Victor Emmanuel II was King of Sardinia from 23 March 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.
The House of Savoy is an Italian royal house that was established in 1003 in the historical Savoy region. Through gradual expansions the family grew in power, first ruling a small Alpine county northwest of Italy and later gaining absolute rule of the Kingdom of Sicily. During the years 1713 to 1720, they were handed the island of Sardinia and would exercise direct rule from then onward.
This is an introduction to the postal and philatelic history of Italy.
The Duchy of Modena and Reggio was an Italian state created in 1452 located in Northwestern Italy, in the present day region of Emilia-Romagna. It was ruled since its establishment by the noble House of Este, and from 1814 by the Austria-Este branch of the family. The Este dynasty was a great sponsor of the arts, making the Duchy a cultural reference during the Renaissance and Baroque periods.
The Duchy of Parma and Piacenza was an Italian state created in 1545 and located in northern Italy, in the current region of Emilia-Romagna.
The Second Italian War of Independence, also called the Sardinian War, the Austro-Sardinian War, the Franco-Austrian War, or the Italian War of 1859, was fought by the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Sardinia against the Austrian Empire in 1859 and played a crucial part in the process of Italian Unification.
The Italian word luogotenente is an etymological parallel to lieutenant, deriving from the Latin locum tenens "holding a place", i.e. someone who fills a position instead of another, as a substitute or deputy.
This is a timeline of the unification of Italy.
Maria Theresa of Austria-Este was Queen of Sardinia as the wife of Victor Emmanuel I of Sardinia. She was born an archduchess of Austria-Este and a princess of Modena as the daughter of Ferdinand Karl, Archduke of Austria-Este, and Maria Beatrice d'Este, Duchess of Massa. Her husband’s reign as King of Sardinia ended in abdication in 1821, when he elected his brother Charles Felix king after a liberal revolution, during which Victor Emmanuel proved unwilling to accept a liberal constitution. She was a part of the then newly-founded House of Austria-Este.
The House of Bourbon-Parma is a cadet branch of the Spanish royal family, whose members once ruled as King of Etruria and as Duke of Parma and Piacenza, Guastalla, and Lucca. The House descended from the French Capetian dynasty in male line. Its name of Bourbon-Parma comes from the main name (Bourbon) and the other (Parma) from the title of Duke of Parma. The title was held by the Spanish Bourbons, as the founder Philip, Duke of Parma was the great-grandson of Ranuccio II Farnese, Duke of Parma. The House of Bourbon-Parma is today the Sovereign House of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (agnatically) and all members of the Grand Ducal Family of Luxembourg are members of the House of Bourbon-Parma with the title of "Princes/Princesses" and the predicate of Royal Highness.
Between 1851 and 1860, the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, an independent Italian state until 1859 when it joined the United Provinces of Central Italy, produced two postage stamp issues which are among the most prized classic stamp issues of the world, and include the most valuable Italian stamp.
The Piedmontese Republic was a revolutionary, provisional and internationally unrecognized government established in Turin between 1798 and 1799 on the territory of Piedmont during its military rule by the French First Republic.
The Plombières Agreement of 21 July 1858 was a secret verbal agreement which took place at Plombières-les-Bains between the chief minister of Piedmont-Sardinia, Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour, and the French Emperor, Napoleon III. Some older English sources refer to it as the Treaty of Plombières. In modern times, it is merely referred to as an "agreement", since nothing was signed.
The 45th Infantry Regiment "Reggio" is an active unit of the Italian Army based in Sassari in Sardinia. The unit is named for the city of Reggio Emilia and part of the Italian Army's infantry arm. On 1 October 2022, the name, flag and traditions of the regiment were assigned to the Command and Tactical Supports Unit "Sassari" of the Mechanized Brigade "Sassari". On the same day the unit was renamed 45th Command and Tactical Supports Unit "Reggio". On 1 July 1859, during the Second Italian War of Independence, a Volunteer Battalion was formed in Modena. By 29 July, three volunteer battalions had been formed and the three battalions were used to form the 3rd Infantry Regiment. In August 1860, the regiment was assigned, together with the 4th Infantry Regiment, to the newly formed Brigade "Reggio" of the Army of the League of Central Italy. On 1 January 1860, the 3rd Infantry Regiment was renumbered 45th Infantry Regiment, and on 25 March 1860, the regiment joined the Royal Sardinian Army.
The 46th Infantry Regiment "Reggio" is an inactive unit of the Italian Army last based in Palermo. The regiment is named for the city of Reggio Emilia and part of the Italian Army's infantry arm. On 8 August 1859, a Volunteer Battalion was formed in Modena, which soon was assigned with two other volunteer battalions to the newly formed 4th Infantry Regiment. The new regiment was assigned, together with the 3rd Infantry Regiment, to the newly formed Brigade "Reggio" of the Army of the League of Central Italy. On 1 January 1860, the 4th Infantry Regiment was renumbered 46th Infantry Regiment, and on 25 March 1860, the regiment joined the Royal Sardinian Army.
The Armistice of Villafranca, concluded by Napoleon III of France and Franz Joseph I of Austria on July 11, 1859, set the stage for the end of the Second Italian War of Independence.
The 37th Infantry Regiment "Ravenna" is an inactive unit of the Italian Army last based in Bologna. The regiment is named for the city of Ravenna and part of the Italian Army's infantry arm. On 31 May 1859, two regiments were formed in Arezzo for the Second Italian War of Independence. During the war the two regiments occupied Rimini, where the regiments were assigned to the XI Brigade, which was soon renamed Brigade "Ravenna". On 1 January 1860, the two regiments were renumbered 37th Infantry Regiment and 38th Infantry Regiment, and on 25 March 1860, the regiments joined the Royal Sardinian Army.
The 30th Infantry Regiment "Pisa" is an inactive unit of the Italian Army last based in Montorio Veronese. The regiment is named for the city of Pisa and part of the Italian Army's infantry arm. The regiment was one of five line infantry regiments formed by the Provisional Government of Tuscany on 5 May 1859 during the Second Italian War of Independence. In 1860, the regiment joined the Royal Sardinian Army. In 1866, the 30th Infantry Regiment participated in the Third Italian War of Independence and in 1911–12, it fought in the Italo-Turkish War. In World War I the regiment fought on the Italian front.
The 33rd Infantry Regiment "Livorno" is an inactive unit of the Italian Army last based in Fogliano Redipuglia. The regiment is named for the city of Livorno and part of the Italian Army's infantry arm. The regiment was one of five line infantry regiments formed by the Provisional Government of Tuscany on 5 May 1859 during the Second Italian War of Independence. In 1860, the regiment joined the Royal Sardinian Army. In 1866, the 33rd Infantry Regiment participated in the Third Italian War of Independence. In World War I the regiment fought on the Italian front.
