Cavour
Hi everyone! Today I will talk about one of the most important figures in Italian history: Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour. His name will surely sound familiar to you, but do you really know who he was?
Biography
Family and youth (up to 1843)
Cavour was born in Turin on August 10, 1810, during the period when the city was under French rule. His father, Marquis Michele Benso di Cavour, was a collaborator of the governor Prince Camillo Filippo Ludovico Borghese, who became the baptismal godfather of little Camillo. His mother, Adèle de Sellon, instead, belonged to a Calvinist family in Geneva.
Camillo grew up in an aristocratic and cosmopolitan environment, attending the best schools and faculties in Europe. In 1831, at the age of just 21, he began his diplomatic career at the Sardinian embassy in Paris, where he spent several years learning French and attending the salons of the Parisian nobility. In 1843, after carrying out some diplomatic missions in Istanbul and Bern, he decided to abandon his diplomatic career in order to devote himself to political life.
Political activity (1843-1850)
In 1843, Cavour became a member of the Sardinian Chamber of Deputies, where he immediately distinguished himself as one of the most brilliant exponents of the Historical Right. It was during this period that he began to develop his liberal ideas and his dream of unifying Italy under the Kingdom of Sardinia. In 1847, when the so-called Sicilian revolution broke out, Cavour openly supported the independence demands of the Sicilians, earning the esteem of the Italian people.
Minister and Prime Minister (1850-1860)
In 1850, Cavour was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Sardinia, a position that allowed him to give a turn to the country's foreign policy. Thanks to his skillful diplomatic maneuvers, he managed to forge an alliance with Napoleon III's France, which would lead to the birth of the Kingdom of Italy. In 1852, after a brief period as Minister of the Interior, Cavour became the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Sardinia, a role he held until 1859.
During his tenure, Cavour promoted numerous economic reforms, such as free trade and investments in railways and agriculture. In foreign policy, he consolidated the alliance with France and supported the expansionist policy of the Kingdom of Sardinia towards the Austrian Empire and the pre-unitary Italian states. In 1859, allied with France, he successfully concluded the Second Italian War of Independence, which allowed the Kingdom of Sardinia to annex Lombardy.
In 1860, after a brief hiatus away from power, Cavour was again appointed Prime Minister. During this period, he devoted himself to the management of the newly conquered territories and the preparation of the annexation of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. However, his mandate was interrupted by his sudden death on June 6, 1861, a few months after the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy.
Cavour's role in the Italian Risorgimento
Cavour was one of the main protagonists of the Italian Risorgimento, the political and cultural movement that led to the unification of the country. As I have already said, he was the main promoter of the foreign policy of the Kingdom of Sardinia and the alliance with France, which allowed the conquest of Lombardy and the birth of the Kingdom of Italy. However, his role was not limited to the construction of the unified state.
Cavour was also a convinced supporter of the ideal of freedom and civil and economic progress, which was reflected in his social and economic policies. Thanks to his reforms, the Italian economy experienced sustained growth and significant infrastructure projects were launched, such as the construction of the railway network and land reclamation.
However, his often critical attitude towards the Church and conservative traditions brought him into conflict with some sections of Italian society, especially those linked to the rural world. Moreover, his policy of territorial expansion aroused the reactions of Austria and the pre-unitary Italian governments, as demonstrated by the revolts that broke out in the Grand Duchy of Tuscany and the Duchies of Modena, Reggio, and Parma.
Criticisms and clashes with other exponents of the Risorgimento
However, not everyone was in favor of Cavour's policy. Many exponents of the republican movement, such as Giuseppe Mazzini, criticized his collaborative attitude towards France and accused him of favoring the monarchic ideology to the detriment of democracy. Furthermore, his uncompromising attitude towards Garibaldi and his followers, whom he saw as a potential threat to the country's stability, often brought him into conflict with the figure of the "champion of Italian rights."
Conclusion
In summary, Camillo Benso di Cavour was one of the central figures of the Italian Risorgimento and the history of our country. His foreign policy and economic reforms have marked Italy's history and led to the birth of the Kingdom of Italy. However, his figure has been the subject of debate and criticism by numerous exponents of the republican and democratic movement. In any case, his legacy is still tangible today, and his figure represents an essential reference point for understanding the history and evolution of our nation.
