Mirandola stabbing

The Mirandola stabbing was a stabbing attack carried out on 13 February 1889 in Mirandola, Emilia-Romagna, Province of Modena, Italy, by the illegalist anarchist militants of the Intransigents of London and Paris, Vittorio Pini and Luigi Parmeggiani. It was an internal attack within the Italian far-left of the period and a 'settling of scores' between anarchists and former anarchists who had become socialist politicians.

The two anarchists targeted the Italian socialist deputy, Celso Ceretti, who had accused them in his newspaper of being provocateurs and police informants in response to their criticism of Amilcare Cipriani, a former anarchist who had also become a socialist politician. Deeply displeased by this statement, the two militants traveled to Italy from Paris and London, went to Mirandola, where Ceretti resided, and stabbed him. He survived his injuries, with Pini claiming at his trial in France for the burglaries of their group that it had been a deliberate choice on their part, as they had refused to assassinate him upon realizing Ceretti had a child at home.

They then fled and headed towards Reggio Emilia, where the socialist deputy Camillo Prampolini, who had also attacked them in his newspaper, was located. The Italian police managed to intercept them on their journey, and the illegalists engaged in a shootout with the Italian officers—they managed to escape, with Pini returning to Paris and Parmeggiani returning to London.

Vittorio Pini was arrested a few months later in Paris along with other members of the Intransigents such as Placide Schouppe, Maria Saenen, and Élise Pelgrom. His trial saw him become one of the first to theorize illegalism.