Abstract

The essay focuses on the political role played by Giuseppe Zanardelli between the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th, and on his influence on the enactment of some of the most relevant statutory reforms at the time. The partial decriminalization of strikes in the 1889 Penal Code – allowing peaceful abstentions from work – as well as the Women’s and Children’s Labour Act, even though named after the finance minister Carcano, can be traced back to Zanardelli’s political influence. Moving from Zanardelli’s contribution to these and other reform projects, the author describes his enlightened and liberal attitude