Steamships belonging to the De Luchi, Rubattino & Company played a critical role in the 1860 Risorgimento, transporting Giuseppe Garibaldi and his expeditionary force to Marsala. The firm, established in 1840, served as the foundation for the professional shipping operations that would later define the maritime landscape of the newly unified Kingdom of Italy.
Early Business Ventures
Born in Genoa in 1810 to Pietro and Giovanna Gavino, Raffaele Rubattino experienced significant personal loss in his twenties, including the deaths of his parents and his sister, Anna Amelia. Supported by his uncles, Giovan Battista Gavino and Lazzaro Rebizzo, he moved to the Doria palace. His initial professional experience included a stint at the Lombard Insurance company before he launched a transport operation between Genoa and Milan in 1833. By 1842, he had expanded his reach by establishing a courier service on that same route.
Twenty questions, eight minutes on the clock, and a percentile measured against everyone who has taken it. No sign-up.
Take the IQ test →Maritime Expansion and Tragedy
Rubattino moved into maritime logistics, though the industry proved perilous. In 1841, his steamship, the Polluce, sank near Elba following a collision with the vessel Mongebella. Undeterred, he invested in larger tonnage, including the ships Cagliari, Piemonte, and Lombardo. In 1881, responding to the economic pressures of the era, he negotiated a merger with the Sicilian shipping firm owned by Vincenzo Florio. This agreement led to the creation of the Navigazione Generale Italiana, a massive entity that consolidated their regional influence.
Political Involvement and Colonial Interest
Beyond his corporate interests, Rubattino engaged in the political sphere, serving as a member of the Chamber of Deputies of the Kingdom of Italy from 1876 until 1880. A supporter of Nino Bixio during the movement for Italian unification, he recognized early on the strategic potential of the Suez Canal. In 1869, acting through Giuseppe Sapeto, he purchased the Bay of Assab from a local ruler. Although originally intended as a coaling station for his fleet, this land acquisition paved the way for the development of Italian Eritrea, with the territory eventually sold to the Italian state in 1882.
Final Years
Raffaele Rubattino passed away on 2 November 1881 at his villa in Albaro, Genoa, following a struggle with malarial fever. His legacy remains marked by his contributions to the Italian merchant navy and his parliamentary service. A public monument by sculptor Augusto Rivalta commemorates his life at the Piazza Caricamento in his home city of Genoa.
Fast facts
- Born: 1810, Genoa
- Died: 2 November 1881, Genoa
- Primary occupations: politician, entrepreneur, ship-owner
- Parliamentary term: 1876-1880
- Notable ships: Polluce, Cagliari, Piemonte, Lombardo
- Colonial acquisition: Bay of Assab (1869)
- Corporate legacy: Navigazione Generale Italiana
- Burial location: Boschetto Irregolare
Questions readers ask
What was the significance of the ship Lombardo?
It was one of the vessels Rubattino provided to transport Garibaldi and his men to Marsala in 1860 during the unification of Italy.
How did Rubattino influence Italian colonialism?
He purchased the Bay of Assab in 1869, which later became the foundation for the Italian state's colonial interests in Eritrea.
