Prospero Colonna di Paliano


Prospero Colonna, Duke of Rignano, Prince of Sonnino was an Italian politician and aristocrat. He was twice mayor of Rome. He served in the Chamber of Deputies and Senate of the Kingdom of Italy.

Biography

Prospero was born in Naples, son of Giovanni Andrea I Colonna, a landowner, and Isabella Alvarez di Toledo. He descend from the House of Colonna, an ancient aristocrat family.
In his youth, he married Maria Ignazia Massimo, and they had 3 children:, Piero and Fabrizio.
In 1895, Colonna was elected for Anagni in the Chamber of Deputies, supported the Historical Right. He resigned his charge in 1900.
In the same year, Colonna became Senator and Mayor of Rome yet.
During his term, Rome completed the streetcar line, including a passage under the Quirinal Hill.
On June 1904 the IOC's President Pierre de Coubertin designate Rome to organised the IV Olympic Games, but Colonna refused for the difficult status of the city treasure. Despite the help request to the government, the Prime Minister Giovanni Giolitti refused to help the city. Finally, Colonna resigned his office.
When the First World War started, Colonna joined in the Italian Royal Army as cavalry colonel. However, he never participated in battles, like he was appointed "military" mayor of Rome. In 1919, he resigned the office again and retired from politics. He died in 1937.