The son of a bailiff of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, he lost both parents in 1837 when Catania was experiencing a cholera epidemic.
During the epidemic he was invested with exceptional powers by the Bourbon, but was relieved of his duties when his liberal ideas became known.
During the popular revolts of 1848 he was among the main provocateurs in Catania, and after the Bourbons restored power he had to retreat to Malta to escape the subsequent repression.
[1] During the Risorgimento in 1860 he joined the volunteers following the Expedition of the Thousand and in Garibaldi's forces reached the rank of Major.
The following short poem pays homage to the renowned Chestnut Tree of One Hundred Horses:[3]