The 19th century is one of nationalism; after 1848, Italy and Germany worked towards their unity. Cavour was the political architect of the Risorgimento, this “resurrection” of Italy’s cultural roots – through literature, painting, or music – that transformed the “Italian geographical expression” (a definition attributed to the Austrian Chancellor von Metternich) into political reality.
At the heart of the unrest sweeping through all the Italian provinces, while Mazzini’s republican forces dream of an Italian Republic, an idea also embraced by Giuseppe Garibaldi, Cavour wanted unity to be centered around his King and a parliamentary monarchy. From 1859 to 1861, through war or diplomacy, most Italian regions joined the brand-new Kingdom of Italy, and on March 24, 1860, Turin ceded Nice and Savoy to France, in exchange for the military support provided by Napoleon III against the Austrians.
Cavour passed away on June 6, 1861.
Italian unity was later completed in 1870, after the annexation of the Papal States and Rome following a new war against Austria and the French defeat at Sedan, and was finally concluded after World War I with the assignment to Italy of the territories of Trento and Trieste.
Ambassador (a.r.) Luigi Guidobono Cavalchini had a long and prestigious diplomatic career, taking on responsibilities at the European Community and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where he served as Secretary-General.
He was also a diplomatic adviser to the President of the Council of Ministers, Giulio Andreotti, and President of the ISPI (Institute for International Political Studies), the most prestigious Italian geopolitical think tank. Today, he oversees the destinies of the Museum of Contemporary Art at the Castle of Rivoli (a former royal site), the Alcide De Gasperi Foundation (named after the politician founder of the Christian Democracy and one of the fathers of Europe), and the IPALMO (Institute for Studies on Latin America and the Middle East).
