Charles Albert of Sardinia (Carlo Alberto di Savoia) - Piazza Carlo Alberto, Turin, Italy - Equestrian Statues on Waymarking.com

Bronze equestrian statue located in Piazza Carlo Alberto in Turin was dedicated here in 1861 and it is a work of a famous Italian sculptor Carlo Marochetti (1805-1867), who is also the author other famous equestrian statue of bronze equestrian statue of Richard the Lionheart located outside the Palace of Westminster in London.
It is the largest equestrian statue of Charles Albert. It depicts the king in his military uniform brandishing his sword in the air. At the sides of a pedestal of the monument there are four statues of soldiers of then Italia army and four alegoric statues of women.

Charles Albert of Sardinia / Carlo Alberto Amedeo (1798 – 1849)

He was born in Turin in 1798, to Charles Emmanuel of Savoy, "Prince of Carignan" and Maria Cristina of Saxony. His father was a fifth-generation descendant of Thomas Francis, Prince of Carignano, founder of the Savoy-Carignano line of the House of Savoy. Because none of the sons of Victor Amadeus III themselves had sons, Charles Albert was throughout his life known to be their likely successor on the throne of Sardinia.

He was educated in the intellectually liberal and Francophile atmosphere of Geneva, then in Paris during the First French Empire. Napoleon I of France named him lieutenant of the dragoons in 1814. After the fall of Napoleon, Charles Albert returned to Turin. Two mentors were entrusted with countering the dangerous ideas about national liberation Charles had learned in France. However, he continued to display some sympathies with liberals.

In 1821, as regent for the kingdom in the absence of the new king, Charles Felix (then in Modena), he conceded a constitution that was disavowed by the king, who sent him to join the French army in Spain to suppress the liberal revolution there and restore Ferdinand VII. He distinguished himself at the Battle of Trocadero in 1823, which annihilated hopes of a constitutional monarchy for Spain and also gained him the favour of Austria.

Charles Albert succeeded Charles Felix to the throne of Sardinia in 1831. Although an Italian patriot allegedly opposed to the Austrian hegemony in Northern Italy, he put down the Mazzini conspiracy. He introduced a series of reforms that abolished domestic customs barriers within the kingdom, promulgated a constitutional law code (Statuto Albertino) inspired to those of France and Belgium, and supported the arts and sciences.

During the Revolutions of 1848 he agreed to a constitutional regime that remained in place for the century that the Kingdom of Italy lasted. The same year he declared war on Austria, with the small army supported by volunteers from the whole of Italy. However, after his initial victories lost him the support of the Pope and the other Italian monarchs, he was defeated at Battle of Custoza (July 24, 1848), being forced to sign an armistice at Vigevano on August 9. When, pushed by the increasing influence of the Republicans in Piedmont, he attempted to resume the war the next year, the Piedmontese were again crushed by Radetzky's troops at Novara. Rather than redrawing the Statute, he abdicated in favour of his son, Victor Emmanuel fleeing in exile to Portugal.

He died at Porto the same year. His remains were transferred to the Basilica of Superga.

Identity of Rider: Charles Albert of Sardinia /Carlo Alberto di Savoia - (1798-1849) Name of artist: Carlo Marochetti (1805-1867) Date of Dedication: July 21, 1861 Material: Bronze Position: One Hoof Raised Identity of Horse: Not listed Unusual Features: Not listed

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Date Logged Log User Rating   08/12/2022 LaTourSombre visited it