Massimo d'Azeglio

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. His brother was Luigi Taparelli – Jesuit priest.

Massimo d'Azeglio studied at University of Turin. Training under Martin Verstappen and Giorgio Bidone is recorded. The recorded working language is Italian. Places of work recorded in the authority are Turin and Lierna. Positions recorded include Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Sardinia and minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Sardinia. Works named in the authority record are Traveling from Varenna to Lierna (d'Azeglio). Work by Massimo d'Azeglio is recorded in the collections of Galleria d'arte moderna di Milano, Turin Civic Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art, Pinacoteca di Brera, National Museum of Fine Arts, Argentina and Museo Manzoniano. Distinctions recorded are Grand Cross of the Order of Christ, Order of Saint Joseph, Grand Cross of the Order of the Redeemer and Knight Grand Cross in the Order of the Netherlands Lion.

• Name — Massimo d'Azeglio • Honorific Suffix — OSML, MOS, COS, LH • Office — Senator of the Kingdom of Italy • Monarch — Victor Emmanuel II • Term Start — 20 October 1853 • Term End — 15 January 1866 • Office1 — Prime Minister of Sardinia • Monarch1 — Victor Emmanuel II • Term Start1 — 7 May 1849 • Term End1 — 4 November 1852 • Predecessor1 — Claudio Gabriele de Launay • Successor1 — The Count of Cavour • Office2 — Member of the Chamber of Deputies of the Kingdom of Sardinia • Term Start2 — 8 May 1848 • Term End2 — 20 October 1853 • Constituency2 — Strambino • Born — 24 October 1798 • Birthplace — Turin, Kingdom of Sardinia • Died — 15 January 1866 • Place of death — Turin, Italy • Party — Historical Right • Children — Alessandra Taparelli • Parents — Cesare Taparelli and Cristina Morozzo • Education — University of Turin • Occupation — Soldier, writer, painter • Branch — Kingdom of Sardinia • Service Years — 1815; 1848–1849 • Rank — Colonel • Unit — 2nd Cavalry Regiment • Battles — First Italian War of Independence

Massimo Taparelli, Marquis d'Azeglio, was born in Turin on 24 October 1798. He was descended from an ancient and noble Piedmontese family. His father, Cesare d'Azeglio, an officer in the Royal Sardinian Army, held a high position at court. On the return of Pope Pius VII to Rome after the abdication of Napoleon, Cesare was sent as special envoy to the Holy See and took his son, then sixteen years of age, with him as an extra attaché. Young Massimo was given a commission in a cavalry regiment, which he soon relinquished on account of his health. During his residence in Rome, Massimo acquired a love for art and music and decided to become a painter, to the horror of his conservative, aristocratic family. His father reluctantly consented, and Massimo settled in Rome, devoting himself to art.

• Illustration — D'Azeglio in Life on the Lake with a Boat He led an abstemious life in Rome, maintaining himself by painting Romantic landscapes which frequently included historical subjects. He also painted scenes for a self-composed opera. In 1830 he returned to Turin and, after his father's death in 1831, moved to Milan. He resided in Milan for twelve years, moving in the city's literary and artistic circles and, in 1834, helped to organise the Salotto Maffei salon, hosted by Clara Maffei. He became an intimate of Alessandro Manzoni the novelist, whose daughter he married. At that point, literature instead of art became his chief occupation; he produced two historical novels, Niccolò dei Lapi and Ettore Fieramosca, in imitation of Walter Scott. The novels had a strong political context, with d'Azeglio aiming to illustrate the evils of foreign domination in Italy and to reawaken national feeling. In 1845, d'Azeglio visited Romagna as an unauthorized political envoy, to report on its conditions and the troubles which he foresaw would break out on the death of Pope Gregory XVI. The following year he published his famous pamphlet Degli ultimi casi di Romagna at Florence; as a consequence of this he was expelled from Tuscany. He spent the next few months in Rome, sharing the general enthusiasm over the supposed liberalism of the new pope, Pius IX; like Vincenzo Gioberti he believed in an Italian confederation under papal auspices and was opposed to the Radical wing of the Liberal party. His political activity increased and he wrote various other pamphlets, among which was I lutti di Lombardia (1848). On the outbreak of the First Italian War of Independence, d'Azeglio donned the Papal uniform and took part under General Giovanni Durando in the defence of Vicenza, where he was severely wounded. He retired to Florence to recover, but as he opposed the ruling democrats he was expelled from Tuscany a second time. He was now a famous man, and early in 1849 King Charles Albert of Sardinia, invited him to form a cabinet. Realizing how impossible it was to renew the campaign, but "not having the heart to sign, in such wretched internal and external conditions, a treaty of peace with Austria" (Correspondance politique, by E Rendu), he refused.

• Illustration — Portrait of Massimo d'Azeglio by Francesco Hayez, (1864) After the defeat at the Battle of Novara (23 March 1849), Charles Albert abdicated and was succeeded by Victor Emmanuel II. D'Azeglio was again called on to form a cabinet; this time, although the situation was even more difficult, he accepted, concluded a peace treaty, dissolved the Chamber and summoned a new one to ratify it. The treaty was accepted and d'Azeglio continued in office for the next three years. While all the rest of Italy was prey to despotism, in Piedmont, the king maintained the constitution intact in the face of a general wave of reaction. D'Azeglio conducted the country's affairs with tact and ability, and improved its diplomatic relations. With his top aide Cavour taking the lead legislation passed weakening the powers of the Church to own land, control the schools and supervise marriage laws. When the bishops protested they were punished or exiled, inspiring liberal anticlerical elements across Italy. D'Azeglio invited Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour, then a rising young politician, to enter the ministry in 1850. Cavour and Luigi Carlo Farini, also a member of the cabinet, made certain declarations in the Chamber (May 1852) which led the ministry in the direction of an alliance with Urbano Rattazzi and the Left. D'Azeglio disapproved of this and resigned office, but on the king's request formed a new ministry, excluding both Cavour and Farini. In October, however, owing to ill health and dissatisfaction with some of his colleagues, and for other reasons not quite clear, he resigned once more and retired, suggesting to the king that Cavour should be his successor.

• Illustration — D'Azeglio at Museo Civico di Torino For the next four years he lived modestly at Turin, devoting himself once more to art, although he also continued to take an active interest in politics. Cavour continued to consult him. In 1855 d'Azeglio was appointed director of the Galleria Sabauda. In 1859 he was given various political missions, including one to Paris and London to prepare the basis for a general congress of the powers on Italian affairs. When war between Piedmont and Austria appeared inevitable, he returned to Italy and was sent by Cavour as royal commissioner to Romagna, whence the papal troops had been expelled. After the Armistice of Villafranca, d'Azeglio was recalled with orders to withdraw the Piedmontese garrisons, but saw the danger of allowing papal troops to reoccupy the province, and after a severe struggle left Bologna without the troops and interviewed the king. The latter approved of his action and said that his orders had not been accurately expressed; thus Romagna was saved. That same year d'Azeglio published a pamphlet in French entitled De la Politique et du droit chrétien au point de vue de la question italienne, with the object of inducing Napoleon III to continue his pro-Italian policy. Early in 1860, Cavour appointed him governor of Milan, evacuated by the Austrians after the Battle of Magenta, a position which he held with great ability. However, disapproving of the government's policy with regard to Garibaldi's Expedition of the Thousand and regarding the occupation by Piedmont of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies as inopportune, he resigned office. The deaths of his two brothers in 1862 and of Cavour in 1861 caused d'Azeglio great grief; he subsequently led a comparatively retired life, but continued to take part in politics, both as deputy and writer, his two chief subjects of interest being the Roman question and the relations of Piedmont (now the Kingdom of Italy) with Mazzini and the other revolutionaries. In his opinion Italy needed to be unified using the Franco-Piedmontese army alone, avoiding any connection with the other armies. He continued to hold that the pope should enjoy nominal sovereignty over Rome with full spiritual independence, with the capital of Italy being established elsewhere but the Romans being Italian citizens. He strongly disapproved of the September Convention of 1864 between the Italian government and the pope. The last few years of d'Azeglio's life were spent chiefly at his villa of Cannero, where he wrote his memoirs. He died of fever in Turin on 15 January 1866.

D'Azeglio played a significant role in the rehabilitation of Piedmont after the chaos of the 1848–49 revolutions. He had a low opinion of the people of Italy, who, he declared "were 20 per cent stupid rascally and bold, 80 per cent stupid, honest and timid, and such a people has the government it deserves." He became Prime Minister in 1849, despite a lack of experience or enthusiasm. Bored by debates in Parliament, he had unexpected strengths. He was honest and clear-sighted, widely admired both at home and abroad, displaying wisdom and moderation that were crucial for consolidating the parliamentary system in his kingdom. He convinced the king to accept constitutional government, with the proviso the King could control military and foreign policy without parliamentary interference.

A prestigious Liceo classico founded in 1831 in his hometown of Turin was later renamed in his honour. The Liceo classico Massimo d'Azeglio has a notable place in Italian history as the alma mater of author Primo Levi, novelist Cesare Pavese, screenwriter Tullio Pinelli, and anti-fascist intellectuals such as publisher Giulio Einaudi (son of future President Luigi Einaudi), Norberto Bobbio, and writer and teacher Leone Ginzburg. Juventus Football Club was founded by its students in 1897. There is a poetry contest organized by a cultural organization in Puglia (Italian region) named after D'Azeglio.

• Illustration — The Battle of Legnano, 1831 • Illustration — Una Vendetta, 1835 • Illustration — Astolfo debella le arpie, 1835 • Illustration — Combattimento di Rinaldo e Gradasso, 1839 • Illustration — The Death of Zerbino, 1839 • Illustration — Arabs on Horseback, 1840

Massimo d'Azeglio was recorded at birth as Massimo Taparelli. The authorities additionally record the headings Massimo D'Azeglio, Massimo Tapparelli Azeglio, Massimo, Marchese D'Azeglio, Massimo Taparelli d' Azeglio and Massimo Taparelli, Marchese D'Azeglio. His recorded language was Italian. He was the child of Cesare Taparelli d'Azeglio. He married Giulia Manzoni and Luisa Blondel. Other recorded relations include Alessandro Manzoni.

Recorded positions include Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Sardinia, minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Sardinia, senator of the Kingdom of Sardinia, member of the Chamber of Deputies of the Kingdom of Sardinia and prefect of Milan. He belonged to Society of Dilettanti and Accademia Tiberina. He worked at Turin and Lierna.

Massimo d'Azeglio is recorded as having received Grand Cross of the Order of Christ, Order of Saint Joseph and Grand Cross of the Order of the Redeemer.