Massimo d'Azeglio facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Massimo d'Azeglio
OSML, MOS, COS, LH
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Portrait of D'Azeglio by Francesco Gonin, 1850
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| Senator of the Kingdom of Italy | |
| In office 20 October 1853 – 15 January 1866 |
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| Monarch | Victor Emmanuel II |
| Prime Minister of Sardinia | |
| In office 7 May 1849 – 4 November 1852 |
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| Monarch | Victor Emmanuel II |
| Preceded by | Claudio Gabriele de Launay |
| Succeeded by | The Count of Cavour |
| Member of the Chamber of Deputies of the Kingdom of Sardinia |
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| In office 8 May 1848 – 20 October 1853 |
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| Constituency | Strambino |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 24 October 1798 Turin, Kingdom of Sardinia |
| Died | 15 January 1866 (aged 67) Turin, Italy |
| Political party | Historical Right |
| Spouse |
Giulia Claudia Manzoni
(m. 1831; died 1834) |
| Children | Alessandra Taparelli |
| Parents | Cesare Taparelli and Cristina Morozzo |
| Alma mater | University of Turin |
| Profession | Soldier, writer, painter |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service |  Royal Sardinian Army |
| Years of service | 1815; 1848–1849 |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Unit | 2nd Cavalry Regiment |
| Battles/wars | 1st Italian War of Independence |
Massimo Taparelli, Marquess of Azeglio (born October 24, 1798 – died January 15, 1866), often called Massimo d'Azeglio, was an important Italian figure. He was a statesman (a leader in government), a writer who wrote novels, and a painter. He served as the Prime Minister of Sardinia for almost three years. His rival, Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour, later took his place.
D'Azeglio believed in liberal ideas, which meant he supported freedom and individual rights. He was part of the Moderate Party. He hoped that the different Italian states could join together in a federal union, like a group of states working together. As Prime Minister, d'Azeglio helped make the government work better. He convinced the young King Victor Emmanuel II to accept his role in a constitutional system. He also worked hard to make peace with Austria. Even though he was a Roman Catholic, he brought in freedom of worship. He also supported public education and tried to reduce the power of church leaders in local politics. Later, as a senator, he tried to solve the "Roman Question." This was about how the Vatican and the new Italian Kingdom could get along. His brother was a Jesuit priest.
Contents
Early Life and Artistic Journey
Massimo Taparelli, who was a Marquis (a type of noble title), was born in Turin on October 24, 1798. He came from a very old and important family in Piedmont, a region in Italy. His father, Cesare d'Azeglio, was an officer in the Royal Sardinian Army and held a high position in the royal court.
When Pope Pius VII returned to Rome after Napoleon left power, Cesare was sent as a special messenger. He took his son, Massimo, who was sixteen, with him. Young Massimo was given a job in a cavalry (horseback soldiers) regiment. However, he soon left because of his health. While living in Rome, Massimo fell in love with art and music. He decided he wanted to become a painter. This decision shocked his traditional, noble family. His father finally agreed, and Massimo stayed in Rome to focus on his art.
Starting a Political Path
In Rome, Massimo lived a simple life, earning money by painting Romantic landscapes. These paintings often showed historical scenes. He even painted backdrops for an opera he wrote himself. In 1830, he went back to Turin. After his father passed away in 1831, he moved to Milan. He lived in Milan for twelve years, spending time with writers and artists. In 1834, he helped start the Salotto Maffei, a famous meeting place for artists and writers.
He became very close friends with the famous novelist Alessandro Manzoni. Massimo later married Manzoni's daughter. At this point, writing became more important to him than painting. He wrote two historical novels, Niccolò dei Lapi and Ettore Fieramosca. These books were inspired by the style of Walter Scott. The novels had a strong political message. D'Azeglio wanted to show how bad it was for foreign powers to control Italy. He also wanted to make Italians feel proud of their country again.
In 1845, d'Azeglio visited Romagna as an unofficial political messenger. He wanted to see what was happening there and warn about problems he thought would happen when Pope Gregory XVI died. The next year, he published a famous book called Degli ultimi casi di Romagna in Florence. Because of this, he was forced to leave Tuscany. He spent the next few months in Rome. Like many others, he was excited about the new pope, Pope Pius IX, who seemed to support liberal ideas. D'Azeglio believed Italy should be a group of states led by the Pope. He did not agree with the more extreme part of the Liberal party. His political work grew, and he wrote other books, including I lutti di Lombardia (1848).
When the First Italian War of Independence began, d'Azeglio joined the Papal army. He fought under General Giovanni Durando to defend Vicenza, where he was badly wounded. He went to Florence to get better. However, he was against the democratic leaders there, so he was forced to leave Tuscany a second time. By now, he was famous. In early 1849, King Charles Albert of Sardinia asked him to form a government. D'Azeglio knew it was impossible to continue the war. But he felt he couldn't sign a peace treaty with Austria given the bad situation. So, he refused the king's offer.
Leading Sardinia as Prime Minister
After the defeat at the Battle of Novara on March 23, 1849, King Charles Albert stepped down. His son, Victor Emmanuel II, became king. D'Azeglio was asked again to form a government. This time, even though things were harder, he accepted. He signed a peace treaty, closed the Chamber (like a parliament), and called for a new one to approve the treaty. The treaty was accepted, and d'Azeglio stayed in office for the next three years.
While other parts of Italy were under strict rule, in Piedmont, the king kept the constitution. D'Azeglio managed the country's affairs with skill and improved its relationships with other nations. With his main helper, Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour, leading the way, new laws were passed. These laws reduced the power of the Church to own land, control schools, and oversee marriage. When church leaders protested, some were punished or sent away. This inspired liberal groups across Italy who wanted less church influence.
In 1850, d'Azeglio invited Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour, who was a rising young politician, to join his government. Cavour and Luigi Carlo Farini, another government member, made some statements in the Chamber in May 1852. These statements suggested an alliance with Urbano Rattazzi and the Left political group. D'Azeglio did not approve of this and resigned. But the king asked him to form a new government, this time without Cavour and Farini. However, in October, because of his health and unhappiness with some of his colleagues, he resigned again. He suggested to the king that Cavour should take his place.
Life After Being Prime Minister
For the next four years, d'Azeglio lived simply in Turin. He went back to painting, but he also stayed interested in politics. Cavour continued to ask for his advice. In 1855, d'Azeglio was made director of the Galleria Sabauda, an art gallery. In 1859, he was given several political tasks. One was to go to Paris and London to prepare for a big meeting of world powers about Italian issues.
When war between Piedmont and Austria seemed certain, he returned to Italy. Cavour sent him to Romagna as a royal commissioner. This was after the Pope's soldiers had been forced out of the area. After the Armistice of Villafranca (a ceasefire), d'Azeglio was told to remove the Piedmontese soldiers. But he saw the danger of letting the Pope's soldiers take over the province again. After a difficult struggle, he left Bologna without the soldiers and spoke with the king. The king approved of his actions and said his orders had not been clear. This way, Romagna was saved for Italy.
That same year, d'Azeglio published a book in French. It was called De la Politique et du droit chrétien au point de vue de la question italienne. He wrote it to convince Napoleon III (the French emperor) to keep supporting Italy. In early 1860, Cavour made him governor of Milan. The Austrians had left Milan after the Battle of Magenta. D'Azeglio did a great job in this role. However, he didn't agree with the government's plans for Garibaldi's Expedition of the Thousand. He also thought that Piedmont taking over the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies was not a good idea at that time. So, he resigned from his position.
The deaths of his two brothers in 1862 and Cavour in 1861 made d'Azeglio very sad. After this, he lived a more private life. But he still took part in politics as a lawmaker and a writer. His two main interests were the "Roman question" and how Piedmont (now the Kingdom of Italy) should deal with Mazzini and other revolutionaries. He believed Italy should be united only by the French and Piedmontese armies, without involving other groups. He still thought the Pope should be the leader of Rome, with full spiritual freedom. But he believed Italy's capital should be somewhere else, and Romans should be Italian citizens. He strongly disagreed with the September Convention of 1864 between the Italian government and the Pope. The last few years of d'Azeglio's life were spent mostly at his home in Cannero. There, he wrote his memoirs (his life story). He passed away from a fever in Turin on January 15, 1866.
Massimo d'Azeglio's Impact as a Politician
D'Azeglio played a very important part in helping Piedmont recover after the difficult revolutions of 1848–49. He became Prime Minister in 1849, even though he didn't have much experience or desire for the job. He found parliamentary debates boring. But he had unexpected strengths: he was honest and clear-thinking. People in Italy and other countries admired him. His wisdom and moderate approach were key to making the parliamentary system strong in his kingdom. He convinced the king to accept a government with a constitution. This meant the king would follow certain rules, though he could still control military and foreign policy without the parliament's direct involvement.
Writings and Legacy
Besides many newspaper articles and pamphlets, d'Azeglio's main works are his two novels: Ettore Fieramosca (1833) and Niccolò dei Lapi (1841). He also wrote a book of his life memories called I Miei Ricordi (D'Azeglio Memoirs). This book was published after he died in 1866, but it was not finished. A famous quote from his memoirs is: "L'Italia è fatta. Restano da fare gli italiani". This means, "We have made Italy. Now we must make Italians." His landscape paintings influenced other artists like Salvatore Mazza and Luigi Riccardi.
A famous high school, called a Liceo classico, was founded in 1831 in his hometown of Turin. It was later renamed in his honor as the Liceo classico Massimo d'Azeglio. This school is important in Italian history because many famous people studied there. These include the author Primo Levi, novelist Cesare Pavese, and screenwriter Tullio Pinelli. Many who fought against fascism, like publisher Giulio Einaudi and writer Leone Ginzburg, also went there. The Juventus Football Club was started by students from this school in 1897. There is also a poetry contest named after D'Azeglio in a cultural group in Puglia, an Italian region.
Honors
- Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold, 1851.
- Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus.
See also
- List of Prime Ministers of the Kingdom of Sardinia
- Luigi Taparelli (1793–1862), his brother, an Italian Jesuit scholar who created the term social justice
Images for kids
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D'Azeglio's painting Life on the Lake with a Boat
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D'Azeglio painted by Francesco Hayez, 1860
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D'Azeglio's memoirs at Museo Civico di Torino
