Italy On This Day

Risorgimento hero who founded Royal Italian Army Manfredo Fanti's battlefield skills were vital to the unification campaign The Italian ...

Father whose politics were Fascist leader’s early inspiration Mussolini's father, Alessandro, by trade a blacksmith, was an active socia...

The ‘great patriot’ was of Albanian heritage A photographic portrait from the  1880s of Francesco Crispi  The death at the age of  82 in Nap...

Unarmed chaplain was a follower of Garibaldi Ugo Bassi travelled widely helping the poor but was also a passionate patriot Catholic priest U...

1861 vote preceded proclamation of new Kingdom Count Camillo Benso di Cavour was named Italy's first prime minister Italians went to the...

Risorgimento novel now seen as an overlooked classic Ippolito Nievo (above) fought with  Garibaldi in the cause of unification The writer Ip...

The heir presumptive whose marriage earned him exile Charles Ferdinand with his wife, the Irishwoman Penelope Smyth Charles Ferdinand...

Compassionate doctor was Garibaldi’s friend and strategist Agostino Bertani was a hero for tending to the wounds of Garibaldi's so...

Prime minister and inventor of modern Chianti wine While not tending to his ancient vineyards, Bettino Ricasoli was twice prime minist...