Ferdinando Petruccelli della Gattina (August 28, 1815 - March 29, 1890) was an Italian journalist, patriot and politician.
Considered one of the greatest journalists of the 19th century and a pioneer of modern journalism, he is remembered above all for his war correspondence. He wrote for many Italian newspapers and contributed to French, British, and Belgian ones. A prolific novelist, he focused mainly on religious themes.
Youth
Born in Moliterno, Basilicata, which at the time belonged to the Kingdom of Naples, his birth name was Ferdinando Petruccelli. He later added "della Gattina" (the name of a farm he owned) to throw off the Bourbon police that had been hounding him for political reasons. His father, Luigi, was a physician and a member of the Carbonari, while his mother, Maria Antonia Piccininni, was a noblewoman from Marsicovetere.
Having grown up in religious circles, and owing to the abuses he endured as a child, he developed a strong anticlericalism which would find its way into his work. In his youth, he devoted himself to the study of Latin and Greek. Later, he attended the University of Naples, graduating in medicine but choosing to embark on a journalistic career instead.
Early career and exile
In 1838, he began his career for the Neapolitan newspaper Omnibus and, in 1840, he traveled to France, Great Britain, and Germany as a correspondent for the Salvator Rosa and the Raccoglitore fiorentino. A man of liberal ideals, he was arrested for his membership in the Young Italy and was sent, under guard, back to his native town.
