Vito Positano

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Vito Positano

Vito Positano , actually Vittorio Positano (born October 3, 1833 in Bari , † November 26, 1886 in Yokohama ), was an Italian diplomat .

Life

Positano's mother was called Maria Franchini. He had several brothers who ran the family's business. He himself initially joined the local fire brigade and later served with the southern Italian troops and supported Garibaldi . After the Risorgimento , the unification of Italy, he retired from military service; a little later he began his career as a diplomat. Stations of his work as a politician were Trieste , Corfu , Malta , Algiers , Istanbul and Sofia , from 1881 Damascus and finally Yokohama.

In Sofia he is still known today as the savior of the city: Austria-Hungary, France and Italy had established consulates in Sofia in the 19th century , as Bulgaria , which at that time still belonged to the Ottoman Empire , was flourishing and its location seemed advantageous. The Vice Consulate of Italy in Sofia had existed since 1874. On July 5, 1876, Positano became the Italian Vice Consul in Sofia.

In Sofia he was honored as the savior of the city after preventing the destruction of Sofia in December 1878. In the course of the Russo-Turkish War , which finally led to the separation of Bulgaria from the Ottoman rule and the establishment of the Principality of Bulgaria , Russian troops had advanced to the city, which was to be liberated on January 4, 1878. The Turks under Osman Nuri Pasha were forced to flee and tried to destroy the city before they left.

The call was sent to the diplomats in Sofia to escape from the city. Positano refused. Together with the French and Austro-Hungarian consuls, he called on the diplomatic corps to defend Sofia. He threatened Nuri Pasha with serious diplomatic consequences if he did not abandon his plan. Positano ensured that houses set on fire were extinguished and the population protected from marauders; he organized the resistance against the remnants of the Ottoman troops. After the Russian troops entered the city, a demonstration of thanks for Positano was held by the city's residents. Vito Positano was honored by the Russians, and in 1879 he became an honorary citizen of Sofia. A memorial plaque in the Positano Street in Sofia named after him commemorates him. This street was once the residence of Sofia's most influential citizens, including Vito Positano. The Italian consulate, which had existed in Sofia until 1878, was moved to Ruse , and Positano was moved to another location.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Fabio Grassi: La Formazione della diplomazia nazionale (1861-1915): repertorio bio-bibliografico dei funzionari del Ministero degli affari esteri . Istituto poligrafico e zecca dello Stato, 1987, p. 595.
  2. ↑ Vitosha Streets Reveal their Secrets at www.novinite.com
  3. ↑ Maya Raykova, Mora than a Street Name , May 28, 2010 at www.sofiaecho.com
  4. ↑ Ekaterina Pavlova, 135 Years of Diplomatic Relations , January 9, 2015 at diplomaticspectrum.com
personal data
SURNAME Positano, Vito
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Positano, Vittorio
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Italian diplomat
DATE OF BIRTH October 3, 1833
PLACE OF BIRTH Bari
DATE OF DEATH November 26, 1886
Place of death Yokohama