Nicola Petrina

Who is Nicola Petrina?

Nicola Petrina was a Sicilian socialist and politician. He was one of the national leaders of the Fasci Siciliani a popular movement of democratic and socialist inspiration in 1891-1894.

Together with the anarchist Giovanni Noè, he set up the first Fascio dei Lavoratori in Messina on March 18, 1889, but the organisation remained dormant after the arrest of Petrina in July of that year. He was not released until 1892 when many more Fasci had been set up in Sicily. Another reason why the Fascio of Messina – formed after the example of the Fasci operai [Workers leagues] constituted in Central and North Italy from 1871 – initially did not develop was that it brought together not individual workers but the workers' associations of the city, which retained their independence, their status and economic orientation.

Petrina was among the 500 delegates from nearly 90 leagues and socialist circles at the Congress of the Fasci that was held in Palermo on May 21-22, 1893. A Central Committee was elected, composed of nine members: Petrina was elected for the province of Messina. The Congress decided that all Leagues were obliged to join the Party of Italian Workers.