Timeline / 1890 to 1900 / ITALY Date Country Theme 1890 - 1899 Italy Migrations Average annual Italian migration (temporary and permanent, to nearest 1,000): France 26,000, USA 51,000; Argentina 37,000; Brazil 58,000. 1890 Italy Music, Literature, Dance And Fashion The Cavalleria rusticana by Pietro Mascagni (1863–1945) has a great success, marking the beginning of verismo (Italian realism) in music, which intends to portray the world of peasants and the poor through strong and passionate drama. The singing style changes radically, leaving behind the aesthetics of bel canto and turning to reciting, even shouting, and spoken parts in the most exciting dramatic moments. 1890 Italy Reforms And Social Changes For the first time, trade unions organise celebrations for May Day as the International Worker’s Day. 1891 Italy Reforms And Social Changes First Chambers of Labour (territorial trade unions) founded in Milan. 1892 Italy Political Context Italian Socialist Party founded. 1892 - 1898 Italy Great Inventions Of The 19th Century Hydroelectric power plants are built in Tivoli (1892) and Paderno d’Adda (1898) and the power they generated is transported to, respectively, Rome and Milan. 1893 - 1895 Italy Cities And Urban Spaces Construction of Piazza Vittorio Emanuele (today Piazza della Repubblica) in Florence, after clearing the area of the Ancient Market. 1893 - 1894 Italy Economy And Trade A comprehensive law on banking establishes the Bank of Italy, which starts operating on 1 January 1894. 1893 Italy Music, Literature, Dance And Fashion Manon Lescaut by Giacomo Puccini (1858–1924) has a great success in Turin and Puccini becomes the most promising opera composer of the new generation. 1893 Italy Music, Literature, Dance And Fashion Date Country Theme At the age of 80, Verdi composes his last opera, Falstaff, an opera buffa that opens new avenues towards the theatre of the 20th century. The music underscores all the subtle nuances of the psychology of the different characters. 1894 Italy Travelling The Touring Club d’Italia is founded. Its main goal is “to make Italians know Italy”. It conceives of tourism as a tool for the cultural growth and modernisation of the country. 1895 Italy Great Inventions Of The 19th Century Gugliemo Marconi makes the first successful experiments of radio broadcasts. 1895 Italy International Exhibitions Opening of the First International Art Exhibition of the City of Venice, known as the Venice Biennale. The exhibition – organised to bring the city out of isolation – meets with great public acclaim (224,000 visitors). 1897 - 1898 Italy Political Context Widespread demonstrations and riots against high bread price. The government uses the army to repress protests: in Milan 85 demonstrators are killed. 1898 Italy Political Context Anarchist Gaetano Bresci kills the King Umberto I, in revenge for the protesters killed in Milan in 1898. Victor Emanuel III becomes King of Italy. 1899 Italy Economy And Trade In Turin, Giovanni Agnelli founds the car factory FIAT. 1900 Italy International Exhibitions In the 19th and 20th centuries, Italian companies participate in many international exhibition, such as the 1900 Paris World Fair. 1900 Italy Reforms And Social Changes Law on “state quinine” passed: in order to fight malaria, the state will produce quinine and sell it at a low price not only in the 5,000 pharmacies, but also in the 27,000 tobacconists..