Raffaele Rubattino

Raffaele Rubattino (10 October 1810, Genoa – 2 November 1881) was an Italian entrepreneur and colonialist who started a shipping company that ran merchant ships on the routes to the Mediterranean and the Red Sea.

He was also a founder of the Italian navy Raffaele Rubattino was born in Genoa the business family of Pietro (1785-1829) and Giovanna Gavino (1785-1831).

He went to the royal coolege for nobles and in his twenties he lost his parents and sister Anna Amelia.

In 1869, Rubattino saw the value of the Suez canal and bought the Bay of Assab from a local ruler through Giuseppe Sapeto.

He is buried at Staglieno and a statue by Augusto Rivalta stands at Piazza Caricamento in Genoa.