LA FARINA, lei fa-re'na, GIUSEPPE (1815 G3). An Italian statesman and historical writer, born at Messina, July 20, 1815. He displayed great precocity in his youth and received the degree of doctor of laws from the University of Catania at the age of nineteen. Trained for the law, he gave much of his time to literature, and became active in the secret revolutionary movement. In 1837 he was implicated in revolu tionary disturbances in his native city and fled from Sicily. In 1838 he returned, began prac tice as a lawyer, and started several political journals, which were all successively suppressed. In 1841 lie removed to Florence, where he pub lished several historical works. In 1848 La Farina took a prominent part in the movement in Tuscany, where he edited the first democratic and anti-Papal journal, the Alba. He then re turned to Sicily, and was elected a member of Parliament, and on the deposition of the Bour bons was dispatched by the Provisional Govern ment on a mission to Rome, Florence, and Turin. On his return to Palermo lie discharged the duties of Minister of Public Instruction, of Pub lic Works, and of the Interior. After the sup pression of the Sicilian revolution in 1849, La Farina lived in France and Turin. and returned only when Garibaldi's famous expedition liber ated Sicily from the Bourbon rule (1860). In the intervening time he advocated union under the House of Savoy, and was the secretary of the National Italian Society, of which Pallavicino was president and Garibaldi vice-president.
When the war of 1859 gave the propaganda of the society over to the Sardinian Government, La Farina was employed by Cavour as a royal commissioner in the provinces. After the peace of Villafranea lie reorganized the National Soci ety, at first with Garibaldi as president, and then with himself in the chief place. Like Garibaldi and Manin, he was a republican by conviction. but he regarded the unity of Italy as more im portant than the particular form of government. In 1860 he was sent to Palermo by Ca VOUr as the representative of Victor Emmanuel. There he antagonized Crispi and the republicans. From 1861 till his death he represented Messina in the Italian Parliament. He died in Turin. September 5.1863. Of his works the most important is Storia ditalia dal 1815 al 1850 (1851-52, 2d ed. 1860). Others deserving mention are: Studi sal sceolo XIII. (1841) ; Morin ditalia, della discesa dci Langobardi, narrata of popolo (1841 et seq.) ; Storia della riroluzione sieiliana nel 18'18 e 109 (1851). He also wrote dramas and tales. His Epistolario (1869) and Scylla politici (1870) were edited and published at Milan, by Ansonio Franchi.