Alfonso Ferrero La Marmora
A Piedmontese soldier-statesman who helped forge a united Italy, leading its armies and serving as its prime minister in the turbulent first decade of nationhood.
1804–1878 (age 74)·Italian general and politician·Birthday: November 18
Biography
Alfonso Ferrero La Marmora was a career soldier who found himself drafting the blueprint for a new nation. Hailing from a prominent military family in Turin—his brother founded the elite Bersaglieri corps—La Marmora rose through the ranks of the Kingdom of Sardinia's army. He was a modernizer, studying European military tactics and implementing reforms. When the wave of revolutions and wars for Italian unification swept the peninsula in the 1850s and 60s, he was at the forefront. He commanded Sardinian troops in the Crimean War, a diplomatic gambit to win European allies, and led a corps during the Second Italian War of Independence against Austria. His political acumen was as vital as his military skill; he served multiple terms as Prime Minister of Sardinia and, after 1861, of the newly proclaimed Kingdom of Italy. His tenure was marked by the immense challenges of stitching together disparate states, suppressing brigandage in the south, and navigating the delicate alliance with France. Though his final military command during the Third Italian War of Independence ended in a controversial defeat at Custoza, his lifelong dedication was to the institution—both army and state—that made Italy possible.
#1 When Alfonso Was Born
The biggest hits of 1804
Alfonso's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1804Born
1809Started school
1817Became a teenager
1820Could drive
1822Could vote
1825Turned 21
1834Turned 30
1844Turned 40
1854Turned 50
1864Turned 60
President: Abraham Lincoln
1874Turned 70
President: Ulysses S. Grant
1878Died at 74
President: Rutherford B. Hayes
Key Achievements
- Served as the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Italy twice (1864–1866) and previously as Prime Minister of Sardinia.
- Commanded the Italian IV Corps during the Third Italian War of Independence, though faced criticism for the defeat at the Battle of Custoza.
- Authored a detailed military study, 'Un po' più di luce sugli eventi politici e militari dell'anno 1866' (A Little More Light on the Political and Military Events of 1866), defending his actions.
- As Minister of War, he oversaw significant reforms and modernization of the Sardinian and later Italian armies.
Did You Know?
He was one of five brothers, all of whom served the Kingdom of Sardinia; Alessandro founded the Bersaglieri, and Alberto was a noted geologist and naturalist.
La Marmora was a skilled watercolorist, and many of his paintings depict military uniforms and scenes.
He initially opposed the controversial cession of Nice and Savoy to France as part of the deal for French support in unifying Italy.
The city of La Maddalena in Sardinia has a museum dedicated to him and his brother Alberto.
“The army's discipline is the foundation of the state's authority.”
