Stefano Jacini

Jacini was first elected to the Chamber of Deputies in November 1919 for the Como constituency. He was re-elected in 1921 and 1924. He did not support the Aventine Secession, believing in the importance of maintaining the integrity of parliament. Despite his views he took part in opposition initiatives to restore democratic governance. He hoped that Vittorio Emanuele III would lead the country in this direction and was among the 54 signatories of the message addressed to the king, on 6 June 1925, by the constitutional deputies of the opposition. Disappointed by the king’s inaction, he continued to push for the opposition to return to Parliament.

Jacini took part in the attempt to return to the chamber on 16 January 1926; like the other deputies on that day, he was subjected to acts of violence by fascists, suffering an injury to his nose. On 9 November he was declared to have forfeited his elected mandate, along with the other Aventine deputies, and this brought his political career to an end for the time being. For the next few years he dedicated himself to study and writing, publishing a biography of his grandfather and maintaining contacts with other leading anti-fascist Catholics, and took part with Alcide de Gasperi in clandestine meetings preparing the reconstitution of a Catholic democratic party. Called up during the Second World War, as a staff officer, he was sent to the Western Front and then to Albania. After the Badoglio Proclamation he fled to Switzerland, returning to Italy in December 1944.

Stefano Jacini was the eldest of the six children born to Giovanni Battista Jacini and his wife Carolina Cavi. He was named after his grandfather, Risorgimento politician Stefano Jacini who had served several times as Minister of Public Works. The younger Stefano graduated in law from the University of Genoa in 1908. The following year he married Elisabetta Borromeo Arese, daughter of it:Giberto Borromeo Arese, prince of Angera, with whom he had his son Giovanni, later a professor of chemistry in Milan.

Young Stefano was strongly influenced by Piero Martinetti, whose university lectures he attended, and by his spiritual mentor Ambrogio Ratti, the future Pope Pius XI. After graduating, he contributed to a short-lived literary-religious magazine, it:Il Rinnovamento, along with it:Tommaso Gallarati Scotti, Alessandro Casati, Ajax Antonio Alfieri and Uberto Pestalozza. His family's friendship with bishop Geremia Bonomelli also brought him into contact with the initiatives of the Association for Assistance to Emigrants, making him an expert in the complex problems linked to emigration.

Jacini’s initial venture into public life came in January 1911, with his election as a municipal councilor of Milan. Unsuccessful in seeking re-election in June 1914, he was soon after elected provincial councilor for the Vimercate district. He also joined the editorial board of L'Italia, Milan’s main Catholic newspaper.

At the outbreak of the First World War he initially favoured neutrality but changed his view and supported the fight against Austria-Hungary as a means of completing Italian unification. He was called up as a reserve officer in the cavalry and assigned to the Civil Affairs office established at the supreme command. After the defeat of Caporetto he served at Montello as a liaison officer between the Italian forces and the British XIV Army Corps. During the war he obtained a medal and two war crosses for valor, as well as a British decoration. After demobilisation he returned to public life, joining Luigi Sturzo in establishing the Italian People's Party. He consistently supported a moderate conservative line.