Victor Emmanuel II

Victor Emmanuel II, born on March fourteenth, eighteen twenty, in Turin, was the first king of a unified Italy since the sixth century. He ascended to the throne of Sardinia on March twenty-third, eighteen forty-nine, following his father's abdication, and held the title of King of Italy from March seventeenth, eighteen sixty-one, until his death in eighteen seventy-eight. His reign marked a pivotal era in Italian history, earning him the affectionate title of 'Father of the Fatherland' (Italian: Padre della Patria).

As the eldest son of Charles Albert, Prince of Carignano, and Maria Theresa of Austria, Victor Emmanuel played a significant role in the First Italian War of Independence. He appointed Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour, as his Prime Minister, and worked to consolidate his power by suppressing republican movements. His military involvement extended to the Crimean War, where he allied with French and British forces, leading to Italy's participation in the peace conference that addressed Italian unification.

Victor Emmanuel's strategic alliances were crucial in the Second Italian War of Independence, where he successfully liberated Lombardy from Austrian control, albeit at the cost of ceding Savoy and Nice to France. His support for Giuseppe Garibaldi's Expedition of the Thousand in eighteen sixty resulted in the swift downfall of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. However, he prudently halted Garibaldi's advance towards Rome, which was under French protection, thus maintaining a delicate balance of power.

In eighteen sixty-six, the Third Italian War of Independence allowed for the annexation of Veneto, and in eighteen seventy, he seized the opportunity presented by the Franco-Prussian War to conquer the Papal States. Victor Emmanuel entered Rome on September twentieth, eighteen seventy, and established it as the new capital of Italy on July second, eighteen seventy-one. He passed away in Rome in eighteen seventy-eight, shortly after his excommunication was lifted, and was laid to rest in the Pantheon. In his honor, the Victor Emmanuel II Monument, featuring the Altare della Patria, was constructed in Rome.