Alessandro Borella

A monument to a journalist? Right here in Turin, stands a tribute to a man who wielded the power of the press, Alessandro Borella. This monument speaks to a time when Italy was on the cusp of transformation, and Alessandro Borella was right at the heart of it. Born in 1813, Alessandro Borella, though trained as a doctor, found his true calling in journalism and politics. He co-founded “La Gazzetta del Popolo” in 1848, a newspaper that became a powerful voice for liberal and anti-clerical views in pre-unification Italy. Borella wasn’t just a journalist, he was a parliamentarian, representing his constituents from Turin to Vercelli with a passion that echoed his fiery newspaper editorials. His voice resonated in the halls of power, advocating for national resurgence after the tumultuous year of 1849, petitioning for the abolition of ecclesiastic privileges, and even championing the cause of exiles from other Italian states. Borella even used the pages of “La Gazzetta del Popolo” to rally support and raise funds for Garibaldi’s volunteers in 1859, a testament to his unwavering belief in a unified Italy. Though he died in 1868, just a few years after Italy’s unification, Alessandro Borella’s legacy lived on. This monument serves as a reminder of his dedication to a free press and a unified Italy, values as important today as they were in his time.