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Victor Emmanuel II of Italy

Turin, 14 Mar 1820 – Rome, 9 Jan 1878

13 facts3 sources

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About Victor

Victor Emmanuel II: From King of Sardinia to King of Italy

AI-assisted · edited

Victor Emmanuel II was born in Turin in 1820 and died in Rome in 1878; the collection records both dates as probable. His parents were Carlo Alberto I of Sardinia and Maria Theresa of Austria. 1234

He served as King of Sardinia and Duke of Savoy, then became Monarch of Italy. The collection describes him as King of Sardinia from 1849 to 1861 and King of Italy from 1861 to 1878. It also presents him as the first king of an independent, united Italy since the sixth century, although this summary is recorded as probable. 5678

Victor Emmanuel II was also head of the House of Savoy. His recorded unions were with Archduchess Adelaide of Austria and Rosa Vercellana. Italians came to call him the “Father of the Fatherland,” an epithet derived from the old Latin title Pater Patriae associated with Roman emperors. 910118

Drafted with AI and edited against the collection. Open a citation to see the record, its sources and how certain it is.

Facts and their sources

  • Born14 Mar 1820, Turinnot verified1 source
  • MarriedArchduchess Adelaide of Austrianot verified1 source
  • MarriedRosa Vercellananot verified1 source
  • TitleHead of the House of Savoyor King of Sardinia and Duke of Savoy, 1839–1861 · Monarch of Italy, 1861–1878not verified1 source
  • TitleKing of Sardinia and Duke of Savoy, 1839–1861or Monarch of Italy, 1861–1878 · Head of the House of Savoynot verified1 source
  • TitleMonarch of Italy, 1861–1878or King of Sardinia and Duke of Savoy, 1839–1861 · Head of the House of Savoynot verified1 source
  • Died9 Jan 1878, Romenot verified1 source
  • FatherCarlo Alberto I of Sardinianot verified1 source
  • MotherMaria Theresa of Austrianot verified1 source

A life in time

  1. 14 Mar 1820

    Born in Turin

  2. 1839–1861

    King of Sardinia and Duke of Savoy

  3. 1843–1866

    15 children are born

  4. 1861–1878

    Monarch of Italy

  5. 9 Jan 1878

    Dies in Rome, aged 57

Family

See the tree

Parents

Partners

Children · 15

During his lifetime

He lived through 6 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Turin.

General history, not a record about the family: each item says where it comes from.

The 1820s · Victor is born in Turin

Around the world1825–1830

The first passenger railway

In England a steam locomotive pulled the first public train in 1825; within decades railways crossed every continent.

At the table

Street foods costing one soldo

For a single soldo, the poor in Naples could purchase various street foods, such as slices of pizza, portions of fried fish known as fragaglia, or nine boiled chestnuts to eat with bread.

What people wore

Sorrento women's feast day attire

On feast days, peasant women in Sorrento wore bodices of damask with braided trim, styled their hair in a Chinese fashion, and wore a special pin called a spadella with a ribbon hanging down their necks.

Getting around

Climbing Mount Etna by horse and carriage

To climb Mount Etna, travelers would depart Catania by carriage for Nicolosi, then ride horses to the Casa degli inglesi, arriving at midnight. From there, they trekked 1.5 hours before dawn to reach the summit to witness the sunrise.

What it cost

Food prices for daily necessities

Bread cost 6 grana per rotolo (approx. 890 grams), while beef cost 16 grana and a liter of wine was 3 grana. Pasta was a staple, with machine-made pasta costing 7 grana and finer varieties reaching 8 grana per rotolo.

Music

The tarantella: a dance of courtship

Ordinary people danced the tarantella, a passionate courtship dance that viewers saw as a living poem of love. It was performed by young people using castanets and tambourines, often accompanied by singing.

Daily life

Limited water and sanitation infrastructure

Public infrastructure for water was inadequate, leading households to rely on cisterns or local wells, with communities strictly distinguishing between water used for drinking and water used for animals or washing. In towns without sewer systems, private homes generally had no toilets.