Avogadro della Motta, Emiliano

AVOGADRO DELLA MOTTA, EMILIANO. - Writer and politician, b. in Vercelli on 8 Oct. 1798, d. 9 Feb. 1865. A doctor of law, a reformer of schools, a promoter of historical, philosophical and juridical studies, especially among the young, in 1848 he devoted himself to political action and to Catholic journalism, undertaking to follow the directives of J. de Maistre. A contributor to the Armonia and the Unità Cattolica, he published a Rivista retrospettiva (Vercelli 1848) to stir Catholics to combat liberalism, and the Saggio intorno al socialismo (Turin 1851), much praised by Fr. Taparelli, which went through many editions. Connected with this is the essay Sul valore scientifico e le pratiche conseguenze del sistema filosofico dell'abate Rosmini (4th ed., Naples 1877), in which the A. sees a new form of pantheism. A deputy in Parliament (1853-60), he was in solidarity with Solaro della Margherita. Against divorce and civil marriage he wrote a vigorous Teorica sulla istituzione del matrimonio (Turin 1859). His religious and social studies were published posthumously under the title: Gesù Cristo al sec. XIX (Modena 1873).

Egilberto Martire