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{{Short description|Italian-Brazilian merchant and politician (1861-1941)}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Vincenzo Rovea
| image              = Vicente Rovea e família.jpg
| birth_date         = {{Birth date|1861|02|25}}
| death_date         = {{Death date and age|1941|11|20|1861|02|25}}
| occupation         = Politician and merchant
}}
'''Vincenzo Rovea''', known in [[Brazil]] as '''Vicente Rovea''' ([[Voghera]], February 25, 1861 - [[Caxias do Sul]], November 20, 1941) was an [[Italian Brazilians|Italian-Brazilian]] merchant and politician.
== Biography ==
Vicente, son of Italians Remigio Rovea and Rosa Fiori, arrived in Caxias do Sul in the 1880s, and in 1890 established a commercial house.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Gardelin |first=Mário |title=Os Povoadores da Colônia Caxias |last2=Costa |first2=Rovílio |publisher=EST / FH |year=1992 |pages=467}}</ref> Located at one of the entrances to the village, the store soon became an important trading and supply center. It worked with grains, farm items, and [[haberdasher]]y supplies, besides being an obligatory stop for the [[Arriero|muleteers]] who came to negotiate their products, providing a farmyard for the animals to rest.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Giron |first=Loraine Slomp |title=Casas de Negócio: 125 anos de imigração italiana e o comércio regional |last2=Bergamaschi |first2=Heloísa Eberle |publisher=EDUCS |year=2001 |pages=54–57}}</ref>
While conducting his business, he became actively involved in the political life of the village. When Caxias was emancipated in 1890, from the condition of district of [[São Sebastião do Caí]] to autonomous town, a [[Government Board of Caxias do Sul|Government Board]] was installed, which had to start the structuring of the new municipality amidst a turbulent scenario, reflecting both the recent [[Proclamation of the Republic (Brazil)|proclamation of the Republic]] and the dispute for power between federalists and republicans. In addition, the settler population was massively [[Catholic Church|Catholic]] and a large part followed a conservative and radical current, the [[ultramontanism]], which fiercely resisted the [[Freemasonry|Freemasons]], the [[Positivism|positivists]] and the [[Religious liberalism|liberals]], who dominated the main public offices. In this turbulent environment, Rovea became the leader of the Federalists, as well as a Freemason. Soon, part of the population, in disagreement with the orientation of the newly appointed Board, rose up in the two [[Revolt of the Settlers (Caxias do Sul)|Revolts of the Settlers]], in which Rovea took part as one of the leaders. The main reasons for dissatisfaction were the late taxes charged with fines and interest, and the poor condition of the roads and transportation. The rebels deposed the Board and the first Council, and a Revolutionary Board led by Affonso Amabile and [[Francisco Januário Salerno]] took over the town's government. In order to pacify the atmosphere, the State Government reinstalled the council, admitting two revolutionaries, [[Luiz Pieruccini]] and [[Domingos Maineri]]. The attempt had no effect, and shortly afterwards the second revolt occurred; the official Board and Council were deposed again, and the Revolutionary Board, now composed of Rovea along with Pieruccini and Maineri, took power. The State Government had to interfere again and dissolved the Board it had appointed, appointing in its place an [[intendant]], [[Antônio Xavier da Luz]], with Luiz Pieruccini as his vice, who took office on August 1, 1892.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=City Council of Caxias do Sul |title=Palavra e Poder: 120 anos do Poder Legislativo em Caxias do Sul |url=https://www.camaracaxias.rs.gov.br/palavra_e_poder/palavra_e_poder.pdf |journal=São Miguel}}</ref><ref name=":0" />
Meanwhile, Rovea was making his business prosper quickly. Early in the 20th century, he became the richest merchant in Caxias, and was one of the founders of the ''[[Câmara de Indústria, Comércio e Serviços of Caxias do Sul|Associação dos Comerciantes]]'', which brought together the main businessmen.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last=Giron |first=Loraine Slomp |date=2013-04-14 |title=Subsídios para uma História Econômica de Caxias |work=História Daqui}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite news |date=1941-07-06 |title=Comemorar-se-á solenemente o 40º aniversário da Associação Comercial |work=A Época}}</ref> [[Loraine Giron]] mentions that he was not very active in the entity, but [[Mário Gardelin]] remembered his participation in the commission that promoted the construction of the [[Korff Bridge]], an important achievement to boost trade with the [[Campos de Cima da Serra]], being one of the contractors of the work, and in the commission that raised funds for an Exhibition-Fair that would be held in [[Porto Alegre]].<ref>Gardelin, Mário. "A contribuição de Vacaria para o desenvolvimento da região dos Campos de Cima de Serra". In: Kramer, Annamaria de Lemos ''et al''. (orgs.). ''Raízes da Vacaria — VII Encontro dos Municípios Originários de Santo Antônio da Patrulha''. EST, 1996</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=1996-07-21 |title=Ponte do Korf |work=A Federação}}</ref><ref name=":2" /> The Association soon became the main engine of the local economy and an influential spokesman for the settlers' demands. Due to its influence, [[Serafim Terra]] was appointed intendant in 1904, taking Rovea himself as his vice-governor. At this time, however, the Association was beginning to face a crisis, divided by internal disputes that led to the removal of several members, and with the ascension of merchants to the Vice-Intendency and the council, its role as a claimant faded away. This process was intensified when Rovea assumed the title upon Terra's licensing on May 16, 1907, and when he was elected to the Intendency the following year.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Tissott |first=Ramon Victor |year=2021 |title=A família Eberle e o início do desenvolvimento industrial de Caxias do Sul |url=http://www.snh2011.anpuh.org/resources/anais/14/1312987431_ARQUIVO_AfamiliaEberleeoiniciododesenvolvimentoindustrialdeCaxiasdoSul.pdf |journal=Simpósio Nacional de História da ANPUH}}</ref><ref name=":1" /> In Giron's words, "on August 12, 1908, Vicente Rovea was elected intendant, so the merchants' struggle became a municipal struggle. The municipal intendant assumed the leadership of the community, managing to bring to Caxias the works that were necessary. In this way, the struggle of the ''[[Câmara de Indústria, Comércio e Serviços of Caxias do Sul|Associação dos Comerciantes]]'' ceases to be essential to the municipality. Since there are no causes to be defended, once they have been taken over by the intendant, the movement comes to a standstill".<ref name=":1" />
[[File:Arquivo Histórico-Caxias do Sul.jpg|thumb|Building that housed Vicente Rovea's residence and shop. It is currently the Municipal Historical Archive.]]
On January 25, 1910, he left the government for health treatment, and [[Tancredo Appio Feijó]] took over as interim governor. However, he would only return to effective government on December 1, 1911, with the resignation of Feijó, handing over the post on August 12, 1912, to [[José Pena de Moraes]], whom Rovea had appointed vice-intendent when he reassigned in 1911.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1910-01-29 |title=Sucessão Intendencial |work=O Brazil}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=1934-01-01 |title=Caxias — Resumo Histórico |work=A Federação}}</ref> On May 8, 1912, he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel-Commander of the General Staff of the 97th Infantry Battalion of the [[National Guard (Brazil)|National Guard]], a corporation of which he had been an officer for many years.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1912-05-29 |title=Guarda Nacional |work=A Federação}}</ref> His administration was notable for being the beginning of a process of consolidation of power of Italian descendants, since, until that moment, the Intendency had been regularly handed over to agents of [[Portuguese Brazilians|Luso-Brazilian]] origin.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Magie |first=Nicole Jean |year=2014 |title=A Pearl in a World on the Move: Italians and Brazilians in Caxias, Brazil (1870 –1910) |journal=Michigan State University |pages=137–144}}</ref> Vicente was praised for being able to pacify the situation after many years of intense agitation, actively collaborating "in the definitive consolidation of local politics, which resulted in the congruence of the Caxias family".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ramos |first=Christiano |date=1909-07-24 |title=Caxias progride |work=O Brazil}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=1909-12-13 |title=Sucessão Intendencial |work=O Brazil}}</ref> He received, however, criticism in the press of the time for the high taxes levied and the large increase in public debt.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1909-02-07 |title=Impostos |work=Correio do Município}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=1909-07-04 |title=Impostos |work=Correio do Município}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=1909-02-21 |title=Relatório |work=Correio do Município}}</ref>
In early 1909, he announced in the press the liquidation of his business and the sale of several rural properties,<ref>{{Cite news |date=1909-02-18 |title=O Sr. Vicente Rovea |work=Correio do Município}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=1909-02-14 |title=Grande liquidação |work=O Brazil}}</ref> but by September 1910 he was back in business as a representative of a quarry and pottery owned by Pedro Jacob Rodrigues, and by 1911 his commercial house had been put back together again.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1910-09-03 |title=Pedro Jacob Rodrigues |work=O Brazil}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=1911-06-12 |title=Vicente Rovea |work=O Brazil}}</ref> Also in 1911, he was one of the founders of the ''[[Tiro de Guerra]]'', taking a seat on the Fiscal Council;<ref>{{Cite news |date=1911-06-04 |title=O Tiro de Guerra de Porto Alegre em Caxias |work=O Brazil}}</ref> in 1913 he was appointed to one of the boards of the ''[[Câmara de Indústria, Comércio e Serviços of Caxias do Sul|Associação dos Comerciantes]]'',<ref>{{Cite news |date=1913-12-13 |title=Associação dos Commerciantes |work=O Brazil}}</ref> which had been reactivated in 1912, and in 1914 he is mentioned as the local banker of the insurance agency ''A Mundial'', based in Rio de Janeiro.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1914-09-12 |title=A Mundial |work=O Brazil}}</ref> In the mid-1920s his business ceased.
On July 8, 1941, shortly before he died, he was solemnly celebrated by the ''[[Câmara de Indústria, Comércio e Serviços of Caxias do Sul|Associação dos Comerciantes]]'' as one of the five founders still living, when he received, along with the others, the title of honorary member.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1941-07-13 |title=Com um brilhantismo inexcedível realisou-se a solenidade comemorativa, no dia 8 do corrente |work=A Época}}</ref> Vicente Rovea was married to Bortola Venzon (1871-1939), and left descendants. The house where he lived and maintained his business later served as the headquarters of the [[Rômulo Carbone|Carbone]] Hospital and the Santo Antonio Charity Hospital and, after many popular claims, was declared a monument by the State in 1986 and by the Municipality in 2002; today it houses the [[João Spadari Adami Municipal Historical Archive]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Dal Bó |first=Juventino |title=Museu e Arquivo Histórico Municipal |year=1997 |edition=2 |volume=10}}</ref> A street in Caxias do Sul is named after him.
== See also ==
* [[History of Caxias do Sul]]
== References ==
<references />
{{Portal bar|Biography|Economy|Politics|Italy|Brazil}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Rovea, Vicente}}
[[Category:1861 births]]
[[Category:1941 deaths]]
[[Category:Italian-Brazilian culture]]
[[Category:Italian families]]
[[Category:Brazilian Freemasons]]
[[Category:Voghera]]
[[Category:Brazilian revolutionaries]]
[[Category:Brazilian people of Italian descent]]