Ferdinando Martini

Ferdinando Martini (30 July 1840 – 24 April 1928) was an Italian writer and politician. He was governor of Eritrea for from late 1897 to early 1907.

Born in Florence, he worked as journalist and writer. He collaborated with Il Fanfulla and in 1879 he founded the Fanfulla della domenica literary supplement, for which he was editor until 1882; he was also editor of La Domenica letteraria from 1882 until 1885 and professor at the University of Pisa. He founded Giornale per i bambini in 1881 and was its editor until 1883.

In 1876 he was elected to the Parliament of the Kingdom of Italy, a position he held for 43 years. He was Minister of the Colonies in the Salandra I and Salandra II cabinets, and Minister of the Public Instruction in the first Giolitti cabinet. Martini was also governor of Eritrea from 1897 to 1907, a country that received the name from him.

On 1 March 1923 he was appointed to the Senate of the Kingdom of Italy. In 1925 he was one of the signers of Giovanni Gentile's Manifesto of the Fascist intellectuals.

In 1920 he wrote his famous literary masterpiece, about his years as governor of Eritrea:Il Diario Eritreo.

He died at Monsummano Terme in 1928.