Prospero Colonna di Paliano explained

Honorific-Prefix:The Honourable
Prospero Colonna di Paliano
Honorific-Suffix:SMOM
Office:Mayor of Rome
Term Start:6 July 1914
Term End:8 June 1919
Predecessor:Ernesto Nathan
Successor:Adolfo Apolloni
Term Start1:December 1899
Term End1:October 1904
Predecessor1:Emanuele Ruspoli
Successor1:Enrico Cruciani Alibrandi
Office2:Senator of the Kingdom
Monarch2:Umberto I
Term Start2:16 June 1900
Term End2:16 September 1937
Office3:Member of the Italian Chamber of Deputies
Term Start3:10 June 1895
Term End3:17 May 1900
Constituency3:Anagni
Birth Date:18 July 1858
Birth Place:Naples, Two Sicilies
Death Place:Rome, Italy
Spouse:Maria Ignazia Massimo
Profession:Landowner, military officer

Prospero Colonna, Duke of Rignano, Prince of Sonnino (18 July 1858 – 16 September 1937) was an Italian politician and aristocrat. He was twice mayor of Rome (1899–1904, 1914–1919). He served in the Chamber of Deputies and Senate of the Kingdom of Italy.

Biography

Prospero was born in Naples, son of Giovanni Andrea I Colonna, a landowner, and Isabella Alvarez di Toledo. He was descended from the House of Colonna, an ancient aristocratic family.

In his youth, he married Maria Ignazia Massimo. They had 3 children:, Piero (future Fascist politician) and Fabrizio.

In 1895, Colonna was elected to the Chamber of Deputies as the representative of Anagni. He supported the Historical Right. He resigned his charge in 1900. In the same year, Colonna became both a Senator and the Mayor of Rome.

During his term, Rome completed a streetcar line, including a passage under the Quirinal Hill.[1]

In June 1904 the IOC's President Pierre de Coubertin chose Rome as the host for the IV Olympic Games, but Colonna refused due to the difficult status of the city treasury. Although he reached out to the government, the Prime Minister Giovanni Giolitti refused to help the city. Finally, Colonna resigned his office.[2]

When the First World War started, Colonna joined in the Italian Royal Army as cavalry colonel. However, he never participated in battles, as he was appointed "military" mayor of Rome. In 1919, he resigned the office again and retired from politics. He died in 1937.

External links

Notes and References

  1. http://www.cinquantamila.it/storyTellerArticolo.php?storyId=4fe0b2bd3be32 Alla presenza del sindaco Prospero Colonna, rotto il diaframma sotto il Quirinale. Il Traforo sarà pronto in due anni
  2. Book: L'Italia e i giochi olimpici: un secolo di candidature : politica, istituzioni e diplomazia sportiva. Tito Forcellese. FrancoAngeli. 2013.