Romolo Griffini (26 May 1825 – 9 January 1888) was a Milanese physician, social reformer and patriot-activist. He was also, at various stages in his career, a newspaper journalist-editor
Patriotic aspirations, in the context of the time and place, involved the Risorgimento goals of removing the Austrian military occupation from northern Italy and creating a political union in the region south of the Alps which might present a politically progressive and militarily more formidable counter-weight to the imperial ambitions of Austria and France.
Life
Provenance and early years
Romolo Griffini was born in Milan, in the fashionable (then as now) central district of the Via Monte Napoleone. He was one of the four recorded sons of Dr. Domenico Griffini by his marriage to Giovanna Vago. He grew up in Milan, at a young age becoming part of the circle of aristocratic and haut-bourgeois youths that formed a group around Cesare Correnti. He was one of those, together with Emilio Visconti Venosta and Antonio Colombo who in December 1847 got together, under Correnti's leadership, to produce the "Nipote del Vesta Verde", an "almanac" promoting the patriotic vision. Targeted at a mass audience, the almanac dealt with popular issues such as Kindergartens for infants and mutual aid societies, but it also featured economic debate, and it did not hesitate to give advice on hygiene, a topic which presumably was championed by Griffini, the medical student in the production team. It is a mark of the almanac's success popularity that it became an annual publication, the final edition being that for 1859.
1848
The revolutionary tide of 1848 reached Milan on 18 March 1848 when a popular rebellion (underpinned by the threat of military intervention from Piedmont) forced the Austrian forces under Field Marshal Radetzy to stage a strategic withdrawal from the city, where a "provisional government" (destined to last for around four months) was established. At the time when the rebellion broke out Griffini was a few weeks short of completing his university medical studies, but now he felt obliged to abandon these in order to participate in the revolt. The expulsion of the Austrians meant an end to censorship and unleashed a proliferation of leaflets, pamphlets and newspapers. Griffini teamed up with Pietro Maestri to launch "Voce del popolo" ("Voice of the people"), a daily tabloid-sized newspaper published in Milan between 26 March and 29 July 1848, with a cover price of 5 centesimi. Another contributor was Gaetano Zuccoli. The "Voce" was aimed at a mass audience but represented an interesting experiment in Lombard journalism, and a test of the skills of its two young editors. It was, of course, unflinching in its backing for republicanism and democracy, but it was nevertheless non-confrontational in its attitude to the provisional government, accepting that the detailed nature of future political institutions could only be determined once the war was over, but without yielding in its "people's war" supportive attitude to the national guard, constitutional principals and universal suffrage. The relatively conciliatory spirit in respect of moderate-liberal opinion was summed up in a strikingly "constructive mission statement" printed and signed by the two editors on 26 March 1848: "Our political approach, for now, is to be helpful, supportive and obedient to the provisional government" ("Il nostro motto politico è, per ora, aiuto, soccorso, obbedienza al Governo provvisorio").
On 12 May 1848 the provisional government issued a decree providing for an immediate plebiscite to endorse the annexation of Lombardy by the Kingdom of Sardinia. Many at the republican end of the political spectrum saw this as a betrayal of the Milanese uprising and "Voce" now became a harsh critic of the government, denouncing the "collapse of government policy" and a plebiscite proposal which let down those who had placed their trust in the government. Griffini and Maestri were among those who signed a protest condemning the plebiscite decree of 12 May, along with Giuseppe Mazzini, Giuseppe Sirtori and Carlo Tenca. During July 1848 battlefield reverses suffered by the Piedmontese left Milan open to the return of Radetzky's Austrian army. As the "ending of Milanese liberty", drew near, Romolo Griffini became secretary to the hastily convened "defence committee", which comprised Manfredo Fanti, Pietro Maestri and Francesco Restelli. A few days before the Austrian army came back, publication of "Voce del popolo" was suspended on 29 July 1848.