A short biography of Italian anarchist Eusebio Scarselli
(From l. to r) Ida, Eusebio, Scintilla, Giacomo
Scarselli, Eusebio (1863-1934)
Eusebio Scarselli was born at either Racciano or Certaldo in the Florence region of Italy in 1863. He worked as an agricultural worker and woodcutter and joined the local Peasants League set up by the socialist Aurelio Signorini. He married Maria Mancini and they had six children, all of whom became militant anarchists.
At the beginning of the 20th century, he helped his eldest son Ferruccio set up the League of Carters and became its secretary. In 1920 like all the members of the family he joined the Unione Comunista Anarchici Italiana (UCAI)- Italian Anarchist Communist Union. After the events in Certaldo (see the biography of his daughter Ida here at libcom) he was arrested together with Maria, his two daughters and his cousin Danilo.
On the 29th June 1921 he was sentenced to 4 years imprisonment and two years of special surveillance. After 4 years spent at the penal colony of the island of Gorgona he was sent to Certaldo for his two years of special surveillance. Figuring on a blacklist set up by local fascists, he could not get any work and had to travel to Castelfiorentino where he stayed with friends of the family for two years.
On 19th February, unable to stand his forced separation from his wife and children he went clandestinely to Rome to reunite with Maria and his daughter Ines. He was tracked down and returned to Castelfiorentino. The death of Maria was another crippling blow and ravaged by grief and the persecutions and humiliations he and his family had suffered, he broke and was admitted to the psychiatric hospital of Santa Maria della Pieta in Rome. His daughter Ines provided continuous loving care during his confinement.
In August 1931 he accompanied Ines to the prison colony on the isle of Ponza to visit his daughter Ida, her partner Giacomo Bottino and their daughter Scintilla. On his return he had another breakdown and was again hospitalised at Santa Maria della Pieta. His condition worsened and he died on 19th November 1934 after an epileptic fit.
Nick Heath
Sources:
https://militants-anarchistes.info/spip.php?article9515
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