Massimo d'Azeglio

Massimo d'Azeglio
Portrait of D'Azeglio by Francesco Gonin, 1850
Senator of the Kingdom of Italy
In office
20 October 1853 – 15 January 1866
MonarchVictor Emmanuel II
Prime Minister of Sardinia
In office
7 May 1849 – 4 November 1852
MonarchVictor Emmanuel II
Preceded byClaudio Gabriele de Launay
Succeeded byThe Count of Cavour
Member of the Chamber of Deputies
of the Kingdom of Sardinia
In office
8 May 1848 – 20 October 1853
ConstituencyStrambino
Personal details
Born(1798-10-24)24 October 1798
Turin, Kingdom of Sardinia
Died15 January 1866(1866-01-15) (aged 67)
Turin, Italy
Political partyHistorical Right
Spouse
Giulia Claudia Manzoni
(m. 1831; died 1834)
ChildrenAlessandra Taparelli
Parent(s)Cesare Taparelli and Cristina Morozzo
Alma materUniversity of Turin
ProfessionSoldier, writer, painter
Military service
Branch/service Royal Sardinian Army
Years of service1815; 1848–1849
RankColonel
Unit2nd Cavalry Regiment
Battles/wars1st Italian War of Independence

Massimo Taparelli, Marquess of Azeglio (24 October 1798 – 15 January 1866), commonly called Massimo d'Azeglio (Italian: [ˈmassimo tapaˈrɛlli dadˈdzeʎʎo]), was a Piedmontese-Italian statesman, novelist, and painter. He was Prime Minister of Sardinia for almost three years until succeeded by his rival Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour. D'Azeglio was a moderate liberal and member of the Moderate Party associated with the Historical Right. He hoped for a federal union between Italian states.[1][2][3][4]

As Prime Minister, d'Azeglio consolidated the parliamentary system, getting the young King Victor Emmanuel II to accept his constitutional status, and worked hard for a peace treaty with Austria. Although himself a Roman Catholic, he introduced freedom of worship, supported public education, and sought to reduce the power of the clergy in local political affairs. As a senator, following the annexation of the United Provinces of Central Italy, Azeglio attempted to solve the Roman Question through reconciliation between the Vatican and the new Italian Kingdom. His brother was a Jesuit priest.[5]

  1. ^ Rapport, Michael (2005). Nineteenth-Century Europe. Macmillan International Higher Education. p. 165.
  2. ^ Matsumoto-Best, Saho (2003). Britain and the Papacy in the Age of Revolution, 1846–1851. Boydell & Brewer. p. 23.
  3. ^ Romani, Roberto (2018). Sensibilities of the Risorgimento: Reason and Passions in Political Thought. BRILL. p. 193.
  4. ^ Marrone, Gaetana (2007). Encyclopedia of Italian Literary Studies: A-J. Taylor & Francis. p. 573.
  5. ^ "I miei ricordi" (PDF). Letteratura Italiana (in Italian). Retrieved 24 April 2024.[dead link]