Antonio Beretta

Antonio Beretta (17 April 1808, in Milan – 14 November 1891, Rome) was the first mayor of Milan under the Kingdom of Italy from 1860 to 1867. He was appointed Senator for life by Victor Emmanuel II in 1862. He was a member of the Società Storica Lombarda. He died in Rome in 1891.

Biography Antonio Beretta was an important and controversial figure in the history of Milan, remembered in particular as the city's first elected mayor in 1860, at a crucial time for the nascent Kingdom of Italy.

A member of the Lombard bourgeoisie and protagonist of the provisional government in 1848, he was exiled after 1849. Upon his return from exile in 1859, he was chosen by the House of Savoy to lead Milan.

His mandate (until 18 July 1867) was marked by an ambitious urban modernisation plan that profoundly transformed the city. Among his initiatives were the redevelopment of Piazza del Duomo, oversaw the construction of the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, the establishment of the Cimitero Monumentale di Milano, the organization of the school system and public transport, the abolition of the public slaughterhouse and the establishment of house numbering. He also moved the seat of the City Council to Palazzo Marino.

He died almost destitute in Rome in 1891.