Victor Emmanuel II
Victor Emmanuel was born in Palazzo Carignano, Turin on the 14th of March 1820. He entered the world as the eldest son of Carlo Alberto Prince of Carignano and Maria Theresa of Tuscany. His father had succeeded a distant cousin as King of Sardinia back in 1831. Victor Emmanuel lived for some years of his youth in Florence where he showed an early interest in politics, the military, and sports. In 1842, he married his cousin Adelaide of Austria who was born in 1822. The couple would eventually have eight children together before her death in 1855. He held the title of Duke of Savoy prior to becoming King of Sardinia. This young man faced immediate pressure when his father abdicated the throne after being defeated by the Austrians at the Battle of Novara in 1849.
Following Victor Emmanuel's advice, Camillo Benso Count of Cavour joined Britain and France in the Crimean War against Russia. Cavour was reluctant to go to war due to the power of Russia at the time and the expense of doing so. However, Victor Emmanuel was convinced of the rewards to be gained from the alliance created with Britain and more importantly France. After successfully seeking British support and ingratiating himself with France and Napoleon III at the Congress of Paris in 1856, Count Cavour arranged a secret meeting with the French emperor. They met at Plombières-les-Bains in Lorraine during 1858. There they agreed that if the French were to help Piedmont in its war against Austria, which still reigned over the Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia in northern Italy, France would be awarded Nice and Savoy. The deployment of Italian troops to the Crimea led the Kingdom of Sardinia to be among the participants at the peace conference where it could address the issue of the Italian unification to other European powers.
The Italo-French campaign against Austria in 1859 started successfully but ended with a treaty prepared without their knowledge. Later that same year, Victor Emmanuel II sent his forces to fight the papal army at Castelfidardo and drove the Pope into Vatican City. His success at these goals led him to be excommunicated from the Catholic Church until 1878 when it was lifted just before his death. Then Giuseppe Garibaldi conquered Sicily and Naples while Piedmont-Sardinia grew even larger. On the 17th of March 1861, the Kingdom of Italy was officially established and Victor Emmanuel II became its king. He did not renumber himself after assuming the new royal title. Turin became the capital of the new state. Only Lazio, Veneto, and Trentino remained to be conquered. The king subsequently met with Garibaldi at Teano receiving from him the control of southern Italy.
In 1866, Victor Emmanuel allied himself with Prussia in the Third Italian War of Independence. Although not victorious in the Italian theatre, he managed to receive Veneto after the Austrian defeat in Germany. In 1870, after two failed attempts by Garibaldi, he also took advantage of the Prussian victory over France in the Franco-Prussian War to capture Rome after the French withdrew. He entered Rome on the 20th of September 1870 and set up the new capital there on the 2nd of July 1871. The new Royal residence was the Quirinal Palace. A British Foreign Secretary named Lord Clarendon visited Florence in December 1867 and reported to London that Victor Emmanuel is an imbecile who tells lies to everyone. Despite this mishap, the remainder of Victor Emmanuel II's reign was consumed by wrapping up loose ends and dealing with economic and cultural issues.
In 1842, Victor Emmanuel married his paternal first cousin Adelaide of Austria who lived from 1822 until 1855. With her, he had eight children including Umberto who later became King of Italy. In 1869 he married morganatically his principal mistress Rosa Vercellana who was born on the 3rd of June 1833 and died on the 26th of December 1885. Popularly known in Piedmontese as Bela Rosin, she was born a commoner but made Countess of Mirafiori and Fontanafredda in 1858. Their offspring included Vittoria Guerrieri and Emanuele Alberto Guerrieri. In addition to his morganatic second wife, Victor Emmanuel II had several other mistresses. Laura Bon at Stupinigi bore him two children while Baroness Vittoria Duplesis bore another daughter named Maria Savoiarda Projetti. Virginia Rho at Turin gave birth to Vittorio di Rho who became a notable photographer.
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Common questions
When was Victor Emmanuel II born and where did he enter the world?
Victor Emmanuel II was born in Palazzo Carignano, Turin on the 14th of March 1820. He entered the world as the eldest son of Carlo Alberto Prince of Carignano and Maria Theresa of Tuscany.
Who did Victor Emmanuel II marry first and how many children did they have together?
In 1842, Victor Emmanuel married his paternal first cousin Adelaide of Austria who lived from 1822 until 1855. With her, he had eight children including Umberto who later became King of Italy.
On what date was the Kingdom of Italy officially established under Victor Emmanuel II?
The Kingdom of Italy was officially established on the 17th of March 1861 and Victor Emmanuel II became its king. He did not renumber himself after assuming the new royal title and Turin became the capital of the new state.
How did Victor Emmanuel II acquire Rome and when did he set up the new capital there?
He captured Rome after the French withdrew following the Prussian victory over France in the Franco-Prussian War and entered Rome on the 20th of September 1870. He set up the new capital there on the 2nd of July 1871 with the Quirinal Palace as the new Royal residence.
When did Victor Emmanuel II die and what happened to his excommunication before that time?
Victor Emmanuel II died in 1878 when it was lifted just before his death. He had been excommunicated from the Catholic Church for driving the Pope into Vatican City at Castelfidardo.