On 17 November 1878, Italy’s King Umberto I narrowly survived the first attempt on his life during a visit to Naples.
The failed assassination marked the beginning of a troubled relationship between the monarch and the growing anarchist movement, which ultimately culminated in his death more than two decades later.
Umberto’s Early Record
Umberto I ascended to the throne in 1878, following the death of his father, Victor Emmanuel II, the first king of a united Italy. Initially, he was popular among Italians, who saw him as a symbol of national unity and a leader committed to modernising the country. During his reign, Umberto supported colonial ventures and strengthened ties with Germany and Austria-Hungary through the Triple Alliance.
However, his support for authoritarian measures and his indifference to widespread poverty made him a controversial figure. He became a target for anarchists, who viewed him as a representative of an oppressive state.
The First Attempt: Naples, 1878
The first assassination attempt came during a royal visit to Naples. As Umberto I travelled through the city in a carriage, Giovanni Passannante, a 29-year-old anarchist, lunged at the king with a knife. Passannante managed to wound Prime Minister Benedetto Cairoli, who was riding with the monarch, before being subdued.
The attempt shocked the nation and solidified the king’s resolve to crack down on dissent. Passannante was sentenced to death, though this was later commuted to life imprisonment. His punishment was exceptionally harsh, with solitary confinement in appalling conditions, drawing criticism from human rights activists of the time.
Umberto’s Growing Unpopularity
Over the years, Umberto I’s popularity waned. His support for harsh military crackdowns on worker uprisings, such as the Bava Beccaris massacre in Milan in 1898, sparked outrage. During the massacre, General Fiorenzo Bava Beccaris ordered troops to fire on a crowd of protesters demanding bread and fair wages, killing at least 80 and injuring hundreds. Instead of condemning the violence, Umberto awarded the general a medal, earning him the nickname “Re Mitraglia” (“King of the Machine Gun”).
This decision turned public opinion against the monarch and made him a prime target for anarchists, who saw him as a tyrant.
The Assassination
On 29 July 1900, after years of growing tension, Umberto I was assassinated in Monza by Gaetano Bresci, an Italian anarchist. Bresci had returned from the United States, where he was inspired by anarchist ideals, to avenge the victims of the Milan massacre. Armed with a revolver, he shot the king multiple times during a public event, killing him instantly.
Unlike Passannante, Bresci avoided the brutal treatment typically reserved for political prisoners, as he died in custody under suspicious circumstances less than a year later.
Conclusion
The failed attempt on 17 November 1878 was a harbinger of the unrest that defined much of Umberto I’s reign. While he began as a unifying figure, his policies and authoritarianism made him a symbol of repression.
His assassination marked the first time an Italian monarch was killed, signalling the growing strength of anarchist and socialist movements in early 20th-century Italy.
