Victor Emmanuel II was King of Sardinia from 1849 until 17 March 1861, when he assumed the title of King of Italy and became the first king of an independent, united Italy since the 6th century, a title he held until his death in 1878. Borrowing from the old Latin title Pater Patriae of the Roman emperors, the Italians gave him the epithet of Father of the Fatherland .
Born in Turin as the eldest son of Charles Albert, Prince of Carignano, and Maria Theresa of Austria, he fought in the First Italian War of Independence (1848–1849) before being made King of Piedmont-Sardinia following his father's abdication. He appointed Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour, as his Prime Minister, and he consolidated his position by suppressing the republican left. In 1855, he sent an expeditionary corps to side with French and British forces during the Crimean War; the deployment of Italian troops to the Crimea, and the gallantry shown by them in the Battle of the Chernaya (16 August 1855) and in the siege of Sevastopol led the Kingdom of Sardinia to be among the participants at the peace conference at the end of the war, where it could address the issue of the Italian unification to other European powers. This allowed Victor Emmanuel to ally himself with Napoleon III, Emperor of France. France had supported Sardinia in the Second Italian War of Independence, resulting in liberating Lombardy from Austrian rule.
Victor Emmanuel supported the Expedition of the Thousand (1860–1861) led by Giuseppe Garibaldi, which resulted in the rapid fall of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies in southern Italy. However, Victor Emmanuel halted Garibaldi when he appeared ready to attack Rome, still under the Papal States, as it was under French protection. In 1860, Tuscany, Modena, Parma and Romagna decided to side with Sardinia-Piedmont, and Victor Emmanuel then marched victoriously in the Marche and Umbria after the victorious Battle of Castelfidardo over the Papal forces. This led to his excommunication from the Catholic Church until 1878, just before his death in the same year. He subsequently met Garibaldi at Teano, receiving from him the control of southern Italy and becoming the first King of Italy on 17 March 1861.
In 1866, the Third Italian War of Independence allowed Italy to annex Veneto. In 1870, Victor Emmanuel also took advantage of the Prussian victory over France in the Franco-Prussian War to conquer the Papal States after the French withdrew. He entered Rome on 20 September 1870 and set up the new capital there on 2 July 1871. He died in Rome in 1878, and was buried in the Pantheon.
The Italian national Victor Emmanuel II monument in Rome, containing the Altare della Patria, was built in his honor.
Sol turns thousands of years of human wisdom from the world’s spiritual traditions into a totally unique personality profile. To get your own profile, check compatibility with friends and much more, download the Sol App today.
Some of their strengths
King of Italy Vittorio Emanuele II has many admirable traits.
Based on spiritual traditions from around the world, they are someone who can be described as Energetic, Creative, Imaginative, Generous, Self-reliant, Bold, and Determined.
Soulful and Understanding
According to Mysticism’s Astrology tradition, King of Italy Vittorio Emanuele II is someone who is a soulful, understanding, and conscious person, who combines smarts with a deep talent for creativity and imagination. A person who seems to identify with family, heritage and ancestry.
Charming and Sophisticated
Based on Daoism’s Ba-Zi or ‘Chinese Zodiac’ tradition, people who know King of Italy Vittorio Emanuele II well know them as someone who can be classy, glamorous, and worldly, like jewelry.
Ambitious and Forceful
According to Hinduism’s Jyotisha or ‘Vedic Astrology’ tradition, many would also describe King of Italy Vittorio Emanuele II as someone who is ambitious, hard-working, determined, and intelligent.
A person who has a knack for identifying opportunities, has amazing concentration and focus, who can work independently, who likes starting new things, and who is somewhat of an intellectual.
Charismatic and Playful
Based on the Mayan Tzolk’in or ‘Mayan Astrology’ tradition, King of Italy Vittorio Emanuele II is someone who is used to being the center of attention, and who has a playful approach to dealing with life.
They are also someone who is active, giving, optimistic, and cheerful, and who possesses a charisma that attracts friends and admirers.
Creative and Imaginative
According to Judaism’s Kabbalah tradition, King of Italy Vittorio Emanuele II tends to be someone who is sensitive, imaginative, creative, and somewhat of a dreamer. Who is intuitive and compassionate, and who has a friendly, easygoing, calming and relaxing effect on people and for whom friends and family mean the world.
Some of King of Italy Vittorio Emanuele II's challenges
While King of Italy Vittorio Emanuele II has many strengths, nobody is perfect. They also have some challenging traits they need to manage.
For example, King of Italy Vittorio Emanuele II can be Indecisive, Unrealistic, Impulsive, Careless, Relentless, Inflexible, and Demanding.
Indecisive and Unrealistic
One of King of Italy Vittorio Emanuele II's key challenges is that they are someone who can come across as indecisive and unrealistic.
Relentless and Inflexible
King of Italy Vittorio Emanuele II is someone who can be relentless, obsessive, and inflexible, who can be confrontational with work colleagues, can have difficulty communicating feelings and be somewhat reclusive, and who can be self-destructive, overindulgent, and extravagant.
Lethargic and Unrealistic
Finally, King of Italy Vittorio Emanuele II also can be too soft, lazy and lethargic, and who can have difficulty finding others who share a similarly dreamy outlook on life.
