Alessandro Ricci

Alessandro Giuseppe Ricci (born 10th November 1868) is an Italian politician who has served as the 17th and then 18th President of the Chamber of Deputies of the Kingdom of Italy since 1919. He has had a long career in politics, being elected as Deputy for the constituency of Sanremo in 1899, at the age of thirty-one. He was reelected to this seat in each election which followed, and in 1919 he was elected President of the Chamber of Deputies upon the beginning of the new parliamentary session. He was elected as a Deputy for the People's Party, but he abandoned all party affiliation upon his election to the Presidency. Ricci has been known within the Chamber as a generally non-partisan and unbiased President, though internally he harboured strong conservative sympathies and took a private stance against the government of Aurelio Sabbatini. His first Vice-President was Antonio Russo, of the Italian Fasci of Combat. Russo was forcibly removed by Ricci in 1921, and was replaced with Lodovico Beneventi of the ruling Liberal Union. He resigned the Presidency in 1921, creating a new political party, the Conservative National Party. After their poor performance in the 1921 election, Ricci stood for and was reelected to the Presidency of the Chamber of Deputies.

Ricci came from relatively humble origins, born to a lower middle class family in Genoa in 1868. His father was a trader who sold primarily fabrics and expected his son to take up this business after him. From an early age, Ricci proved to be intellectual astute, and by the time he reached secondary education he had decided his intent to go into politics. After his graduation, with a degree in political studies, he moved to the United States, where he resided for eight years. He returned to Italy in 1898, becoming a councillor in Sanremo. Upon reaching the age of thirty, he began preparing to run for Deputy of Sanremo. This came to fruition upon the resignation of his predecessor, Umberto Calcagni, standing successfully as a People's Party Deputy. He became estranged from his father as a result of his career.

Youth (1868 - 1886)
Alessandro Giuseppe Ricci was born on November 10th, 1868 in the city of Genoa, in Northern Italy. Italy had been unified as a single Kingdom just seven years earlier in 1861. He was born to Marco and Sofia Ricci, who ran a modest business trading fabrics and other items. Alessandro's father groomed him from an early age to join the family business, though he always showed little interest in it. When he was nine years old, the family moved to the town of Sanremo, not far from Genoa in the province of Liguria. He was educated in public schools throughout his early life, which he showed great promise in, according to his teachers. He took many personal as well as academic lessons from this teachers - it is believed that a teacher at his secondary school helped shape his ideas of conservatism and republicanism. He excelled in examinations, earning a scholarship for the University of Florence, a prestigious institution.

Higher Education (1886 - 1889)
Ricci moved to Florence in 1886, at the age of eighteen. He was immediately enrolled in the University of Florence by scholarship, studying political theory, the histories, literature and the Latin language. He would go on to become fluent in Latin as a result of his studies. Ricci took a particular interest in politics, becoming involved in student politics and numerous debates early on in his studies. According to his professors at the University of Florence, Ricci was something of a political renegade. He was extreme in his opinions, frequently beginning tirades in opposition to socialism and the left-wing. Over time, however, Ricci would learn the art of politics - to bide time, to be mellow and patient. Throughout university, he set about speaking to the people of Florence themselves, to gauge opinions on the political climate in Italy. He found opinions mixed, liberalism and the left-wing being disparaged by many and conservatism being more popular at this time. Pleased with his findings, Ricci continued his studies. He graduated from the University of Florence with honours in 1889, at the age of twenty-one. He had obtained a degree in political theory, as well as in history.

Travelling Europe and move to America (1889 - 1890)
Having left university, Ricci was looking for opportunity. He made the decision to leave Florence and make the journey by ship from Italy to the United States of America, which he believed to be the land of opportunity and the bastion of democracy in the world. He particularly idolised Abraham Lincoln and hoped to learn more of him whilst there. He began travel across Europe prior to going to America, where he visited Paris, the main staging ground for the French Revolution and then visited London. In London, he visited the Palace of Westminster, the seat of the British Parliament. He learned much from his travels, as well as his conversations with local people. Whilst in England, he learned some pieces of spotty English, though his fluency in the language would not be cemented until after having lived in America. From London, he travelled north to Manchester, the site of the Peterloo Massacre. From Manchester, he travelled to Liverpool, where he booked passage on the maiden voyage of the White Star Liner RMS Majestic, from Liverpool to New York City. The ship departed on April 2nd, 1890 and arrived in New York on April 10th. After inspection, Ricci made his way to Manhattan, where he would reside for the next three years.

Time as a journalist, move to Washington, political involvement (1890 - 1896)
He took up numerous brief jobs that were considered suitable for an Italian immigrant, though he eventually settled in as a journalist and political columnist for the New York Times. For this job, he learned English and became fluent in a very short period of time. Ricci became respected for his journalism over the next three years. In 1892, he met his future wife, Giovanna Moretti, whilst in Central Park. She was the daughter of Italian immigrants to the United States, and love soon developed between the two. After a year of courting, Ricci proposed marriage to Giovanna. She eagerly accepted, but struggled to convince her father to give his blessing to the union. When he finally did, the two were married in St. Patrick's Cathedral, Manhattan. After this, Ricci and Giovanna moved to Washington D.C., the capital of the United States. He took up a job as a political analyst on the staff of Vice-President Adlai Stevenson, a position he would remain in for a year and a half. In 1895, Ricci's first child Francesco was born in Washington D.C., he was later followed by Lodovico who would also be born there. In 1895, Ricci was hired by Republican Presidential candidate William McKinley to work on his campaign. After McKinley received the Republican nomination for President, Ricci was elevated to Deputy Campaign Manager on his campaign.

Under McKinley, return to Italy (1896 - 1898)
McKinley was elected President of the United States in 1896, being inaugurated on March 4th, 1897. Ricci was offered the position of Private Secretary to the President, as McKinley had taken a liking to the young man. Ricci, however, declined the post - he had decided by this time that it would be necessary for him to eventually return to Italy. Satisfied with his work in helping President McKinley be elected, Ricci returned to New York City with his wife and children. He had an excellent reputation by this time, and was briefly rehired by the New York Times to resume his political column. Ricci remained in this post for 11 months, before eventually making his plans to return to Italy. He resigned his post with the New York Times, sold his New York City residence and booked passage from New York to Southampton, once again on the White Star Liner RMS Majestic. By this time, he had built up enough wealth to gain a place in Saloon Class on the ship. He and his family arrived in Liverpool on April 10th, 1898, eight years to the day that he had first arrived in the United States. Ricci lamented leaving behind his life in America, though he was decided that he would have to return to Italy to attempt to make a difference at home. From Liverpool he travelled to London, then across the English Channel back through Paris and eventually returned to Italy. He briefly took up residence in Milan, before deciding to return back to his childhood home of Sanremo.

Elections of 1899
By 1899, Ricci was thirty-one years old and a married father-of-two. After his return to Italy, he affiliated himself with and became a member of the People's Party, a party known for its social conservatism. He had served between 1898 and 1899 on the town council in Sanremo, until a General Election was called for the year 1899. He received the endorsement of the People's Party and stood for election as Deputy of Sanremo, which he would win by a landslide. Now having received a seat in the Chamber of Deputies, he had a much louder voice in the politics of Italy. Having become determined to make a difference, Ricci became actively involved in politics. He moved permanently to Rome with his family in 1900, taking up residence there to be closer and more involved with the Chamber of Deputies. Ricci was famously a critic of the independent Prime Minister Luigi Pelloux, who had been placed in his position by the King's regent, Prince Vittorio, and who Ricci perceived as having little political experience, having been a military leader beforehand (Ricci was famously a pacifist, being opposed to war and aggression).

Time as Deputy (1899 - 1919)
As Deputy for Sanremo, Ricci was notably vocal in his opinions within the Chamber. He was staunchly a conservative, voting against any bill which would lead to a shift toward the left in any regard. After his time in America and working closely with William McKinley's campaign, he was in favour of an American-style Republic for Italy, having become staunchly anti-monarchist throughout his time touring Europe and living in America. Ricci routinely spoke against the sheer amount of power the King held, though he would eventually dial back how vocal he was with these opinions after realising they would impact his political future. Ricci was extremely ambitious, especially during this time as Deputy. He was considered ruthless, throwing anyone aside who might stand in his way politically. He was appointed chairman of the Labour Committee in the Chamber of Deputies, and in that role he resisted any type of "handout" going to the poorest in Italy, insisting on an American Dream style self-reliance. Ricci promoted educational reform, often pushing for the removal of the pledge of alleigance to the King from public schools. He was against the creation of an independent Vatican state, which happened in 1905 as a result of an agreement between Carlo Emmanuele V of Italy and Pope Pius X. Ricci became more discontent with the King's rule as the years went on.

Ricci became famous in the Chamber of Deputies as his time there went on. He consistently won re-election in Sanremo, having become extremely popular amongst his constituents. The Great War began in 1914, and Ricci immediately spoke out against Italy's involvement in the war. Despite Italy's previous affiliation with the Central Powers of Germany and Austria-Hungary, Italy eventually joined the side of the Allies in 1915, despite Ricci and numerous others protests. Ricci believed that war was a destructive force and did not have a place in the utopian society he strove for. He routinely spoke out against further Italian involvement in the war as the years went by, and he celebrated by the end of the war in 1918. He was further outraged by the relatively few gains given to Italy after the war. The election of Aurelio Sabbatini as Prime Minister in 1917 further irked Ricci, he believed that yet another Liberal Prime Minister would be ineffective in dealing with the extreme poverty, debt and rise of the extreme left that had come about in the aftermath of the Great War. He became more displeased by the government's lack of effectiveness and endorsed the call for a General Election in 1919 following the attempted coup d'état in July. Ricci retained his seat in this election.

17th and 18th President of the Chamber of Deputies (1919 - Present)
As the Chamber of Deputies reconvened following the General Election of August 1919, which saw the Liberal Union remain in power with massively decreased vote share and the loss of a majority, Ricci retained his seat. The People's Party, Ricci's own, was all but crushed in the election, becoming the smallest party in the Chamber. Ricci was further incensed when the new leader of the People's Party, Marco Esposito, made a coalition with Sabbatini's Liberal Union. Just as Ricci began to make plans to leave the People's Party and serve either as an independent or to form his own party, the idea of running for President of the Chamber came to him. Ricci formally announced his candidacy for President of the Chamber of Deputies, with numerous endorsements from other Deputies, particularly those on the right-wing. Ricci was now a Deputy with twenty years experience, a natural orator and a man many people respected. When the election for President of the Chamber came about, Ricci won it handily and was named President of the Chamber. His Vice-President was to be Antonio Russo, a deputy for the far-right Italian Fasci of Combat. Ricci was uneasy with Russo as a Vice-President, believing that the Fasci was too far to the right and had designs on replacing him with Russo.

As President, Ricci remained for the most part impartial, at least in the public eye. The President and Vice-President were forced to give up their party affiliation upon their election, which Ricci did happily, having become disgusted with the People's Party. Now in a position of authority, Ricci's ego had been reinforced with this taste of success. Ricci was involved in backchanneling and even some corruption behind closed doors, he had a clear preference toward the right-wing. He silenced his radical opinions about the monarchy, well aware that the King was able to dismiss the President of the Chamber of Deputies at will. Ricci remained ambitious, with the desire to climb to the top some day. He eventually decided that after his term as President, he would strive to form his own political party and seek the position of Prime Minister, which he would use to lessen the power of the monarchy in politics. He kept these plans to himself, remaining outwardly devoted to his duty as President of the Chamber. To him, however, the Presidency was little more than a rung on the political ladder. He resigned the Presidency prior to the General Election of 1921 and created the Conservative National Party. After their failure in the election, sensing greater opportunity than leading a party of 26 seats, Ricci stood for election as President of the Chamber of Deputies and was duly elected President once again, this time as 18th President. He relinquished the leadership of the Conservative National Party to Giuseppe Ferrari.

Titles and Styles

 * 10th November 1868 - 10th April 1889: Signore Alessandro Ricci
 * 10th April 1889 - 5th May 1898: Mr. Alexander Ricci [whilst living in America]
 * 5th May 1898 - 3rd September 1899: Signore Alessandro Ricci
 * 3rd September 1899 - 4th August 1919: Signore Alessandro Ricci, Deputato di Sanremo
 * 4th August 1919 - 9th February 1921: L'Onorevole Alessandro Ricci, 17 ° Presidente della Camera dei Deputati del Regno d'Italia
 * 9th February 1921 - 16th February 1921: L'Onorevole Alessandro Ricci, Deputato di Sanremo
 * 16th February 1921 - Present: L'Onorevole Alessandro Ricci, 18 ° Presidente della Camera dei Deputati del Regno d'Italia