Emanuele Vittorio II: King Of A United Italy

King of Sardinia and Italy

Introduction

This article will cover the life of Emanuelle Vittorio II. The article will cover Emanuele Vittorio II early life, being the king of Sardinia, the Unification of Italy, his personal life, and his death.

Emanuele Vittorrio II Early Life

Emanuelle was born on the 14th of March 1820 in Turin, Italy. He was the oldest son of Carlo Alberto. His interest in politics and the military began to emerge early in his childhood. This interest most likely grew exponentially when he spent a portion of his childhood in Florence.

His formal education was pretty standard for a monarch at the time. However, his education would predominately focus on religious and military lessons.

When he was older, he would go on to fight in the “First Italian War of Independence.”

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King Of Sardinia – Piedmont

Emanuele’s father abdicated the throne after suffering a terrible military defeat. Emanuelle Vittorio became the new king of Sardinia – Piedmont on the 23rd of March, 1849 CE. As the new king of Sardinia, he sided with Britain and France in the Crimean War.

Emanuelle Vitorio II would play a significant role during the unification of Italy. He accomplished this by taking advantage of Sardinia’s great wealth in order to fund his goal of a unified Italy.

His hard work paid off, and his time as the King of Sardinia would end on the 17th of March, 1861 CE.

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King of Italy

Italy had long been a land of many republics with different goals and opinions. The Unification of Italy would take time and the right leader. For a united Italy, Emanuelle Vittorio would be this leader. His reign as the king of Italy primarily dealt with cultural, economic, and naming issues to make the country feel like one country rather than many different independent republics.

The unification of Italy was a challenging task and would take many years and many wars. In 1866 CE Emanuele allied with Prussia during the “Third Italian War For Independence.” This war would end up being a significant turning point for the unification of Italy.

Rome / Italy – July 27, 2013: The Tomb of Victor Emanuel II (Vittorio Emanuele II) inside the Pantheon.

Emanuele Vittorrio Personal Life

He married twice during his life, first to Adelaide of Austria in 1842, they had eight children together. He then married his mistress in 1869 CE, with whom he had two more children. Alongside these marriages, he had many other mistresses who bore him children, but only the children from his first marriage would inherit his titles and social status.

During his lifetime, he received the nickname/Title “Father of the Homeland.” Furthermore, it is said that he was one of the most beloved Kings from The House of Savoy.

He was known to other royals as a “Gentleman King.” As a ruler and a person, he had many admirable qualities which helped throughout the Unification of Italy.

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Emanuele Vittorio’s Death

Emanuele would eventually pass away while in Rome after becoming sick. Before his death, Emanuelle had angered the Church and was excommunicated. Pope Pius reversed his ex-communication, allowing him to receive the last rites. Vittorio II died on the 9th of January, 1878 CE was 57 years old at the time of his death.

He would eventually be buried in the Pantheon, located in Rome. His tomb is still visited today by thousands of tourists each year.

Emanuelle Vittorio II would be known to history as the last King of Sardinia and the first King of a united Italy. His humane practices and view of the world helped him be remembered fondly by many people in Italy and the world.

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Emanuele Vittorio’s Coins

Over the history of Italy, many different coins were minted within Italy. Below is a link to all of the Italian silver coins we currently have in stock.

Emanuele Vittorio king of Sardinia and Italy
1870 5 Lira bearing the portrait of Vittorio Emanuelle II.
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Published by Invest in History Co.

We specialize in high-quality gold and silver coins. Focusing on Middle East, Eastern European, and Ancient coins. We carry Roman, Greek, Parthian, Phoenician, Celtic, Byzantine, Russian, Jewish, Islamic, and many other culture's coins.

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