Page 69 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Italy

THE HIST OR Y OF IT AL Y  67

Where to See Risorgimento Italy
Almost every town in Italy honours the heroes of
the Risorgimento with a Via Garibaldi, a Via Cavour, a
Piazza Vittorio, a Via Mazzini and a Via XX Settembre
(the date of the fall of Rome in 1870). Many cities
also have Risorgimento museums. One of the best
is in Turin (p227).

Battle of Solferino (1859)
With the help of a French army led by
Napoleon III, the Piedmontese won Milan
and Lombardy from the Austrians.

The Victor Emmanuel Monument (p388) is a
prominent, but largely unloved, Roman landmark.

Two old paddle steamers
brought the Thousand from
Quarto near Genoa.
Count Camillo di
Cavour (1810–61)
Cavour’s diplomacy
as prime minister of
Piedmont ensured that
the House of Savoy
became rulers of the
new Italy. He also
coined the word
“Risorgimento”.
The skiffs were lent
by other ships moored
in Marsala harbour.

Giuseppe Verdi
Garibaldi and the Thousand (1813 –1901)
Composers such as
Giuseppe Garibaldi (1807–82) was a leader Verdi, Donizetti and
of courage and genius. In 1860, he landed at Rossini made the 19th
Marsala with 1,000 volunteers. The garrison century the great era of
at Palermo surrendered, Sicily fell and he Italian opera. Verdi’s
went on to conquer Naples, thus presenting early operas inspired
Vittorio Emanuele with half a kingdom. the Risorgimento.

1859 Battles of Magenta and Solferino; Pope Pius IX, who remained a virtual
Piedmont acquires Lombardy from Austria prisoner in the Vatican when Rome 1893 Troops
and duchies of Parma, Modena and Tuscany became capital of Italy
sent to suppress
1861 Kingdom of Italy 1882 Deaths of Garibaldi insurrection
proclaimed with capital at Turin and Pope Pius IX in Sicily
1850 1860 1870 1880 1890
1866 Italy wins 1870 Rome falls to royalist 1878 Death of Vittorio Emanuele;
Venice from Austria troops and is made capital accession of King Umberto I
of new kingdom; Vatican 1890 Italian colony
1849 Republic of Rome 1860 Garibaldi and the Thousand announces doctrine of of Eritrea established
crushed by French troops capture Kingdom of the Two Sicilies papal infallibility by royal decree

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