Timeline / 1830 to 1870 / ITALY
Date
Country
Theme
1831 - 1835
Italy
Music, Literature, Dance And Fashion
Once Rossini has left the stage, his place is taken by Gaetano Donizetti (1797–
1848) and Vincenzo Bellini (1801–1835). They introduce the new romantic spirit
into melodrama and establish a tighter link between words and music. Their style is
characterised by greater attention to the psychology of the different characters.
1831
Italy
Political Context
Giuseppe Mazzini founds the republican movement for national unification, Giovine
Italia (Young Italy).
1835 - 1837
Italy
Reforms And Social Changes
For the first time, a cholera epidemic hits Italy, killing more than 140,000 (26,000
in Palermo and 19,600 in Naples). Its causes remain unknown until the 1880s. Its
spread is favoured by poor sanitation in urban centres. Cholera epidemics hit poor
people especially and often occasion social unrest.
1837 - 1840
Italy
Great Inventions Of The 19th Century
Naples and Turin are the first Italian towns to have gas street lightning.
1839
Italy
Great Inventions Of The 19th Century
First Italian railway line (Napoli–Portici, 8 km). In the following years, other railway
lines are inaugurated in other Italian states, e.g. Milano–Monza (1840), PisaLivorno (1844), Padova–Venezia (1846), Torino–Moncalieri (1848). Political
fragmentation is an obstacle to the construction of long railway lines.
1842
Italy
Music, Literature, Dance And Fashion
Date
Country
Theme
Triumph of Nabuccodonosor by Giuseppe Verdi (1831–1901) at La Scala Theatre
(Milan): it marks the appearance of a new operatic style, in which both voice and
music show an entirely new heroic passion and strength.
1842
Italy
Travelling
A seaside hostel is opened in Viareggio (Tuscany) for the treatment of children
affected by tuberculosis (the first of its kind in Italy). In Tuscany, experiments of
“marine therapy” for children started in the 1820s. By 1882, 21 seaside hostels for
medical purposes are active in Italy.
1843
Italy
Travelling
First bathing establishment created in Rimini.
1847 - 1848
Italy
Great Inventions Of The 19th Century
First Italian telegraph line (Florence–Pisa–Livorno).
1848
Italy
Music, Literature, Dance And Fashion
Donizetti dies and Verdi remains the only heir to the Italian melodrama, which is
increasingly identified with the Risorgimento movement, becoming a “sound track”
of the Italian fight for independence and unification.
1848 - 1849
Italy
Political Context
Uprisings in different parts of Italy demand constitutional rule and national
unification. In Rome and Venice, short-lived republics are proclaimed. King Carlo
Alberto (Kingdom of Sardinia) grants a constitution and wages war against the
Austrian Empire, but he is defeated.
1850 - 1855
Italy
Fine And Applied Arts
The painters of the School of Posillipo (Naples) develop a new style of more
natural observation of landscapes and everyday life.
1850s - 1860s
Italy
Travelling
Date
Country
Theme
Mountaineering on the Alps becomes a sport and tourism activity. Local people
had always climbed mountains. Since the end of the 18th century, scientists had
started exploring the Alps for scientific purposes (Mont Blanc was first climbed
in 1786). In 1857, Irish mountaineer John Ball starts climbing the Dolomites and
writing guidebooks about them.
1851 - 1853
Italy
Music, Literature, Dance And Fashion
Verdi composes the so-called popular trilogy (Rigoletto, Il trovatore and La
traviata), consolidating his fame and reaching full musical and dramatical maturity.
1852
Italy
Political Context
Cavour (Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour, 1810–61), the architect of the diplomatic
strategies that allowed Italian unification, becomes prime minister of the Kingdom
of Sardinia (he will remain prime minister until his death).
1854
Italy
Fine And Applied Arts
Leopoldo Alinari, with his brothers Romualdo and Giuseppe, opens in Florence one
of the first photography workshope – Fratelli Alinari.
1855
Italy
Rediscovering The Past
Inauguration of the Egyptian Museum in Florence. The bulk of its holdings are the
items collected by Ippolito Rossellini during the 1828–29 Franco-Tuscan expedition
to Egypt, together with the Egyptian antiquities that the Medici family had collected
during the 18th century.
1855
Italy
Political Context
The Kingdom of Sardinia participates in the Crimean war as part of the AngloFrench alliance against Russia.
Date
Country
Theme
1855
Italy
Fine And Applied Arts
The Caffé Michelangelo in Florence becomes a meeting place for artists and
republican intellectuals close to Giuseppe Mazzini, in opposition to academic and
official environments.
1858
Italy
International Exhibitions
An industrial exhibition is held in Turin.
1859 - 1861
Italy
Political Context
The Kingdom of Sardinia, backed by France, wages war against the Austrian
Empire and annexes Milan. Pro-unification insurrections in central Italy; Garibaldi
leads an expedition of 1,000 volunteers in Southern Italy. Italy is unified under King
Victor Emanuel II (formerly King of Sardinia) as a constitutional monarchy.
1859
Italy
Reforms And Social Changes
The Casati Law is passed in the Kingdom of Sardinia (and in 1860 extended to the
rest of Italy) that defines the organisation of the educational system, from primary
school to university. The system is aimed more at educating the ruling elite than
the illiterate masses. Humanities are given a much higher status than scientific and
technical education.
1860
Italy
Cities And Urban Spaces
The unification of Italy leads to urban expansion outside the old city walls, which
have lost their defensive value. Medieval urban buildings are often demolished in
order to build monumental architecture.
1860 - 1870
Italy
Fine And Applied Arts
In opposition to academic painting, the Macchiaioli movement (Telemaco Signorini,
Vincenzo Cabianca and Silvestro Lega) experiments with “spot painting”, based on
the strong contrast between light and shadow.
1860
Italy
Political Context
The right to vote is reserved for a small elite of men who have certain levels of
income and education: only 2.2% of the Italians can vote.
Date
Country
Theme
1861
Italy
International Exhibitions
First Italian National Exhibition of Agricultural and Industrial Products and Fine Arts
opens in Florence.
1861
Italy
Rediscovering The Past
The pre-unification laws on the protection of cultural heritage of the individual
Italian states remain in force even after unification. Until 1902, different Italian
regions are thus subject to different disciplines.
1862
Italy
Economy And Trade
Law on the unification of currencies passed: the lira becomes the Italian currency.
1863
Italy
Travelling
The Club Alpino Italiano is founded in Turin. Its goal is “to promote the knowledge
of mountains, and especially of Italian mountains, their ascent and scientific
expeditions”. In 25 years, membership reaches 4,500 with 34 local branches. By
1900 it had built 57 mountain huts.
1864
Italy
Reforms And Social Changes
A governmental survey reveals the existence of 443 friendly societies (Società di
mutuo soccorso), all located in Central and Northern Italy (Milan has 38 societies
with a total of 9,923 members, Turin 13 with 14,864 members). Their number
and membership grows considerably over time until the development of modern
welfare.
1865
Italy
Reforms And Social Changes
The new-born Italian state approves a civil code that places women in a
subordinate position in the family. Boys and girls can inherit equally, but married
women need “marital authorisation” to manage their property. Male and female
adultery are treated differently. The “defence of honour” is accepted as attenuating
circumstance in murder cases.
1865 - 1867
Italy
Reforms And Social Changes
The worst of the five cholera epidemics that hit Italy during the 19th century kills
more than 160,000. The most affected towns are always Naples and Palermo.
Date
Country
Theme
1866
Italy
Political Context
Italy participates in the Austro-Prussian War on the side of Prussia and annexes
Venice.
1866
Italy
Economy And Trade
A law confiscates the properties of religious orders and congregations, and
establishes a state fund to support the clergy and monks.
1867
Italy
Economy And Trade
Law on the abolition of religious bodies: the real estate properties of 25,000
religious bodies are auctioned.
1867
Italy
Political Context
Uprising in Rome demanding unification with Italy. At the same time, Garibaldi
leads an expedition of volunteers that enters the Papal States and tries to seize
Rome. Roman rebels are defeated and executed. Garibaldi is defeated by Papal
troops backed by a French expeditionary corps (France protects the Papal States).
1867
Italy
Reforms And Social Changes
Around 60 per cent of men and 80 per cent of women are unable to sign their
marriage certificate because they are unable to write.
1867
Italy
Travelling
Date
Country
Theme
The Società Geografica Italiana is founded. In 1869-70, it organises an exploratory
expedition to East Africa, in 1875 to Tunisia and in 1876 to Ethiopia. Many other
journeys to Africa, and also to Central Asia, South America and Papua follow. Such
travels generally combined scientific purposes and political agendas.
1868
Italy
Reforms And Social Changes
Gualberta Alaide Beccari (a feminist with republican ideas, much influenced by
Mazzini) founds the periodical La donna, which campaigns for women’s rights. La
donna’s main contributor is Anna Maria Mozzoni, who since 1865 had campaigned
against “marital authorisation” and for women’s right to vote.
1870
Italy
Cities And Urban Spaces
Renewal and urban modernisation of Rome starts with the opening of a long road
linking Porta Pia (where the Italian army broke into the city in 1870) to the Quirinale
Palace, residence of the King (formerly a papal palace). The headquarters of some
ministries are located along this road.