Quintino Sella

Quintino Sella (; 7 July 1827 – 14 March 1884) was an Italian politician, economist and mountaineer.

Biography Sella was born at Sella di Mosso, in the Province of Biella.

After studying engineering at Turin, he was sent in 1843 to study mineralogy at the Parisian School of Mines (Mines ParisTech). In Paris he witnessed the revolution of 1848, and only returned to Turin in 1852, when he taught applied geometry at the technical institute. In 1853 he became professor of mathematics at the university, and in 1860 professor of mineralogy in the school of applied engineering.

In 1860 he was elected deputy for Cossato. Two years later he was selected to be secretary-general of public instruction and in 1862 received from Rattazzi the portfolio of finance. The Rattazzi cabinet fell before Sella could efficaciously provide for the deficit of £17,500,000 with which he was confronted; but in 1864 he returned to the ministry of finance in the La Marmora cabinet, and dealt energetically with the deficit of £8,000,000 then existing. Persuading the king to forgo £120,000 of his civil list, and his colleagues in the cabinet to relinquish part of their ministerial stipends, he effected savings amounting to £2,400,000, proposed new taxation to the extent of £1,600,000, and induced landowners to pay one year's instalment of the land tax in advance.

A passionate alpinist, he had found time during his political career to found the Club Alpino Italiano and a number of its mountain huts are named in his honour. He was also involved in the competition for the first ascent of the Matterhorn and he was portrayed in several related films such as The Mountain Calls and The Challenge.

His Discorsi parlamentari was published (5 vols., 1887–1890) by order of the Chamber of Deputies. An account of his life and his scientific labours was given by A Cossa in the Proceedings of the Accademia dei Lincei (1884–1885).

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