Cristoforo was not solely involved in Cabinet Making and Family activities in the mid 1860s. And it is here that leads me to believe he worked with Mazzini. While in London Mazzini started various organizations to support the Italian community there. One of Mazzini’s strategies appears to have been to create these types of organizations to lend support to the unification and democratisation of Italy from abroad. One of those organizations was the Italian Working Men’s Association of Mutual Progress. In 1864 this group had 350 members. Setacci is listed as one of the leaders of this organisation.
This is mentioned in a couple of publications but I believe the original source is at the index be here https://www.marxists.org/history/international/iwma/documents/minutes/name-index.htm
This is the index to those who participated in the formation of the International , and if you scroll down to the Ss you will find our Cristoforo.
Below is a snip of the information on him.
In 1864 an International Working Men’s Association is formed. Mazzini decides to have his group of Italian Working Men join the newly formed International Working Men. This group comes to be known famously as simply the “International”. Initially Mazzini was hoping to have some influence over this International Group. That, however was not to be, as Karl Marx became its influential leader.
The first meeting of the International was held in St Martin’s Hall in London. St Martin’s hall no longer exists, but it was very close to Covent Gardens. The scene is depicted below. One has to assume that Cristoforo is there.
As shown here in the minutes of the meeting he becomes a member of the initial general council of the International.
A poster displaying the event is shown below. ( ok – I am probably going to get into some copyright issues on some of these photos – but don’t think anyone is going to come after me on some family blog- hopefully) Note that the Italians are providing the musical band and the Germans are providing the singers or choruses.
Subsequent meetings of the International were held at 18 Greek Street in Soho. That address is now a restaurant. So, you could visit 18 Greek Street, have dinner or lunch , and imagine people like Marx, and Mazzini, and most importantly, Cristoforo Setacci meeting there.
Finally , talk about being involved in historic events with famous people, it doesn’t get much better than the below. In 1865 Karl Marx writes a letter from the International to Abraham Lincoln. This letter can be found on the internet quite easily by googling it. There is a link on wikpedia. And Setacci is the last signature of the first set of signatures on the document.
I will leave you to read the letter, and reflect upon it. Your Great is a signatory to a letter written by Marx to Lincoln congratulating him on his re-election and the death of slavery! Something to be proud of for sure. Not to mention the importance of the “International” as one of the first global organizations of working men. As an artisan cabinet maker our Cristoforo surely understood the pressures his craft and his way of life would face with the increase of furniture factories, industrialization and national governments passing laws that would support it all. The International would stand up for the rights of working men like him. And our Cristoforo is one of its founding members.
When Mazzini leaves the International – I believe due to disagreements with Marx and others on certain topics, and the overall direction of the organization ( though again I am no expert on this history) I believe Cristoforo Setacci does as well as I can’t find his name in the minutes of the meetings of the International after that point. This again supports our thesis that Setacci was heavily influenced by Mazzini.