Physicists in the Senate of the Kingdom of Italy: 1848-1943

The main results achieved by a project on the scientific and political activity of physicists and astronomers appointed by the King senators for life (1848-1943) are here discussed. This small, but significant, subset of senators for life was made up of physicists and astronomers who, “with eminent services or merits, had illustrated their homeland” (e.g. C. Matteucci and O.F. Mossotti) or, more frequently, who had been members of an Academy of Sciences for at least seven years (to this category belonged personalities such as G. Plana, V. Volterra, P. Blaserna and O.M. Corbino). The records preserved in the Senate of the Republic Historical Archives (Parliament Acts, Bills, Central Office reports and personal files) are a valuable source to understand the specific contributions of these “senators physicists” to the parliamentary work and the role that their “scientific” skills had on their parliamentary activity. The analysis of these documents shows how such contributions at times proved to be decisive for the legislative process. Also, this analysis highlights how the senators physicists’ parliamentary activity spanned in the most diverse sectors of the country’s life, such as education, research, infrastructures and energy issues. This project is the outcome of a collaboration between University of Turin, University of Genova and Senate of the Republic Historical Archives and was made possible by support from “Centro Fermi” in Rome.