The secular nature of the state and the thought of Giorgio Asproni are at the heart of the National Conference—to be held in Nuoro on May 15 and 16 —organized to mark the 150th anniversary of the death of the Sardinian politician and intellectual. He was a figure of such importance that upon his death—on April 30, 1876—Parliament proclaimed an official state funeral, an honor granted only to Cavour and Rattazzi , who, however, had been heads of government. "Non Flectar" (I will not bend) is the epitaph on Asproni's tomb, because his life was an act of consistency with his principles, and even his funeral became an unprecedented political event, with crowds pouring into the streets to cheer him on.
The conference
The two-day event in Nuoro, organized by the Asproni Foundation, aims to highlight the still-relevant perspective of the politician from Bitti (Nuoro), a leading figure in the Italian Risorgimento. This is demonstrated by the equal exchanges the Sardinian parliamentarian had with the greats of the time, from Cavour to Garibaldi, but also with Mazzini, Bakunin, Crispi, and Cattaneo. Furthermore, Asproni, with his "political diary" and correspondence, managed to leave a lucid and timely testimony that is now considered a primary and essential source, with which all scholars of the Risorgimento must grapple. In his battle for Italy, Asproni never forgot Sardinia; indeed, he was among the first to theorize that without regional autonomy, unification would have lost all meaning for the island. His clashes in parliament to obtain a telegraph for Nuoro and his interventions on railways, mines, agricultural issues, and infrastructure are famous.
Historians from all over Italy will participate in the conference dedicated to the "rebel canon," including Marco De Nicolò, full professor at the University of Cassino and Southern Lazio, Fulvio Conti, full professor at the University of Florence, Alice De Matteo of the University of Salerno, Mauro Pala, full professor at the University of Cagliari, member of the Italian Mazzinian Association.
