Giuseppina Vadalà

Giuseppina Vadalà (; 1824 in Messina – 7 October 1914 in Santiago de Chile) was an Italian patriot.

Biography

Revolutionary activity

Giuseppina Vadalà fought together with her sister Paolina during the Siege of Messina, the revolt for Italian unification that took place in Messina on September 5, 1848.

Messinese by birth, she was the daughter of the patriot Pietro Vadalà and wife of Orazio Nicosia, another fighter who joined the revolt against the Bourbons of Naples. Giuseppina had three children: Totò, Orazio, and Bianca. When her elder son Totò grew up, he decided to move to Naples, where he threw himself, heart and soul, into the cause of Italian unification. When her daughter Bianca was grown to womanhood, she married Giovanni Bovio, a noted philosopher and republican politician.

South America and death Later on, Giuseppina Vadalà emigrated to South America, to the country of Chile. She died on 7 October 1914, in Santiago de Chile. The historical accounts lament the lack of interest in honouring her shown by the municipality of Messina at her death. It was limited to a mention of her in the city bulletin for the month of November. On the other hand, in South America Vadalà had a procession with great funerary honours celebrated by the Italian community residing in Chile and with the presence of politicians and diplomats of the two countries. The eulogy was given by one Professor Noè, recalling her virtue and acts of valour. She was laid to rest in the Chilean mausoleum of the Italian Society.