Victor Emmanuel II was born in 1820 in the Kingdom of Sardinia, in Turin. He died in 1878, in Rome, the capital of Italy. He came from the Savoy dynasty, since 1849 he was the ruler of Piedmont. From 1861 he became the first king in the new, unified Italy with its capital in Turin. Since 1865, Florence has become the main city, and since 1871, Rome.
Some historians attribute great merit to him in the unification of the country. Others believe that this process was headed by Garibaldi, and the Italian statesman Count Cavour was engaged in its preparation. The king was distinguished by a rather simple manner and thus won the love of the Italians. A brief biography of Victor Emmanuel II will be presented in the article.
Early years
Being the heir of his father, King Carlo Albert of Sardinia, he received a military and religious education. Victor Emmanuel II, whose photo is posted in the article, did not particularly delve into state affairs. But he participated in the battles with Austria that took place in 1848-1849, where he showed outstanding courage. In 1845 he was awarded the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called. Natura Vittoriowas distinguished by unprecedented liveliness and energy.
He preferred simple communication, respected the representatives of the people, and they reciprocated. In this he differed from his father, who was characterized by arrogance and aristocratic detachment. At the age of 22, Victor married, his wife was Adelheida of Austria, who was his cousin.
His father was on the royal throne of Sardinia and Piedmont from 1831 to 1849. Glory to him brought the implementation of important government reforms. He managed to abolish the feudal system in the country, he supported science, art, tried to take part in the expulsion of the Austrians from northern Italy.
In the war declared against the Austrian Empire, the troops of Carlo Albert were defeated. This happened under Novara, after which the king had to abdicate. He retired to Spain and soon died. So Victor Emmanuel II came to the throne of Sardinia and Piedmont. This reign lasted from 1849 to 1861, then the title was abolished, and it was replaced by another - the king of a united Italy.
Start of reign
Victor Emmanuel inherited a country engulfed in revolution and a completely defeated army. He made a lot of personal efforts to achieve peace with the Austrians, as a result of which in August 1849 a peace treaty was concluded between Austria and Piedmont. This contributed to the preservation of the independence of Sardinia. And also in the future allowed the development of parliamentary forms of government in the state andto return Sardinia to the first positions in the fight of the Italians against Austria.
However, peace conditions were very difficult for the country. Austria received a large indemnity, while its occupation corps remained in Piedmont for an extended period.
The opposing side also offered easier terms, but this required the abolition of the constitution. The new ruler did not want to abandon the obligations that were given to the people by his father. This contributed to the credibility of him and increased his popularity among the masses, which could be compared with the popularity of Garibaldi.
Thanks to this, the king was able to start consolidating funds and attracting loans to reorganize the army, thereby quadrupling the national debt. Through the efforts of General Lamarmora, Minister of War, the army was increased to 100 thousand people and brought into brilliant shape.
Crimean War
To acquire the necessary combat experience, and at the same time to strengthen friendly relations with France, Victor Emmanuel decided to take part in the Eastern War. He sent 15,000 soldiers to the area of Sevastopol, commanded by General Mentevecchio.
This step allowed Sardinia to have a representative at the Paris Congress in 1856. It was Count Camillo di Cavour, who made a brilliant speech there against Austria. He also highlighted Italy's position and needs.
War with Austria
In 1858, King Victor Emmanuel II sent the countCavour to Plombieres to meet with Napoleon III. As a result of the meeting, the latter assumed obligations to declare war on Austria. And also in return for Savoy and Nice, he promised to cede Lombardy, Piedmont and Venice.
Franco-Sardinian troops won victories in the battles of Magenta, Palestro, Solferino. Victor Emmanuel took a personal part in them. The fate of Italy was decided according to the terms of the Treaty of Villafranca. They provided for the transition of Lombardy to Piedmont. For this, Napoleon III received Savoy and Nice, and Venice remained behind Austria. As for the rest of Italy, it was conceived as a federation led by Pope Pius IX.
These decrees were met throughout Italy with terrible indignation. Therefore, their implementation turned out to be impossible. The Pope categorically refused any concessions whatsoever. Areas such as Parma, Romagna, Modena and Tuscany did not want to accept the dukes, they elected the head of the union - Garibaldi, who was entrusted with joining these lands to Piedmont.
King of Italy
Napoleon III, who retained Nice and Savoy, was forced to agree to the annexation of the above four areas to Piedmont. A popular vote recognized Victor Emmanuel as head of these provinces. This happened in 1860. And since March 1861, Victor Emmanuel II has been the king of Italy.
Despite the fact that during one of the very first parliamentary meetings Rome was named the capital of Italy, in fact it was occupied by French troops. Atthe new king did not have the opportunity to recapture the city, as the country's treasury was in great devastation due to ongoing wars. At the same time, there was a great need to organize internal affairs.
Victor Emmanuel decided to achieve the withdrawal of the French from Rome through a series of diplomatic measures. Overcoming long hesitation, Napoleon III agreed to the removal of his contingent from Italy within two years. At the same time, he put forward the condition that Rome should never be its capital, and the pope would also have his own army.
However, the people were outraged by this condition, in connection with which a rebellion broke out in Turin. He was rather quickly pacified by Victor Emmanuel II. In 1866, an alliance was concluded with Prussia against Austria, which was of a defensive and offensive nature. According to its terms, it was possible to conclude peace only upon reaching a common agreement. Bismarck made a promise to Italy about the return of Venice to her.
Then Austria offered to give Venice without any conditions, but the Italian side did not want to violate the agreement with Prussia. She fielded her troops to support the latter in the outbreak of hostilities against Austria.
The war was lost by Austria. According to the Vienna Peace Treaty, signed in 1866, the Venetian region went to Italy. And after a seventeen-year stay in Rome, at the end of 1866, the French left him. After that, Garibaldi sent his troops there and was defeated by the French at Menton in 1867. The latter reoccupied the Papal States. This was followed by a cooling of relations between Italy andFrance. The reason for this was the suspicions of Napoleon III regarding Victor Emmanuel's sympathy for the actions of Garibaldi.
Capture of Rome
When the Franco-Prussian war (1870-1871) was going on, Italy did not support France. After the defeat of the French at Sedan and the capture of Napoleon III, her hands were completely untied.
Before attempting to seize Rome by force of arms, Victor Emmanuel II planned to persuade Pius IX to give him secular power. But the negotiations are useless, and he orders the troops to advance on the papal capital. After that, Rome quickly surrendered, and the pope's troops were disbanded. On October 26, 1871, the Parliament adopted a resolution to move the capital of the kingdom from Florence to Rome.
In 1873, Victor Emmanuel had two important meetings, one of them with Emperor Wilhelm I in Berlin, the second with Franz Joseph in Vienna. These diplomatic negotiations contributed to the creation of the "Triple Alliance". The monarch died in January 1878. The reason for this was either malaria or a severe cold. It is possible that he contracted malaria while hunting in the swampy areas of Lazio.
He was buried in the Roman Pantheon. This happened against his will, as Vittorio wanted his body to be buried in Piedmont. But the persistent requests of the Romans prevented this. On the tombstone is the inscription: "Father of the Fatherland." The grave turned into a place of pilgrimage, where hundreds of thousands of Italians came from all over the Kingdom. King Victor Emmanuel II was succeeded by his sonUmberto I.
Personality and merit
In the memory of the people, King Victor Emmanuel II remained as a great ruler, a fighter for the unification of the country. Although he was known as a passionate lover of hunting and love affairs, he was a man of courage and sensibility, which helped him to fulfill royal duties.
The king was not very smart, he was rude, laid-back like a soldier, but at the same time he showed common sense and business insight. He correctly assessed the situation in which Piedmont, due to its geographical, political and economic position, can become a center of rallying forces for patriotic Italians.
To maintain this situation, he introduced a liberal course in domestic policy, and in foreign policy he adhered to a resolute and bold opposition to Austria. In fact, this was his contribution to the process of Italian unification. The rest was done by others. He owed the throne to Count Camillo Cavour, who led the unification of the country. Monuments to Victor Emmanuel II have been erected in many Italian cities.
In the capital
One of the best monuments to Victor Emmanuel II is in Rome. This is a monument called "Vittoriano". It is located on one of the slopes of the Capitoline Hill, on Venetian Square, not far from the main attraction of Rome - the Colosseum. His project was developed by Giuseppe Sacconi, performing it in the Empire style, inherent in the spirit of ancient Roman architecture. The monument was built during1885-1935
One of the parts of the monument is an equestrian statue of the king made of bronze, the height of which is 12 meters. Under it is the tomb of the Unknown Soldier, it is called the "Altar of the Fatherland".
The memorial was erected on the anniversary of the unification of Italy. Its opening took place twice. The first took place in 1911, after 26 years of construction. It was the opening of a monument made of white limestone. It is a huge building with a width of 135 m, a length of 130 m and a height of 81 m.
A wide staircase leads to the Altar, in the central part of which there is a monument to Victor Emmanuel. An interesting fact is that the choice of material for the monument was symbolic. They took it by melting down the old cannons of the castle of Sant'Angelo, the fortress of the popes. This illustrated the transfer of power from the popes to the king.
Second discovery
The Monument to the Unknown Soldier was added to the Altar of the Fatherland in 1927. It is dedicated to the memory of those who died in the First World War. Then the monument to Victor Emmanuel II in Rome was opened for the second time. The Eternal Flame burns at the grave, it is guarded by a guard of honor. Bas-reliefs are located on the basis of the Altar of the Fatherland; they are symbols of the main Italian cities. The fountains located on the sides are a symbol of the seas that wash the united Italy. These are the Tyrrhenian and Adriatic Seas.
In Vittoriano, under the monument, in a building with columns, there are two museums. One of them is the Risorgimento Renaissance Museum. The second is the museum of the banners of the navy. From the memorial you can admire a wide panoramaof the Eternal City.
The gigantic structure of the Vittoriano monument to Victor Emmanuel II in Rome overwhelms nearby buildings and does not fit harmoniously into the panorama of early buildings. The monument is characterized by excessive eclecticism and a heap of details inherent in ancient Roman buildings. These are statues, bas-reliefs, columns. There are several condescending names for the monument, such as "The False Jaw", "Typewriter", "Wedding Cake".
Victor Emmanuel II Gallery in Milan
This attraction is open 24/7. The gallery was built according to the project of Giuseppe Mengoni, who, towards the end of the construction work, died after falling from the scaffolding. There is an opinion that this fall was not accidental. In the history of architecture, the Gallery of Victor Emmanuel II in Milan is one of the first passages in Europe.
The building is built in the form of a Latin cross with an octagonal center. It is decorated with mosaics depicting the four earthly continents, which do not include Australia. Art, science, industry and agriculture are also allegorically depicted here.
At the top of the gallery is a dome made of iron and glass. The shopping gallery connects the square in front of the city's cathedral with the square in front of the La Scala opera house. Today it is one of the famous tourist attractions in Milan, home to a number of famous shops such as Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Prada, as well as restaurants and cafes with big names. ATthe gallery often hosts exhibitions and concerts.
