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Giuseppe Devincenzi
was the founder and prime tutor of the Royal Industrial Museum of Turin. Devincenzi was born in Notaresco (Teramo) on 4th March 1814.
He studied philosophy (an essay of him of 1936 attracted Giovanni Gentile's attention), natural sciences and law. With years, his interests of land owner pushed him to care more and more of agriculture, deepening chemistry, agronomy and mechanical technology issues.
At the sixth meeting of the Italian scientists held in Milan in 1844, Devincenzi participated to the Commission of Agronomy and Technology.
He started his political activities in 1848, then he was appointed for Teramo Board at the partonopean meeting, called all in a hurry by King Ferdinando II, pushed to this by popular plots.
During the short life of the Parliament of Naples Devincenzi took liberal and constitutional positions. After dissolving the parliament in 1849, Devincenzi decided, even to escape the control of the rising borbonic reaction, to go abroad. He spent next years between London and Paris, alternating studies and public activities to worldly life.
In 1860 Devincenzi left England and reached Turin, where he joined other partenopean exules. He shared, together with important members of the Souther Italian liberals, the anguish for the enthusiasm caused in Southern Italy by Garibaldi's entreprise.
Elected as a deputy in 1861, Devincenzi became member of the group of moderates and voted the agenda (Ricasoli) on the dissolution of Garibaldi's troops. In parliament, he mainly looked after problems of the Italian agricultural growth. To this purpose Devincenzi had positions next to those of Tuscan moderates, who wrestled for a technological renewal of the farming leading without renouncing to defend traditions.
Devincenzi devoted also to study a modern railways network. His first parliamentary intervention to this purpose resorted to 1861 and referred to the completion of the railways line Florence-Arezzo-Perugia.
In addition he had numerous offices in economic commissions and was director of the Italian delegation at the International Exhibition of London of 1862. This experience convinced him on the need to organise an industrial museum in Italy, able to lead the technical and scientific growth in the country. After a proposal of him and under his actual leadership, the Royal Italian Industrial Museum of Turin was created (with funds and materials got at the London Exhibition) with the Royal Decree dated 22nd November 1862.
Supported by parliamentary central-right groups and important economic groups, more than all Tuscan farmers, Devincenzi was twice Minister of Public Works. He organised the move of the Savoy kindom capital from Florence to Rome. In addition, as a politician he promoted the drainage of marches in Naples area, reformed the structure of the ministry separating the management of waters from the management of bridges. He enaged in the attempt to impose to municipalities the road maintenance and in the regulation of government concessions to railway companies.
In 1873, after a non-confidence vote by the Chamber for the creation of the direct line Rome-Gaeta-Naples, whose the minister had rather preferred the recovery of Cassino line, he retired to private life.
At the Royal Industrial Museum of Turin Devincenzi was granted with a complex role: permanent exhibition of machine, education centre for teachers of the professional technical school, superior institute for educating a new type of industrial engineers, connection hinge between school and companies thanks to special courses for entrepreneurs, but also for qualified labour. In spite of economic difficulties and the lack of a clear institutional setting of tasks, after heavy government events, and after an opinion by the reformation commission led by
Federico Sclopis
between 1874 and 1875, with the regulation dated on 29th June 1879, the Royal Museum was reorganised in a final manner, developing guidelines expressed by Devincenzi since 1862.
As a founder and honorary president of the Royal Museum, Devincenzi never stopped to follow the Turin Institute events.
With years he took conservative positions and for facing the crisis of the liberal system he laid his hopes on the monarchy and the authoritative policy by Crispi and Umberto I.
He died in Naples on 1st April 1903.
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