Freemasonry in Italy

The Franc-maçonnerie in Italy was established at the XVIIIe century by foreign freemasons. Important of number for the old continent and rich in history, it remains a nerve center of the Franc-maçonnerie in Europe.

History

XVIIIe century

The first Loge was created in 1732 with Florence by the baron Philippe von Stosch and the naturalist Antonio Cocchi. The first members will be English, but will be added little by little noble and intellectual florentins. She will be persecuted by the pontifical Bulle In Eminenti , published on April 28th 1738, which inaugurates long series of Excommunication S and judgments. Follow, with Leghorn, four other cabins created in 1763, 1765, and two in 1771.

The Franc-maçonnerie consequently experiences a fast development in the peninsula towards the oppositions of the Catholic church and the the Vatican.

For this reason, the first Roman cabin is created in 1735 by several English, who make of it a cabin jacobinist which will perdurera until in 1737, year of his closing by the Pape. One will create then, in 1776 and 1787, of the cabins Scottish . May 27th, 1789 the count Cagliostro tries to organize a cabin based on sound Egyptian system , but it was stopped and carried out in lawsuit in front of the Sant' Uffizio, which condemns it to dead in April 1791 like formal heretic, Magus and openly freemason , sorrow then changed into Prison with life.

One also says that the first Roman cabin would have been created in 1741, in the entourage of Jacques François Stuart, which lives there in exile. It was composed as much of Catholique S that of Protesting S what, in the States Pontificaux, represented a small revolution.

By its historical context, the parcelling out of the country allows a flowering of the cabins according to the foreign influences in the various duchies and the presence of military armies. Thus are created military and civil cabins around the communities French, Dutch, German, Austrian, etc… Especially in the north of the peninsula.

In 1749 is founded a cabin with Chambéry in States of Savoy, then part of the Royaume of Sardinia; in 1752 it becomes Big room Mother, with the possibility of creating other cabins in all the kingdom. In 1765 it of creates three, including one with Turin, which became so important that N the 1773 count de Bernezzo became there Grand provincial Master of the Piedmont, with a total independence of the cabin of Chambéry.

In 1746 one creates a cabin with Venice which remains in activity until 1755, having sheltered Giacomo Casanova, Carlo Goldoni and Francesco Griselini, inter alia. Casanova will be stopped by the Inquisition, causing the closing of the cabin, which however will be recreated in 1772, activates until 1777. Another cabin will be created in the city the same year, as well as with Vicence and another with Padoue.

Another is created with Milan in 1756 and repressed at once by the Austrian authorities with the edict of May 6th, 1757, where the Francois, governor duke of Modena, prohibited the meetings freemasons in all the State Lombard. The cabin continued its work nevertheless, choosing a Large Master in 1783. A cabin will be created with Crémone in 1776.

In Ligurie one creates several cabins between 1745 and 1749, including one with Bordighera, with Novi Ligure and at least two with Genoa, which had with the presence of French troops in the area. Towards the end of the century one creates two other cabins in Genoa, in 1780 and 1782.

One also created cabins in the south of the country, of which with Naples, where maconnic effervescence is undeniable there though confused just like it will be with the hinge of this rebirth.

October 8th 1859 is formed, in Turin, a new cabin with seven brothers . She is baptized Ausonia , of the poetic name for Italy. This led to creation, on December 20th of the same year, of an organization aspiring to becoming national Big room; it took the name of Large Directs of Italia , or the Great East of Italy . It was concretized during the constituent assembly held in Turin from December 26th, 1861 to January 1st, 1862 under the presidency of Felice Govean. Giuseppe Garibaldi is greeted there as first Italian freemason .

In 1884 was published the Encyclique of the Pope Leon XIII, Humanum Genus , which probably marks the apogee of the hostilities between the Church and freemasonry.

The Great East of Italy inaugurates its HQ, called Palazzo Giustiniani, on April 21st, 1901.

As of the recasting of the Franc-maçonnerie in Italy appear however certain competitions (certain competitions appear OR appear however competitions) between the various historical centres of the Order on the peninsula but also an opposition between partisans of the Rite symbolic system and the Scottish Rite old and accepted. All these conflicts and competitions inevitably involve internal wars within the Large Directs of Italia . The XXe century will have to be waited so that they are untied.

XXe century

In 1904, the Large Master of the Grand the East of Italy lately elected to this function, Ettore Ferrari, will mark obedience politically on the left what will bring to a schism with the Supreme Council of the Scottish Rite old and accepted in 1908 thus creating the Sérénissime Big room of Italy. These years see also the establishment of mixed obedience the Human right in Italy in 1905

If the number of masons and cabins is in full growth, in 1925 the Fascisme will curb all that while prohibiting freemasonry in the peninsula and the colonies; the Church and the Communistes will make in the same way with their own edicts. The majority of the dignitaries are imprisoned following this law. In sleep, work of Italian freemasonry perdurent néamnoins among Italian from abroad, in Exil (in particular with Paris as from 1913 and in Spain during its civil war) and sometimes in clandestinity.

After the Second world war, the Franc-maçonnerie in Italy is reanimated once again. The exiled Italians leave the cabins of their sleep and the presence of the American soldiers encourages the alarm clock of the Order. However the internal conflicts of the XIXe century and the beginning of the XXe century begin again of more beautiful what prevents the fusion of obediences. Thus the Big room of Italy is reanimated in 1961 making face with very marked on the left Grand the East of Italy.

But of the cultural changes intervene in the years 1960. The Great East of Italy ceases being a bastion of left to start a recognition by London. These steps are started under the great control of Giordano Gamberini (1961-1970) then by its successor Lino Salvini (1970-1978). The Great East of Italy then breaks its relations with the Grand the East of France in 1972 and opens with all the currents landscape Italian socio-policy, involving in fact the business of famous distorts cabin Propaganda Due .

Embourbée in the businesses and the increasingly intolerable internal conflicts, a group of brothers decide to break with the Great East of Italy and form the Regular Big room of Italy. Founded in 1993, it decides to purify its rows and to be appropriate for the famous Landmark S. Ainsi, it is seen immediately recognized by London on September 13rd, 1972. (THERE IS PB WITH THE DATES/HOW, FOUNDED IN 1993, IT CAN BE RECOGNIZED BY LONDON IN 1972?)

One tried to amalgamate the cabins of the Great East of Italy with the few 200 cabins belonging to Palazzo Giustiani on September 18th, 1973, but Giovanni Ghinazzi, general of the Big room of Italy, cancelled it.

The Italian Superior council of the Magistrature prohibited since 1993 the magistrates from belonging to a maconnic cabin.

Current location

Italian freemasonry would count approximately: 50000 members divided between several obediences:

the the Great East of Italy
the Regular Big room of Italy
the Big room of Italy
the Italian Federation of the Human right
the Female Big room of Italy

Appendices

References

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