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How did Giuseppe Mazzini’s early life in Genoa shape his interest in Italian freedom?

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Italian revolutionary Giuseppe Mazzini — Giuseppe Mazzini Giuseppe Mazzini, detail of an oil painting by Luigi Zuccoli, 1865; in the Museo del Risorgimento, Milan.

Giuseppe Mazzini’s early life in Genoa was instrumental in shaping his commitment to Italian independence. Born in 1805, he grew up in a city that had formerly been a republic before its annexation to the Kingdom of Piedmont in 1814.12

His political awakening occurred during his studies at the University of Genoa. At age 16, he was profoundly influenced by the sight of a patriot fleeing into exile following a failed insurrection. This experience led him to the conviction that Italians "could and therefore ought to struggle for the liberty of our country".2

Following his graduation in law, Mazzini practiced as a "poor man's lawyer" and joined the Carbonari, a secret society dedicated to ending absolute rule. His arrest and subsequent internment at Savona in 1830 provided him the time to reflect on the limitations of the Carbonari, ultimately leading him to conceive of a new, more effective patriotic movement that would eventually become Young Italy.23