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 150th Anniversary of Italian Unification Scott 1470 (2011) The 19th-century political and social movement known as the “Risorgimento” (meaning 'Resurgence') led to the consolidation of the different states spread throughout the Italian Peninsula into a single kingdom. The culminating event in this process was the Capture of Rome, which occurred on September 20, 1870. The souvenir sheet above, jointly issued with Italy in 2011, commemorates the 150th anniversary of Italian Unification, which was formalized on March 17, 1861, when the Italian Parliament ratified the formation of the Kingdom of Italy and seated Victor Emmanuel II as the first King of Italy. A series of events, starting in the 1820's and continuing through 1870, led to the formation of the Kingdom of Italy. During this fifty-year period, Sicily, Sardinia and the entire Italian peninsula (with the exception of the Kingdom of San Marino) consolidated to form the Kingdom of Italy. 
 Giuseppe Mazzini and Giuseppe Garibaldi Period Photos, circa 1860 From Wikimedia Commons, in the Public Domain One of the most influential revolutionary groups during the Risorgimento was the Carboneria, a secret political organization formed in Southern Italy early in the 19th century. The two most renowned members of the group were Giuseppe Manzini and Giuseppe Garibaldi, both of whom played key roles in the unification process.  The Capture of Rome: The Breaching of the Aurelian Walls Near the Porta Pia Contemporary Photograph (looking towards Rome from the North) From Wikimedia Commons, in the Public Domain The capture of Rome took place on September 20, 1870, when the forces of the Italian Army breached the Aurelian Walls, near the Porta Pia, and entered the city. The photo above shows the breach in the wall in proximity to the Porta Pia, which was one of Michelangelo's last architectural projects. It marked the end of both the Papal States (which had existed since 756) and the temporal power of the Holy See. The capture also led to the establishment of Rome as the capital of the unified Italy. For the next fifty-nine years, relations between the Papacy and the Italian government were hostile, and the status of the pope became known as the "Roman Question", a dispute regarding the temporal power of the popes as rulers of a civil territory. The popes during this time refused to leave the confines of the Vatican and viewed themselves as "prisoners of the Vatican". This situation was not resolved until 1929, with the implementation of the Lateran Pacts, establishing the Vatican City State and conferring temporal control of the world's smallest state upon the pope. As for the Kingdom of Italy, it would come to an end following World War II, when the Italian monarchy ceased following a national referendum on June 2, 1946. On that date, the citizenry of Italy voted to abolish the monarchy in favor of a republic. Italy's last monarch, King Umberto II, officially stepped down on June 12 and left the country in exile on June 13. June 2 is a national holiday in Italy, celebrated as Festa della Repubblica (Republic Day). The two Wikipedia articles used as primary references for today’s Daily Email can be accessed by clicking on the links below. They provide additional detail into the history of the Italian unification process, including maps showing the timeline for the consolidation of the states on the Italian peninsula into the unified Kingdom of Italy. REFERENCES: |
