Victor Emmanuel Crowned King: Italian Unification
Victor Emmanuel II became King of Italy in 1861, ruling a country that didn't include Rome. The capital was in Florence. The Pope controlled central Italy with French troops protecting him. Venice belonged to Austria. Sicily had been independent nine months earlier. He was king of a patchwork that wouldn't be whole for another decade. His actual title was "King of Italy by the grace of God and the will of the nation" — because nobody could agree on which mattered more.
February 18, 1861
165 years ago
Key Figures & Places
Victor Emmanuel II of Italy
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Monarch
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King of Italy
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Italian unification
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Piedmont
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Savoy
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Sardinia
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Unification of Italy
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Victor Emmanuel II
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Piedmont
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Savoy
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Sardinia
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King of Italy
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Liste des rois d'Italie
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House of Savoy
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Italy
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