Francesco Carignani di Novoli

Born in Naples in 1862, Francesco Carignani di Novoli earned a diploma at Florence’s Cesare Alfieri institute before entering the diplomatic service in 1888. ¹

As chargé in Washington in July 1901, Carignani pressed the State Department over the lynching of Giovanni and Vincenzo Serio and the wounding of Salvatore Liberto at Erwin, Mississippi. Forwarding the Italian consul’s investigation, he reported that attempts to obtain protection by telephone had failed. He subsequently challenged the governor’s account, sought a prompt judicial inquiry, and stressed the need to protect witnesses from intimidation. ^{2, 3}

Carignani later represented Italy to Belgium. During the Belgian government’s wartime exile at Le Havre, he reported in July 1916 on proposals to replace Belgium’s imposed neutrality with international guarantees of independence. He distinguished Belgian interest in British and French support from a willingness to enter an alliance. ⁴