLI in Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani Volume 30 Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana Alberto M Ghisalberti ed Rome 1984 Damiani Franco Carlo Cafiero nella storia del primo socialismo italiano Jaca Book Milano 1974 External links EditEmilio Covelli aka Mephistopheles 1846 1915 by Nick Heath Emilio COVELLI by Pier Carlo Masini in Italian Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Emilio Covelli amp oldid 1115034649, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
