The Turin Massacre was a massacre carried out by members of the Royal Italian Army (mainly Carabinieri cadets) on 21 and 22 September 1864 against groups of civilian demonstrators. The clashes occurred during popular protests against the transfer of the capital of the Kingdom of Italy from the Piedmontese city to Florence.
On the morning of 21 September 1864, clashes occurred in Piazza San Carlo between demonstrators and law enforcement. In the afternoon, a separate crowd armed with sticks moved toward the headquarters of the Ministry of the Interior in Piazza Castello. There, a contingent of carabinieri cadets, defending the building, fired on the demonstrators, causing 15 casualties. On the evening of 22 September, carabinieri cadets fired on the crowd in Piazza San Carlo, striking an infantry battalion that was crossing the square. The battalion returned fire, creating a three-way crossfire between the carabinieri, the infantry, and the civilian crowd. 47 military and civilian personnel were killed in the crossfire.
The events caused the fall of the Minghetti government as well as several official inquiries by parliamentary commissions; however, all those arrested were subject to a general amnesty in February 1865.
Background: the relocation of the capital city
In June 1864, taking advantage of rumors about the health of Pope Pius IX and possible uprisings in the Papal States, prime minister Marco Minghetti sent Gioacchino Napoleone Pepoli to the Italian ambassador in Paris, Costantino Nigra, with arrangements to negotiate the withdrawal of French troops from the Holy See's territories. To reach the agreement, Emperor Napoleon III required a guarantee showing the renunciation of the conquest of Rome, which had been indicated since 1861 by the Italian government as the ideal capital of the kingdom; Pepoli asked if moving the Italian capital from Turin to another city, something already assumed by the government, could provide adequate guarantee; the emperor confirmed that he would certainly sign the agreement with that condition. Victor Emmanuel II was informed in August, upon Pepoli's return.
The King received the transport clause, not only with revulsion, but also with sorrow. He had many talks with Minghetti and Pepoli. He seemed for a few moments somewhat shaken, and then took time to think about it during an absence from Turin.
On 11 September 1864 Minghetti informed Minister Menabrea that the king accepted the treaty, moving the capital to Florence for purely strategic reasons.
The convention was then officially signed on 15 September 1864. At the request of Victor Emmanuel II, the binding protocol to move the seat of government was kept separate and secret within six months of the signing to prevent it from appearing "the result of pressure from a foreign government."
Dissemination of the news in Turin
Despite ministerial secrecy, details of the agreement began to circulate as early as August 26 of that year. Turin newspapers, linked to political factions, took different positions on the agreement. The Minghetti government could count on Gazzetta ufficiale, the voice of the ministry, and on L'Opinione, directed by Giacomo Dina; it was also supported by La Stampa (different from the later newspaper of the same name), directed by Paulo Fambri and linked to Ubaldino Peruzzi and Silvio Spaventa, and the Gazzetta di Torino, linked to Luigi Menabrea. Then there were Senator Carlo Alfieri's Discussione, Monarchia nazionale linked to Urbano Rattazzi and the center-left, and Il Diritto linked to the left-wing. The anticlerical Gazzetta del popolo was headed by Giovan Battista Bottero.
On 16 September, the day after the signing, L'Opinione published the agreement, with no mention of the secret protocol; on 18 September Gazzetta del popolo reported the erroneous rumor (which had spread the previous day) that the condition imposed by the French side was the relocation of the capital to Florence. The dissemination of fragmentary news then led to speculation and accusations against the government; there were even rumors of ceding Piedmontese territory to France.
On 20 September a demonstration was held in the streets of the city with shouts against the relocation of the capital ("Down with the ministry!, Rome or Turin!, Down with the agreement!, Long live Garibaldi!") and with the participation of a large number of people (five or six thousand according to some sources). The relocation of the capital was seen by many as a threat to the economic development of the city, as can be seen below:
"In the midst of all these considerations, there also flashed through the minds of the affluent citizens the thought of a thousand offended interests, and of the grave conditions that transportation prepared for the city of Turin, which had so eagerly engaged in works, speculations and industries that perhaps could hardly prosper if its seat of Government were abruptly removed."
In addition, about 100 people gathered in Piazza Castello to protest with whistles against the headquarters of the Gazzetta di Torino, leaving after a short time without incident. The paper that day had published an article which, although in favor of the agreement, was supposed to pacify the people of Turin; it was "sent by the Court to the paper at the desire of the king himself, who was quite mistaken as to the effect it would produce, and to which none of the courtiers had the good sense to advise against its publication.
The article was in fact compiled, but so poorly that it had the opposite effect, although it interpreted itself far worse than it deserved, thus becoming an incidental cause of the painful events that followed.
Events
21 September
The afternoon
The extraordinary city council was scheduled for 2 pm. to discuss the relocation of the capital. Various people gathered under the windows to get news; protests also occurred and copies of the Gazzetta di Torino were burned.
In the lack of news from the ongoing city council, people quickly dispersed, while a small group of young people headed to Piazza San Carlo to the printing press of the Gazzetta di Torino with some Italian flags. The owner went to the police headquarters to request help, while others prevented the group from entering. Orders then came from the police headquarters to disperse the gatherings, seize the flags and arrest those carrying them. Numerous public security guards (mainly cadets) rushed to the scene and unsheathed their daggers against the gathering of people, who, taken by surprise, responded with stones; the guards then chased and beat the people outside the square as well, striking and throwing bystanders and passers-by to the ground and even those who were in charge of defending the printing press.
Attracted by some shouts we all looked out of the window, and saw about a hundred or so people quite scattered, gathered around a man carrying a flag. We heard confused shouts, among which I distinguished something against the Turin Gazette. The hundred or so people, whom we could see under our window, were manifestly looking at something that was going on under the porch; but except for a very few who from time to time uttered shouts, there was nothing threatening about their demeanor.
All of a sudden we saw a column of public security guards coming out of the police headquarters, led by an officer, who could not have been less than sixty. The column marched at a brisk pace without uttering a word and without the people against whom they were coming moving away; and in the act the officer grabbed the flag to snatch it out of the hands of those holding it, shouting something unintelligible, which for the aftermath we thought was an order to take up arms and use them; all of a sudden, the guards, having unsheathed their daggers, started to slash that group of people standing on the square – mind you, on the square and not under the porch – running after those who were trying to save themselves by fleeing, and hitting them mercilessly.
We then saw scenes that would make one shudder, among them isolated men beaten and dragged by four or five guards.
— Testimony of Mattia Montecchi
Twenty-nine people were taken to the police station, including some injured; a new group began to form in front of the building, and the guards came out again with daggers in their fists, but were stopped by their superiors. The group outside, which had become large, demanded the release of those arrested, considering the guards' action disproportionate; stones were also thrown at the windows.
The police headquarters was now besieged, and a delegation from the city council arrived (Rignon, Pateri Corsi, Moris and Villa) who, failing to calm the crowd, advised the police commissioner to release the arrested (the return of the flags was also requested). A pacification of the square was thus achieved.
Evening
Several gatherings of people formed in the city starting at 5 pm, first under the city hall and then under the mayor's residence; the latter on both occasions tried to persuade the protesters to respect the law.
A crowd had gathered in Piazza San Carlo to protest against the Turin Gazette and the police headquarters. Carabinieri cadets, armed with loaded rifles, were stationed in the square, followed by numerous troops (bersaglieri, cavalry and infantry) while the National Guard rode through the adjacent streets; the aim was to keep the square clear and disperse the gatherings. Despite some provocations against the soldiers by throwing stones, the crowd began to thin out.
Two squads (one of carabinieri cadets) were arranged in Piazza Castello, dispersing a first group directed against the headquarters of the Ministry of the Interior. Another group of demonstrators, armed with sticks, entered the square and headed for the ministry toward the carabinieri cadets; after a brief uproar, two gunshots were heard, followed by a line of fire aimed at the population. After an initial moment of surprise, the square emptied leaving only dead and injured people.
I was standing near the drummer and proceeded towards the porches, where the confectioner Anselmo was, and there the Carabinieri cadets were lined up, I approached them with the intention that they would open their ranks as the line troops had done in the Via Nuova, but instead the Carabinieri closed their ranks and pinned their bayonets on us, especially against the tricolor flag that had been presented precisely to open the ranks to make a demonstration under the Ministry. An officer signaled for the soldiers to raise their rifles, but at that instant a rifle shot went off from the extreme left point, and I escaped hearing other subsequent shots discharged by the Carabinieri in different directions also against the fleeing men.
— Testimony of Carlo Muttis
Rescue efforts began; a gathering also formed, throwing stones at the carabinieri, who then retreated toward the Ministry headquarters.
During the night the bersaglieri arrested eight people who had taken weapons from a gunsmith's store.
22 September
Reactions to the events of the previous evening
An exchange of communications took place between Victor Emmanuel II and Marco Minghetti the morning after the first massacre.
The sad events that have happened grieve me. You know that I foresaw them. I make the Ministry responsible for restoring order. Publish a state of siege if necessary. Bring in troops until there are enough. I do not want to witness such painful things. I will go to Turin as soon as order is restored.
— Victor Emmanuel II to Marco Minghetti, September 22, 8:30 am.
So far no disturbances: however, there is much talk of disturbances for this evening. General Della Rocca has made all the arrangements. We know that the action party is trying to take over the movement.
— Marco Minghetti to Victor Emmanuel II, 22 September
If I still do not come this evening to Turin, it is because I wish the trouble to end and I would not like to be an eyewitness to the blood shed in the country that I was born in. [...] It would be necessary to arrange with the Mayor a deputation to come to Turin and apologize to me, and to recommend some favorable changes that would calm and please the citizens misled by excess of love. Take advantage of this opportunity to have all the people leaders, Mazzinians, rascals of all sorts arrested, without which we shall have them another day in another city. Leave the responsibility for that to General Della Rocca, if you wish.
— Victor Emmanuel II to Marco Minghetti, 22 September
There were a few demonstrations during the day against the printing press of the Turin Gazette, but these were easily dispersed.
Evening