[1] During his final years he made the switch to national politics, appointed to the Italian Senate on 14 June 1900.

[2] On 22 October 1874, having won a public competition for the post, he started work as Professor of Law, political economy and Statistics at the "Scuola superiore di agricoltura di Portici" (agricultural college) which had recently been created in the old Palace of Portici, along the coast near the site of Herculaneum, to the south-east of the city.

One and a half years later he transferred to the University of Naples, installed on 15 March 1876 as Professor in charge of Pedagogy.

He accepted a full professorship of philosophy on 14 March 1902, retaining his teaching chair for the rest of his life.

However, in November 1901 he was unexpectedly invited by Neapolitan city politicians to accept appointment as Mayor of Naples.