Primavera d'Italia: War, Love and Revolution

[Tarabas]

Rome, 28 March 1848 - Palace of the Cardinal Vicar

"Your Eminence, I understand perfectly your instructions. My men will be on guard tomorrow, and they will manage to keep the order. " The Chief of the Roman Police was fidgeting a bit under the steely gaze of the Cardinal Vicar. "No organized demonstration is being planned for tomorrow, according to the informers on our payroll. However, we are aware that Rome is awash with broadsheets: half of them celebrate prince Ferdinand like a Julius Caesar reborn, and the other half recount the events in Palermo and revile king Ferdinand of Two Sicilies. Add to that that March is always a lean time of the year for the poorest people: granaries are almost empty, the more so since the last two harvests have been very bad. Wine in an empty stomach may become a very bad advisor."

Cardinal Patrizi Naro did not change his expression: " I rely on you and your men: keep the order at any cost. If there is the need to break a few heads, or a few dozens of them, do it: any unruliness must be nipped in the bud, before it grows too much. Riots might erupt near the Austrian embassy, or near the embassy of Two Sicilies: be prepared. I will order two regiments of horses to stand at the ready, for any eventuality. Another thing, Romano: see if there is any opportunity to arrest a few of the most notorious Jacobins, and to interrogate them thoroughly. Even better if they are not arrested on political charges: that kind of riff-raff is always mixed up with common criminals ."
Romano Balzaretti, Chief of the Roman Police could not avoid thinking that the laugh of his boss was pretty unpleasant, and that his eyes remained very cold. Even more worrying was the fact that Cardinal Patrizi Naro almost never took such a hands-on approach in police matters, considering them well below his dignity. Did he know something he didn't want to share?​

Rome, 28 March 1848 - A tavern in Trastevere, late at night (1)

Three young men sitting at a table, drinking cheap wine and discussing the news.
"Prince Settimo 's speech was great. I only wish I could have listened in person" said Cesare Costa, the intellectual of the group.

"I only wish I could see princess Maria Cristina: she is said to be beautiful, and that her eyes are sparkling jewels" . Giuseppe Monti, a young man with an eye for the ladies.
" And I wish I could be with general Ferrari, fighting against the Austrians. My father did not let me sign up with the Volunteers. Now they are in Veneto, covering themselves in glory, and flirting with the girls. They say the girls from Veneto are not shy at all." Gaetano Tognetti sighed deeply, regretting all the opportunities that had been denied to him.​

"Let's go to Trinita' dei Monti tomorrow. I am sure that there will be plenty of people around to celebrate the good news"
"Fine with me. I'll shout "Long live queen Maria Cristina!"

The non-described man sitting alone at a table not too distant feigned interest only in his glass of wine, but listened intently to the banter of the three young men. When they stood up to leave, he was mildly disappointed: nothing really actionable had been said, but the three men were worth additional attention. He knew two of them: count Cesare Costa was the son of a well-known aristocrat, highly regarded in the circles of the upper crust of Rome, but Cesare... Cesare was the black sheep of the family. His liberal (maybe even Jacobin) sympathies were not a secret, and anyway his preference for cheap taverns and commoners as friends would have been an obvious giveaway. The other man he knew, Gaetano, was an even better prospect for an informer. A notorious hot-head, he had openly agitated for the volunteer militia that was sent to the Legations, but his father - a dour artisan but also a very practical man - had vetoed his enrollment. Lucky for Gaetano, thought the informer: the wine sold in this tavern was lousy, but also cheap, and if he wanted a girl there were plenty of them in Rome. The third man was not from the city: his accent had made it clear, it sounded like a Bolognese one. Better look into the matter: he might have been sent from Bologna, or worse from Romagna, that notorious hotbed of revolutionaries. "Tomorrow I'll go to Trinita' dei Monti myself: something might come up", he thought, while taking the first real draught of wine of the whole night. Mario Omoboni was a petty criminal, with a sideline as a police informer: the pay was lousy, but at least the police did not look very seriously into his other other business. Unfortunately, to stay on the informers'payroll he needed to supply information to his handler.​

Rome, 29 March 1848 - Central Police Station

Romano Balzaretti had been up since before down to arrange everything: he took his duty very seriously. Informants had been interrogated: nothing untoward was reported. They were sent away to look for news. Police squads had been stationed in all critical points in the city, while the ones not needed for pickets were roaming the streets. Worse luck, today it doesn't looks like is going to rain, thought the Chief of Police: a nice downpour would have been the best kind of weather for a policeman. It would have kept most people home.
Luckily, nothing had happened: there were a lot of people on the streets, but they were in good spirits. It looked like an unofficial holiday. Mariano had just begun to congratulate himself for a job well done, when a runner arrived panting: " Chief, there is a riot at Trinita' dei Monti. There was a boy selling broadsides about the business in Sicily, and our men tried to sequester them. The crowd turned on them, and there were plenty of scuffles. Then someone shouted "Let's defend our women" , and all hell broke loose: stones were flying, and our squad had to hole up in a tavern. I was sent here for reinforcements, and on my way I saw a crowd in front of the embassy of Two Sicilies. Don't know what happened there".
What happened at the embassy was made clear by a second runner arriving soon after: "There was a crowd, shouting slogans. Viva Maria Cristina, Viva Ruggero Settimo, Viva Pio IX. Then they started to throw stones at the windows of the embassy, and someone from there shot a gun from a window, killing a man. There is a full riot now, and someone started sacking the shops on the street.

A few hours later, Romano Balzaretti was considering the full picture of a day of rioting: order had been re-established, but the dragoons had to charge the mob three times with sabres drawn, five men had died and more than thirty had been wounded. Probably quite a bit more than thirty, in the opinion of the Chief of Police: those who could get away on their own legs would have done it.
The damages had been extensive: Romano Balzaretti was not looking forward to his next reporting to Cardinal Patrizi Naro. For a moment, he deeply envied the ones who died in the streets that day: Saint Peter, or even the devil, could hardly be worse than his boss.​

Rome, Tognetti House - At dusk

Gaetano wearily opened the door of his family home: he was a little worse for wear, his clothes stained and ripped, small cuts on his face and arms. The excitement was slowly draining away, and all his body ached. It had been a glorious day, he thought: the Roman people demanding freedom, and he had been in the thick of it, doing his part. And he had never been afraid, not even when the dragoons charged: he was too fired up to be scared.
"It was about time." It was signora Maria Tognetti, Gaetano's mother, speaking. She was bearing her usual expression of contempt, the one who said very clearly "you got back home so late that is early".
Gaetano dutifully embraced her, and kissed the crown of her head: "Mother, I was..."
"I don't want to know. No need to tell. Sit down here, let me tidy you up a bit, before your father sees you. Looks like you slept in a cage packed with lions."
Signora Maria briskly set to her task, but her eyes became a bit watery while her son was not looking at her.
"Be', com'era Trinità dei Monti?", she asked casually. Gaetano went on to give a full account of the riots, of the bravery of the people and of his own, pride shining in his eyes. Signora Maria gave a long sigh. "Gaetano, I understand you strongly feel for this revolution, but, my son, what would I have done if you had not come back? What is this revolution good for, if tomorrow we need four people to dress you up?" The last sentence had been pronounced with a hearty amount of loving rage. " Will you promise me to take better care in the future?"
"I promise , Mother."
Signora Maria dried her eyes, and smiled at her son. "Luckily you are a brave young man, for if I had to base my pride of you on your abilities as a liar, I could not be proud of you at all." She then suddenly hugged Gaetano, so tight that he could feel all the pain that glorious day had left in his body, but he did not complain nor mind: he felt safe.

Footnotes

1. The story of Cesare Costa, Giuseppe Monti and Gaetano Tognetti is a homage to an Italian movie directed by Luigi Magni in 1977 "In nome del Papa Re" [In the Name of the Pope-King], and originally set in 1867. It was the second movie of a trilogy that would cover the last years of Papal temporal power, up to the Italian annexation of Rome. The names of the protagonists are taken from the movie, the story is now set in 1848, and their story will be only partly inspired by the movie plot. Stay tuned, it will not end with this interlude. ​

Made in @LordKalvan e Tarabas​

 

[Tarabas]

Do you hear the Lion roar? An account of the beginning of 1848 in Venice-Part I

Oh Venice! Venice! when thy marble walls
Are level with the waters, there shall be
A cry of nations o'er thy sunken halls,
A loud lament along the sweeping sea!
If I, a northern wanderer, weep for thee,
What should thy sons do?--anything but weep
And yet they only murmur in their sleep.
In contrast with their fathers--as the slime,
The dull green ooze of the receding deep,
Is with the dashing of the spring-tide foam
That drives the sailor shipless to his home,
Are they to those that were; and thus they creep,
Crouching and crab-like, through their sapping streets.
Oh! Agony-that centuries should reap
No mellower harvest! Thirteen hundred years
Of wealth and glory turn'd to dust and tears;
And every monument the stranger meets,
Church, palace, pillar, as a mourner greets;
And even the Lion all subdued appears,
And the harsh sound of the barbarian
With dull and daily dissonance, repeats
The echo of thy tyrant's voice along
The soft waves, once all musical to song​

The lines above, borrowed by Lord Byron’s “Ode on Venice” (1819) can be regarded as a manifesto of what Venice had become in the eyes of Europe throughout the years of Hapsburg rule: the symbol of decadence. The streets, the canals, even its inhabitants seemed to visitors like husks, empty shells bearing little to no resemblance to the glorious past of “La Dominante”(1). One wonders what would have Byron written of that very Venice just nineteen yers later, when the winds of 1848 started to blow under the Lion’s wings. This “wind of change” was so strong that, as of the beginning of March 1848 Lieutenant-Marshal Ferdinand Zichy, commander of the fortress of Venice, estimated that he needed “fifteen thousand extra men to hope to hold the city”. Since the total forces under Radetzky in the whole of Lombardy-Venetia amounted to a nominal 80000 soldiers and that the Field Marshal deeply underestimated the dissatisfaction of the Lombard and Venetian people, Zychy only received a battalion of 1300 Grenzer (2).
To give Zychy some credit, the ethnic composition of the forces he commanded was not of the most promising: around 3000 of the Austrian soldiers in the city were Italian, and thus unreliable, and the Navy was to be considered “not Austrian, but fully Italian”. Finally, there was the Arsenal: the biggest arms and ammunition depot in the city, where around 1200 Venetians worked in a state “of open agitation” was the weakest spot in the Austrian defense in the whole of Lombardy-Venetia.
And yet, the beginning of the Venetian revolution was a pacific one, in the fashion of the “ “legal agitation” promoted by Daniele Manin and Niccolò Tommaseo. What was the main act of such “disobedience”? A formal request to create a commission to “assess the reasons of the people’s discontent, find solutions to them, and finally, let the government know the needs and the desires of the populace”. The Venetian nobility, chiefly Alvise Francesco Mocenigo (3) and Giovanni Francesco Avesani (4), was no stranger to such demands, nor opposed them.
However, the Austrian response was not a receptive one: Manin and Tommaseo were arrested on January 18th, and this act alone was the death call for the attempted “revolution within the law”. The government response, coupled with news of the concession of Constitutions from the other Italian States sparked cries of “Viva San Marco” “Viva Pio IX”; the walls became dotted with writings of “Morte ai Tedeschi” (“Death to the Germans) and a flourishing of tricolor flags (heralding briefly even from the Tower Bell in San Marco’s square) and cockades all over the city. Gala events such as concerts at the Teatro la Fenice, or gatherings of “ladies and knights” at the many cafés in Piazza San Marco became occasions of manifestations of open joy for this desire of liberty and dissent for the lack of governmental response to it.
The common people in Venice did not stay idle, either: on March 20th, over 5000 (10000 according to Pálffy, but fear multiplies the number of enemies) people went on the streets to publicly ask for the liberation of Manin and Tommaseo. Liberated nearly on the spot by the Governor, the two were taken in triumph to Piazza San Marco, where Manin held a memorable speech to the crowd, in which the calls for calm and moderation were drowned by the final sentence: “There are, however, solemn times and cases, signaled by the Providence, in which insurrection is no right, but duty”. (5)​

The people of Venice dutifully obliged.

Footnotes

1. “The Dominant”, one of the nicknames the Republic of Venice (this particular one to be shared with the Republic of Genoa)
2. Frontier soldier of Croatian ethnicity of the Austrian Empire
3. Venetian patrician, of liberal leanings, son-in-law of Austrian Governor Johan B. Spaur
4. Originally from Verona, one the best lawyers in Venice, and Italian patriot of moderate leanings
5. This, as basically all this chapter, is OTL.

Made in Tarabas and @LordKalvan ​

 

[Tarabas]

Do you hear the Lion roar? An account of the beginning of 1848 in Venice-Part II

After Manin’s memorable speech on March 20th in Piazza San Marco, the situation in Venice soon got out of control. Drunk in happiness and enthusiasm, the crowd grew bolder and bolder by the hour. Continuous cries of “Viva L’Italia!” “Viva Pio IX” and “Viva San Marco”, tricolor flags and banners with the Lion everywhere (even in front of the Palazzo Ducale, and a steady influx of people from Cannaregio and Castello (1) which convinced Pálffy to order military intervention to restore the order. A single bayonet charge was enough to conquer the square back, at the cost of the life of a Navy captain and a few wounded, the most serious of which was just a fifteen-year-old-boy, Emilio Zen(2), son of one of the most respected foremen in the Arsenale.
Unknown to anyone in Venice, a small and swift avviso had sailed from the lagoon, making sail for Pola. The ship was manned by members of the secret association "Prometheus", the members of which had sworn to give again the lost freedom to Venice, or to die in the attempt. The secret association had been created shortly after the failed attempt planned by the Bandiera brothers, and his members had been recruited from the navy and from the Arsenale. Their aim was to bring the news of the insurrection of Venice to the naval base of Pola, and to incite a mutiny among the sailors and the officers of the navy, to bring back enough ships to Venice to protect the city from any attack from the sea.
The following day, March the 21th, talks started to be held between Manin, representatives of the Municipality and Pálffy to grant a civic guard to “avoid further unrest in the city”.
The negotiations, however, were abruptly interrupted when news from Piazza San Marco and the Arsenale reached the Ducal Palace. During the night, Emilio Zen had died, and popular riots had erupted in various parts of Venice, seeking blood and revenge. Rioters in Piazza San Marco were led by Emilio’s uncle, Eugenio,(3) who himself got killed by a bullet after the crowd had started to throw stones at the soldiers. Ten more people died in the square, and thirty were seriously wounded.(4) However, worst news came from the Arsenale: Attilio Zen, Emilio’s father, went directly to confront the hated Colonel Marinovich, chief inspector of the Arsenal. When Marinovich invited Attilio to calm down, “unless he was so willing to meet his son” and noted that “it would have been a fit finale, given they had the same given names as the Bandiera brothers (5)”, open revolt broke out: Marinovich was killed, and the Arsenalotti seized the Arsenale. (6) The Italian elements of the navy (including marines) then refused the orders of the Navy Commander Antonio Martini to fire on the insurgents and went on mutiny, with Martini himself captured. Pálffy, who up to that point had been seemingly willing to concede the permission to form a civic guard, panicked and delegated all powers to Zychy. The Lieutenant-Marshal, however, was utterly aware that the loss of the Arsenale and the presence of so many Italians among the Army made his position untenable long-term. Since necessity is the mother of wit, Zychy resorted to the last string to its bow: he bluffed. He declared that he would not only veto any sort of civic guard, but that he was ready to summon the navy and order them to shell the city if the rioters would not relent. He also strongly advised the municipality and the “shadow government” (7) (both groups were present in the negotiation) to do something. The commander strongly suspected that the nobility and the bourgeoisie were maybe more terrified than him by the spreading of the riots. After a heated discussion during which, reportedly, Manin and Avesani (8) almost came to blows, being impeded only by Mocenigo’s intervention, an agreement was reached: Manin would go to the Arsenale to try and settle things down. It would take all of Manin’s rhetoric and good will, but in the end, on March 22nd Martini was released, along with other Austrian officers. As per the agreement with Zychy, Manin would not seize the armaments within the Arsenale, which remained for now under the watch of Attilio Zen, who swore that “no more innocent blood would be spilled”. Later that day, better news about the rebellion in Milan, as well as news of the swift Sardinian advance (9) through Lombardy spread through the city. An unnatural calm then took over: Manin wanted to proclaim the (re)birth Republic of San Marco, while the patricians, lead by Avesani, favoured the proclamation of a provisional government. In the meantime, Zychy, correctly assessing the situation, was playing Avesani against Manin in order to buy time, in the hope to regain control over the city. A small civic guard, 200 strong and made up of “good and reputable citizens”) was allowed as a token concession (by next morning, the men enrolled in the Civic Guard exceeded 1300, and all were armed with rifles taken from the Arsenale) .
On the 23rd, at dusk, unannounced, the Austrian Navy entered the lagoon. Panic spread through the city, and Zychy reportedly opened a bottle of champagne he was keeping safe for a special occasion. Legend says that he almost suffocated when he was told that all the ships were flying… the green-white-red tricolor and the Lion of St. Mark, and the crews were shouting “Viva l’Italia, Viva San Marco!”. Sparked both by the news brought by the Prometheus conspirators and even more fuelled by the rumor that some Austrian captain were ready to set sail for Venice to shell the city into obedience, a mass mutiny had erupted in Pola: by the end of the day, over three fourths of the Austrian ships were in the hands of the mutineers (10). It was the last straw: Zychy formally surrendered control of the city to the Municipal council, that promptly expanded the Civic Guard and seized control of the main strongpoints of the city overnight. Long negotiations between Manin, Avesani, the mutineers and the Arsenalotti lead (similarly to Milan) to the formation of a Provisional Government. Manin, who accepted to postpone any discussion on the final form of such government, was voted President. A War Council was also formed, led by retired General Francesco Solera for the army, and by Capitano di Vascello Leone Graziani for the navy (11) (12).​

The new Venetian Provisonal Government had barely the time to be installed that the stunning news of Goito reached the city.One day later, it became known that the hero of Goito, Prince Ferdinando di Savoia was coming to Venice. To do what, only time would tell.

Footnotes

1. The popular neighborhoods of Venice
2. Emilio Zen, along with his father Attilio, is a fictional character; however, many young boys were reported to be on the square that day
3. Emilio Zen was a middleman and OTL “leader” of the revolt in Piazza San Marco on March 18th
4. Roughly, double the casualties of OTL
5. Attilio and Emilio Bandiera were two Italian patriots and navy officers, Venetian-born, leaders of the patriotic secret society known as “L’Esperia”, who died in 1844 after trying to rise a rebellion in Calabria. Their father was also in the navy, with the rank of vice-admiral. He resigned in disgrace once the role of his sons in the failed attempt was exposed.
6. OTL Marinovich (who was a martinet and generally hated) was killed on March 22nd
7. OTL, the podestà decided to associate to the Municipal government a council of “skilled and well-known people” (including Manin) intended to form an inclusive and credible government of the city
8. OTL Manin and Avesani negotiated separately, without consulting one another; here, the fact that the rebellion of the Arsenale is spontaneous, and not lead and sponsored by Main forces them to try and cooperate- somehow
9. ITTL the Sardinian vanguard crosses the Ticino on March 20th, after the declaration of was against the Austrian Empire had been issued on March 19th
10. OTL only one fourth of the ships mutinied successfully.
11. Capitano di Vascello (in German Linienschiffskapitän) was the rank of a senior captain
12. Francesco Solera enjoyed his position for just a couple of days, before being removed for inadequacy.

Made in Tarabas and @LordKalvan ​

 

[Tarabas]

La bella Tuscanina

Firenze, Palazzo Strozzi - 30 March 1848

His Highness Leopoldo II of Habsburg-Lorraine, Grand Duke of Tuscany, regarded for a moment the six men he had urgently convened: they were his most trusted advisors, the Consulta di Buongoverno (1) on which he had relied to govern Tuscany for the past 15 years.
"Signori della Consulta, I had called this meeting to discuss with you the status of Italy and Europe in these momentous days, and to receive your sage advice on how to best ensure that Tuscany will survive this storm and continue to prosper. Vienna is still largely in insurrection, well over two weeks after the disorders started. Prince Metternich has been dismissed from the Regency Council, and has left Vienna. No one knows where he is now, but that hardly matters. Sardinia has declared war on Austria, and my own grandson, prince Ferdinand, has won a stunning victory at Goito. Parma and Modena are in the hands of insurgents. Carlo of Parma has written me asking for hospitality: he is expected to arrive in the next few days, with his pregnant daughter-in-law in tow. Francesco of Modena has run away as soon as the disorders started, and by now should be somewhere in Austria: it pains me to say this of a cousin, but I cannot condone his timidity. The silver lining in this is that the inhabitants of the districts which were ceded to Modena and Parma by the treaty of last December (2) have petitioned me to be joined again to Tuscany, but I am worried by the unsettled conditions on our northern border. I assume everyone knows about the developments in Palermo. While I am certainly pleased by the offer of the crown of Sicily to my beloved grand-daughter Maria Cristina, it is nevertheless an insult made to a fellow monarch, who was forcibly stripped of one of his two crowns. There are also worrying news from Rome, arrived just yesterday evening. There were riots, and not minor ones: while ultimately put down, the situation there is complicated, to say the least. I will also remind you that just a couple days ago the papal nuncio conveyed to me the uneasiness of His Holiness with the war in Northern Italy, and hinted that the papal support might be discontinued."
The Grand Duke stood silent, and Marquis Cosimo Ridolfi (3) took the opportunity to ask: " Do you know who replaced Prince Metternich, Your Highness? "
" No one, for now: the Council of Regency is in charge, and its chair, Archduke Ludwig is basically acting as Prime Minister. A good man, reliable, but for the last 30 years and more prince Metternich has been the decision maker, and no one has been trained to replace him. But Austria is not at the top of my concerns right now. My gaze is fixed on Italy. Which is your advice, signori?"

Marquis Gino Capponi, one of the most respected members of the Consulta for his equanimity and keen political vision, spoke first:
"Your Highness, I feel like a man who went to sleep assured that he was following his shepherd on a path of righteousness an moderation and woke up riding on the back of a raging tiger. I cannot but say that I've been shocked and worried by the events of this month of March, and at the same time I'm painfully aware that we have to act. The policies of this Consulta, under the wise guidance of Your Highness, have been always to preserve and improve la bella Tuscanina, our beautiful little Tuscany, and this must necessarily be our lodestar even in these troubled times. However, we cannot just jump on the ground, else we be destroyed: I say we hold tight to the tiger and trust it will ride to victory. Your Highness allowed Tuscan volunteers to muster and to join the war against Austria from the beginning, and we should be grateful for that. I propose that we build on that foundation: send a delegation to king Carlo Alberto, to congratulate on his victories and to assure him of your continuing support; promise him supplies and troops. Sardinia appears to be on the brink of victory, and we must appear a trusty ally in all things. This way, we may achieve our aim: to bring Piedmont into Italy rather than to have Italy brought into Piedmont (4)"​

A murmur of assent around the table, then the Grand Duke spoke again:

"I always had great confidence in your wisdom, Marquis Capponi, and today you prove I was right. Ties of blood are strong, but I will not allow my family ties to the Habsburgs to dictate my policies: my family has ruled Tuscany for more than one hundred years, and my goal is, and always will be, to preserve Tuscany and the inheritance of my sons. I do agree in full with your suggestions, and since you put them forward, you will be tasked to carry them out: go and meet with king Carlo Alberto. I understand he is now in Isola della Scala, near Verona. Give him all assurances and the promises you deem fit, but preserve Tuscany at any and all cost. Your friendship with Count Balbo, the Sardinian prime minister, should help. You will be accompanied by baron Ricasoli, who has a good knowledge of the court of Turin from his visit there last December (5), and has already been introduced to the king and his son.
Marquis Ridolfi, make all necessary arrangements for the departure of three regiments of infantry for Veneto: only light field guns, but make sure that the troops are fully provisioned. Inform the so-called Provisional Government of Modena that our troops will need to pass across their territory. Prepare a letter to king Carlo Alberto for my signature, letting him know that a delegation and troops from Tuscany are on their way. Everything must be done post haste: things happen too fast right now."

"As Your Highness orders. What about Rome, though? Should we inform them of our intentions?"

"No. I am a dutiful son of Mother Church in all matters of Catholic dogma, but no one will dictate the path Tuscany must take: not the Holy Father in Rome, nor the Council of Regency in Vienna. Is there something else you want to ask, signori della Consulta?"

Baron Ricasoli was thoughtful: he agreed in full with the suggestions of Gino Capponi, nothing else would be wiser, but he knew there was something afoot there. There had been other meetings, on much lesser momentous matters, which had gone on for hours and hours without much result to show, not to mention that the decisiveness of the Grand Duke had been a pleasant surprise. However, he thought he knew what (or better who) was behind it. Still there was another issue he wanted to address:
"Your Highness, you know I'm very much involved in industry and trade through the port of Livorno. I have been made aware that there is growing unrest among the dockworkers and the porters, who are demanding better pay. The path we are stepping on will require all of Tuscany to be united behind Your Highness. The port of Livorno is where the bloodstream of trade and industry enters the main artery of Tuscany, your Leopolda railway"(6), to be distributed through the land to the benefit of all: as such, disturbances in Livorno could be very harmful and must be avoided."

Marquis Ridolfi was somehow surprised: "Are you suggesting we cozen the lower orders, Baron Ricasoli?"

"You know me better than that. On my estates and in my factories I do not seek the approval of my tenants and workers for my decisions. At the same time, I have been always considering wise to avoid imposing unnecessary hardships on them, as well as listening to their complaints without prejudice. This policy has always served me well, both in financial terms and in the growing affection of my workers. You might consider, subject to the approval of His Highness, the possibility of discussing the dissatisfaction of Livorno workers with signor Guerrazzi (7). I have always seen that opening the discussion ourselves, and from a position of strength, leads to better deals."​

The Grand Duke was thoughtful: "I believe the suggestion of Baron Ricasoli has merits. Marquis Ridolfi, that's is another task for you."

Leaving Palazzo Strozzi, Ricasoli accosted for a moment Capponi: "You are not fooling me, Gino. No time to explain now, though. You will tell me while we are on our trip."

Footnotes

1. The Privy Council of the Grand Duchy
2. The reference is to the treaty of December 1847: Tuscany annexed the duchy of Lucca (as per the agreement at the Congress of Vienna), Parma received the district of Pontremoli from Tuscany, and Modena other districts on the border between Modena and Tuscany
3. Marquis Ridolfi was Prime Minister of Tuscany. OTL he was replaced by Marquis Capponi in June 1848 after the inauguration of the constitutional parliament
4. Historical. Gino Capponi said " Dobbiamo portare il Piemonte in Italia, ed evitare che l'Italia sia portata in Piemonte". OTL it didn't work, TTL he's much more likely to succeed
5. Baron Ricasoli had been sent to Turin in December 1847, to gain Sardinian support for Tuscany in the negotiation of the treaty for the annexation of Lucca
6. The Leopolda railway was completed between 1844 and 1847: it went from Livorno to Pisa, then to Empoli and finally to Florence: it was truly the main artery of Tuscan economy
7. Francesco Guerrazzi, democrat and patriot. IOTL, he was minister in the democrat government formed by Giuseppe Montanelli, another democrat and federalist, after Gino Capponi resigned, being unable to control the unrest in Livorno

Made in @LordKalvan & Tarabas​

 

[Tarabas]

Isola della Scala, Villa Pindemonte - 1st April 1848, Afternoon

Princess Maria Cristina entered , with some apprehension, the room where her father was sitting in a comfortable armchair, reading a paper.
"Your Majesty" said the princess, curtsying.
"Sit down, Maria Cristina, - said the king indicating another armchair close to his own - and let us dispense for the protocol for a moment: let's be just a father and his daughter"
"As you wish, father"
Carlo Alberto looked her over , slowly and carefully:
"I find you well, Maria Cristina. I was a little concerned when I was informed of your impulsive decision to join us in Isola della Scala, but I see that the long voyage has not affected you badly"
"It was a very comfortable voyage, father: mostly on a barge on the Po. I hope my decision to come here has not angered you in any way"
"Angered? No, not at all: just concerned for your health. It happens that your decision to come to Isola della Scala has been an inspired one, the more so since you happened to bring the British ambassador in tow"
"Father, I don't understand" The princess was puzzled: she had not had a similar conversation with her father since she was a child.
"A telegram from Turin just arrived. You certainly know that Sicily has renounced its allegiance to king Ferdinand of Bourbon, and the Parliament of the island proclaimed an independent kingdom of Sicily. What you cannot know is that the same Parliament four days ago voted unanimously to offer you the crown of Sicily, as a reigning queen".​

For once in her life, the princess was left without words. She could only stutter: "To me? As queen of Sicily?"

The king barked a short laugh: "You are no more surprised than I was, that I still am. There was no previous indication that any of this was being planned"

Maria Cristina had regained a little of her composure, but was still shocked: "I will need some time to think about this news, Father. It's both too big and too unexpected" She took a deep breath, and the looked shily to her father. "Do you have any advice to give me, as a father as well as a king?"
"Not yet, Maria Cristina. I have many things on my mind". He paused, and lowered his eyes, as though he had seen his problems conjured out of thin air; absent-mindedly, he put his hand on his thigh, where Maria Cristina knew he wore his devotional sackcloth. "In particular one which weighs heavily on my conscience. The Holy Father... Never mind. I feel I need my son with me, I need his advice", he concluded, while raising his gaze again.
Maria Cristina had the second shock of the day: the confident, loving father was suddenly gone, and the man in front of her now was showing the pinched face and the haunted look she knew very well from the days before her marriage.
"I understand, father. There is no need to make a decision in this moment, and I need to think deeply anyway. May I share with news with Henri, Father? Should he not be the king?"
"Talk to Henri, daughter, by all means. The world is changing fast, though, and I feel that the days when a foreign prince came to reign over an Italian people by right of inheritance or by the machinations of the Powers are gone. The Parliament in Palermo has offered the crown to you, as an Italian princess as well as a daughter of the house of Savoia. If you accept the offer, you will be the queen in your own right, and Henri will be at your side as prince consort. Never forget this"
Maria Cristina did not respond. She thought "The world may be changing fast with crowns, kingdom and empires coming and going. Only one thing stays, and will not change: the love between me and my dashing French knight, my Henri. This shall always be rock, my anchor, my guiding light. As a woman, as a wife, as a mother... and as a Queen."
​

Made in @LordKalvan & Tarabas​

 

[Tarabas]

Palazzo Mocenigo, Venice, March 29th, 1848

"Don't you agree, Your Highness?" Ferdinand had to apologize to Alvise Francesco Mocenigo, who was hosting the ball in his palace, and ask him to repeat the question. He had been only half-listening to him for the past few minutes, concentrated as he was in observing the other people in the room. No one would have said that the ball had been organized in haste, nor that it was being held in a city fresh of revolution. Everything was perfect... That is to say, perfectly decadent as one would have expected from Venice. Although, to be fair, there was something new, different from what he remembered (1). Each and everyone of the presents was shining with pride, and rightly so: in just a few days, the Austrians had been kicked out of the city, their fleet almost entirely captured, and lastly, the Republic, the "Most Serene Republic of Saint Mark", had been proclaimed.(2) Ferdinand had publicly downplayed his role in the re-birth of the Republic, but his meetings with the Provisional Government had been pivotal in this decision, and everyone seemed to know ; he could tell from the genuine warmth everyone was showing him.
Ferdinand was idly wishing that it was Carnival: he already felt awkward in such public events, the more so if he had to be at the center of the attention, and a mask would have been a blessing, a way to guard himself from public scrutiny. He hated to be the "Prince of the Italians" as everyone seemed happy to call him these days. At least, he did not have to listen to Solera bragging about his service in Napoleonic times as Alessandro LaMarmora was being forced to do, nor he did have to pretend to be at ease being side by side with someone he did neither really trust nor like, as Manin and Avesani were trying to do. At the same time, he could not cast his "hero of Goito" glamour around the room as Augusto was doing. Judging from the giggles and side-stares, the young man had a talent in flirting, but he had not been good at concealing his interest in the beautiful, blonde-haired sister of Giovanni Battista Giustinian, named... Aurora? Francesca? He could not recall. This particular talent Ferdinand had never had, and he was grateful that his neatly arranged marriage to Maria Adelaide had been blessed with love, although it would never be as romantic as Maria Cristina's and Henri's marriage.
"Your Highness, may I introduce to you my dear friend Carlo Cattaneo(3), from Milan?" said Daniele Manin while approaching him and bowing awkwardly to Ferdinand. Now, this was a real surprise. What was the Chief of the Milanese War Council possibly doing in Venice? The fierce-looking man standing in front of him left no time for educated guessing; he gave a contemptuous look to Manin, straightened his back to full height, held out his hand and said aloud: " I will not bow to the Prince of the Italians... but I will gladly shake hands with the winner of Goito.(4)" These words sparked shock trough the room, Mocenigo, Manin and Avesani paled at the same time, and both Alessandro LaMarmora and Augusto Cavour left their conversations (the former grateful, the latter less so) to come at the Prince's side. Ferdinand just laughed, a genuine burst of laughter showing his teeth, before replying: "And I will proudly shake the hand of a hero of the Days of Milan, pretending that he's not the same man who said "We are the richest in the Empire, I see no reason to be out of it"(5). Cattaneo laughed in return, and a shockwave of relief went through the room while they finally shook hands. Despite the obvious discomfort of his retinue, Ferdinand retired with Cattaneo to a side room, for a private meeting.
"What brings you to Venice, Signor Cattaneo? I would have expected the Chief of the Milanese War Council to be more... busy"
"I would be busier if there were a real war tobe fought. Looks like Your Highness won it in a single strike"
"That is quite an overstatement, but thank you for your kind words, I guess"
"Just stating what is obvious"
"As any good scientist would do. I was a fond reader of Il Politecnico(6)"
"Thank you, Your Highness. That is most kind of you. But anyway, to answer your question... I wanted to see with my own eyes what was going on in Venice, and tonight I want to see if the rumors floating around are true. If really the heir to House Savoy was behind the rebirth of the Serenissima"
"Another overstatement, I am afraid. I just happened to be here while the magic was performed"​

"And this may be the mother of all understatements, Your Highness. You don't like to be at the center of all attention, a rare thing to see in a Prince"
"Oh, well.. No blonde hair nor blue eyes, I guess I might be quite a disappointment-as far as usual princes go"
"On the contrary, I would rather say Your Highness is quite the surprise"
"I may surprise you more"
"How so?"
"I guess your real question was... Why is Venice already a Republic, while Milan is destined to trade the Hapsburg joke for the Savoy bridle?"

Cattaneo was now genuinely impressed. He did not relax his fierce attitude, but he did look thoughtful. Ferdinand could not help but donning his usual half-smile.
" Centuries of division and foreign oppression have caused our beloved Italy to sprout many souls, many genii loci(7), Signor Cattaneo. Some of the Italians are monarchists, other are republicans; some look to the Renaissance, other to the Middle Ages, other again to the glory of ancient Rome. Should all differences be removed at a stroke in order to turn Italy into a homogeneous nation?
One of my own ancestors said that Italy is like an artichoke, to be eaten one leaf at a time. Since Goito and my days here in Venice, I came to a different conclusion. Italy is like a tree, a beautiful and ancient oak, and all her leaves must have their place under the sun for the oak to thrive and prosper. Maybe you are surprised because everyone speaks of waging and winning war, but few know or even think of how to win the peace. I am different: I believe winning the war without winning the peace would be a disaster, and Italy would suffer if that were to happen."​

Footnotes

1. Ferdinand had visited Venice in 1847, on the occasion of the Annual Congress of the Italian Scientists
2. The name had been chosen as a clear message that the Republic would have been less Venice-centric than the republic of old, but that the traditions and the pride of the Dominant would also survive
3. Italian patriot, of republican and federalist ideology
4. OTL Cattaneo, when elected to the Italian Parliament, never actually took his seat because he did not want to swear an oath to House Savoy; this ALT-sentence seems fit to his character
5. An actual OTL quote by Cattaneo
6. A scientific journal created and directed by Cattaneo in Milan
7. In Ancient Rome, the presiding god or spirit of a place here used as a poetic form for the prevailing character or atmosphere of a place

Made in Tarabas & @LordKalvan ​

 

[Tarabas]

Excerpt of a letter by Alceo Taddei[1] (volunteer of the Tuscan Student Battalion) to his guardian, from the Bridge at Zevio, April1st, 1848)

Dearest Uncle, [2]

forgive my uncertain hand; I am still dizzy and excited by today's events. No, there has not been a new confrontation with the greedy Germans[3], who are happy to stay holed up in their fortresses, as the cowards they are. But the day when we will finally avenge the blood of our fellow Italians spilled by the vile Austrians shall come very soon, and this is not the hope of a daydreaming youngster, but the certainty of a man. For today I have been so blessed to meet the present and the future of Italy: Ferdinand of Savoy, the Prince of the Italians! He came to us on his way back from Venice, where the glory of the Most Serene Republic of Venice has been reborn, to tell us the wondrous tale of the insurrection of Venice, of the successful mutiny of Pola, of the fighting in Dalmatia. He never claimed any role in this unexpected string of successes, but I cannot believe he didn't play a role in them. He wanted to greet and meet in person the Student Battalion, Uncle! He said that he also felt "a student in arms-but also a student at arms". So much for the contempt we are treated by most of the Sardinian officers. But the Prince is.. different. He came among us, asking about our studies and our lives (as though he was one of us, or maybe, the Professor anyone dreams to be taught by), praising our courage and skills in battle, and I could not help but remember that in ancient times, Kings hands were believed to be hands of healers. His words, his voice, his expression, were like an ointment for our spirit. I am at a loss for better words to describe him, but now I am sure that God has finally decided to bless Italy, and send the Prince to guide us to victory!
He also seems to know everything in advance: when word came that an unrecognized cavalry regiment was coming in from the east, he did not even flinch. He looked at his watch, and said: "Perfectly on time. That's quite unexpected." And then he went to meet the strangers, who only then showed a tricolor flag. We went with him, arms raised. I took a dislike to their leader almost immediately: bold and arrogant, without even the need of saying a word. The Prince did not wait for him to speak, and asked: "Shall I presume you are pledging your life and sword to the Italian cause, dear cousin?[4]"
"If you fancy yourself a liberal, cousin, I shall be a Jacobin[5]". There was so much arrogance in that answer that many of us pointed their rifles at him (we did not know that that man was Ferdinando Carlo di Borbone[6]), but the Prince just laughed, replying:
"Very well then, so be it. Although I should warn you, cousin, that Jacobins loose their heads more often than not, while liberals... less so."
[..]

Footnotes

1. An OTL member of the Tuscan Student Battalion
2. Here "uncle" is used to show affection
3. This expression is taken from an OTL letter by Alceo
4. Members of ruling houses often called themselves "cousins", it seemed fit in this context
5. Reportedly, Ferdinando Carlo said this line in 1847, when he decided to fly a tricolor flag from the Lucchese barracks during an insurrection of the city
6. Heir to the Duchy of Parma. OTL, he did leave Parma with a cavalry regiment, to pledge his sword to Charles Albert, but he did not manage to meet him, and was taken into custody by the Lombard provisional government for a month, then released after British intercession and sent to London. ITTL, he was a bit more lucky and managed to arrive in Isola della Scala, although he was too late for the battle of Goito

Made in Tarabas & @LordKalvan ​

 

[Tarabas]

Narrative Interlude #15: Father and Son, Prince and King

Villa Pindemonte, Isola della Scala, April 2nd, 1848 late afternoon

Upon his arrival at Villa Pindemonte, Ferdinand felt relieved. Not so much because he could finally get some rest, but because he could get rid of Ferdinando Carlo for a while. For all the bravery shown and the willingness to fight against the Austrians (if actually for the Italian cause, Ferdinand could not tell), Ferdinando Carlo seemed to still the restless, unintelligent and self-entitled fellow he remembered from his brief tenure as a captain in the Sardinian Army (1). Be as it may, the world was full of idiots, and at least, Ferdinando Carlo was willing to prove himself as an energetic and possibly useful one- just under someone else's command: Ferdinand already had some ideas on that regard. After jumping down his horse, he sent for Camillo, but their meeting had to be postponed. Without even saying a word, the King rushed towards Ferdinand as soon as he arrived at the main entrance, and hugged him- in front of anybody. "Well, that's unusual", Ferdinand thought while awkwardly reciprocating this show of affection.
He then studied his father's face and expression: the internal strife his father was living was visible. "This is not good. Or too good to be true?" Ferdinand thought, while the two went to a small dining room for a private meeting, which eventually, due to the many topics the two needed to discuss, evolved into a frugal, private dinner. "Have we ever spent so much time alone, father and son?" Ferdinand mused, abstracting himself from the context for a moment.​

"So, you arrived in Venice, and..." the King inquired gently. Ferdinand regained immediately his posture.

"When I arrived in Venice, there was an enormous crowd lining the canals and cheering madly. I arrived to the Ducal Palace, where Signor Manin and the other representatives warmly welcomed me, but my eyes were distracted by the number of ships in the Canale di San Marco, all hoisting the Tricolore and the Lion Flag of the Serenissima. I knew that Venice had successfully regained its freedom, but I didn't know the Serenissima had also gained a fleet in the bargain. ...."
Ferdinand spoke at length, detailing everything which had happened in Venice, in Pola and in Dalmatia, while the king was intently listening. Ferdinand knew the King was disappointed by the fact the the Prince had been the catalyst for the creation of the Republic, while he had the dream of a Kingdom from Savoy to the Isonzo, but he was not regretting any of his actions. They were making Italy, not Greater Piedmont; it was very clear now, though he himself had taken some time to realize this truth.​

"In summation, Father, I believe both our House and all of Italy will only benefit from the rebirth of the Queen of the Adriatic." A strange light appeared in the King's eyes at the mention of the word "queen".
"And a new Queen may be crowned in the Sicilian Channel..." he whispered.
"What do you mean, Father?"

For the first time in a while, Ferdinand felt truly shocked by the news. His little sister, a Queen? He needed to speak to her, to the Sicilian envoys, to Camillo and Henri. He had not seen this coming. He had not been looking hard enough into the future, and so had failed to anticipate some of the fruits of their actions. Fruits, yes, because...​

"Italy is a tree, not a damn artichoke, a tree which in its season will bring ripe, luscious fruits", he said softly but firmly.
His words broke the silence that had befallen on the small room. Ferdinand blamed himself; as in many other occasions, he had acted as though the King was not there. Despite the meal and the overall good news they had been discussing, the King's appearance looked worse than when they met. Apparently, Ferdinand's words had unwillingly hit him as a whip.
"Are you alright, father?" said Ferdinand, pouring some well-watered wine for him.
"Yes, my beloved son, yes. I just need to... pray. Pray God Almighty for guidance. And you, you...should need some rest, Ferdinand."
"I'll get some when I am dead", Ferdinand thought, but he only answered "Yes, Your Majesty. I am as always yours to command."(2)

Footnotes

1. In 1841, at age eighteen, Ferdinando Carlo was sent to the Military School of Turin. He received a commission in the Piedmontese army with the rank of Captain in the Novara Cavalry. However, after one year of service, he returned home on bad terms with King Charles Albert and even more so with Prince Ferdinand, who had forcefully spent a lot of time with him. Ferdinand wrote: " Ferdinando of Lucca left here last summer rather angry with me and he has not let me know his news since. But I wish him every happiness -and also good sense, which however I firmly believe he would never achieve." This mirrors exactly what happened IOTL, where the comment was written by (and FC's rage directed to) Victor Emmanuel.
2. This happens right before the Narrative Interlude #2: What dreams may come...

Made in @LordKalvan and Tarabas​

 

[Tarabas]

Isola della Scala - 3 April 1848, Early Morning

Ferdinando left the bedroom of Carlo Alberto to find that his sister and her husband were approaching.
" Maria Cristina, Henri. Well met, did the king wanted to see you too? I understand that congratulations are in order".
"Ferdinando " the princess gave him a welcoming smile " You too are to be congratulated, both on your victory on the field and because of the news you bring back from Venice. I spoke with father yesterday, before your arrival, and he is taking the proposal of the Sicilian Parliament under advisement. This morning the king asked to see Henri and me together. I may only imagine that he has come to a decision".
"He has, and not just on the matter of the crown of Sicily: there are many things we have to discuss together, and many plans to make. But now you must not keep father waiting, we'll talk at leisure later in the morning."

Coming down from the stairs, Ferdinando was approached by a court Equerry: "Your Highness, the British Ambassador has asked for a brief meeting at your earliest convenience. He has stressed the importance of the communications he has received from London".
"I will meet him in half an hour in my study. Send a footman to ask the Count of Cavour to join me there, I'll need him"

Another brief delay before Ferdinando could reach the study: Ferdinando Carlo.
"Good morning, cousin. How can I best serve in the war? My lancers are eager to prove their mettle, and so am I."
" Good morning to you too, cousin. And prove yourselves you shall, I promise. Be prepared; your destination will be formalized after the next War Council. Now, if you could excuse me..." and without even looking back at him, nor listening to his complaints, ahead Ferdinand went.

The ambassador and Cavour were already waiting in the corridor for him.
"Mr. Abercromby, welcome. I understand you have some communications for me from London. I asked the Count of Cavour to join us"
"I thank Your Highness for your kindness in receiving me so promptly. I do apologize for the imposition, since I am sure there are many demands upon your time. I have been entrusted with a personal letter from Prince Albert addressed to you". The ambassador handed over a sealed envelope.​

"Furthermore, I have been instructed to let you know that the British Government has been officially informed regarding the recent deliberations of the Sicilian Parliament, and is generally sympathetic. If Princess Maria Cristina accepts the offer of the crown of Sicily and will be able to secure the throne, the British Government will consider with favor recognizing the new status of Sicily.(1)"

The ambassador smiled wryly: "I had the honor of accompanying your sister on the trip from Turin to here, and I was most impressed by her. I do remember thinking that she would be a great queen, and it was unfortunate this was not in the cards. It looks like I was mistaken."

"Is the British Government willing to consider supporting in a proactive way the aspirations of the Sicilian people?" Cavour had a gift to cut to the chase, thought Ferdinando, and could parse his sentences very well.​

"I regret having to say that any direct intervention in Sicilian affairs would be against standing British policy, my dear Count."

"Additionally, and begging for Your Highness' forbearance, I would be grateful if you could confirm the wild news that are arriving from Veneto. I am reliably informed that the insurrection of Venice was successful, and a Provisional Government has been established, but there are also rumors that there are many warships now in the lagoon."

"What you characterize as "wild rumors" are still quite short of reality, Mr. Ambassador. The Most Serene Republic of Saint Mark has been proclaimed on the 31st of March, and all the cities of Veneto and Friuli have joined it. Venetian patriots have travelled to Pola,
where they have managed to unleash a successful mutiny of the Austrian fleet. Now, three quarters of the former Austrian navy is hoisting the tricolor flag of the Winged Lion, and those are the ships which your rumors talk about. Dalmatia has also raised against the Austrians, and Zara is also in the hands of the insurgents. The Most Serene Republic and the Kingdom of Sardinia are now formally allied with the aim of expelling the Austrian interlopers from all Italian lands. A delegation of the republic is coming to Isola della Scala to plan future strategies. I am confident that the British Government will welcome this news of restored freedom under constitutional law".

"I can only reiterate that the view of the British government is that foreign interventions should always be avoided, but I have also to remark that the state of war between the Kingdom of Sardinia and the Empire of Austria is a source of worry, in particular since this year has seen many outbursts of civil unrest or even open insurrection all over Europe."

"It's hardly foreign intervention when Italians help other their fellow Italians freeing themselves from foreign tyranny, isn't it? Besides, I am sure that you'll be able to reassure the British Government on this subject: the rule of law has been successfully restored in all of Lombardy and Veneto, as well as in the duchies of Parma and Modena, and the rights and property of all the citizens are protected and safeguarded, by us and by the provisional governments. The state of war has existed for barely two weeks, and we are confident that the Empire of Austria will recognize the opportunity to come to a table for negotiation very soon." Another smooth and very well articulated contribution by Cavour.

"I did appreciate the opportunity of this meeting , Your Excellency, and I thank you for delivering the letter from Prince Albert. I would also take this opportunity to let you know that the king has decided to appoint me Lieutenant of the Realm(2) and Commander-in-Chief of the Army. I am honored, and at the same time humbled, by this appointment, and well aware that a heavy responsibility weighs on my shoulders: I will strive to do my best, on behalf of the kingdom of Sardinia, but also for the sake of all Italian people. Count Balbo will officially inform the British Government, of course, but I wanted to take this opportunity to let you know in advance."​

Footnotes

1. OTL, the British government took a similar stance when Ferdinand was offered the Sicilian crown by the Sicilian Assembly
2. This means that currently the KoS has two Lieutenants: Ferdinand and Prince Eugenio di Carignano, who's acting as Lieutenant in Turin

 

[Tarabas]

Isola della Scala - 3 April 1848, Mid Morning

The General Staff meeting had been introduced by Ferdinando at the beginning of the mobilization: after a couple of months it was still much of a work in progress. There were more a dozen people around the big table in the ballroom of Villa Pindemonte, and Ferdinando looked at them one by one: Henri d'Orleans, Gen. Bava, Major Carlo Griffino of the Bersaglieri (1), Major Luciano Manara (2) of the Lombard Volunteers, colonel Giuseppe Montanelli (3) of the Tuscan Student Volunteers (still with his left arm in a sling after being wounded in Trentino), general Carlo of Bourbon-Parma (a late addition decided by Ferdinando not without some doubts), Frigate Captain Emilio Graziani (4) of the Republic of St. Mark, Captain Augusto di Cavour (promoted again, and aide-de-camp to the Prince), a handful of majors and captains recently added to the General Staff and to the Quartermaster Staff and...
"Welcome to Villa Pindemonte, gen. Menabrea (5)" The Prince smiled warmly at his old teacher and friend "I am quite happy to see you here, you're just the man I need. I will need to speak to you later about the political situation in the Cispadanian Duchies, but let me also tell you that you are hereby appointed Quartermaster General: I need a reliable man in charge of supply and logistics issues: the next phase of the war is going to put even more pressure on us, since it will be fought in Eastern Friuli and Dalmatia".
A hubbub of surprised comments around the table: Friuli was not a surprise, the advance guard of De Sonnaz's Corps had almost reached Udine, but Dalmatia was quite a surprise.
"We will deal with Friuli and Dalmatia later on, though. As of now, I would ask you to put me abreast of the situation in Veneto and Trentino".
Henri nodded to gen. Bava, who stood and used a wooden pointer to indicate on a large map spread on the table:
"The main concentration of Austrian troops, around 10-12,000 strong, is holed up in Verona. They have been very quiet for the duration, and never tried to sortie from the city, not even when we called for the surrender of Peschiera, which yielded two days ago.
It was a wise decision for them, since they couldn't hope to prevail, given our concentration of troops at the Ponte di Zevio on the south of Verona and at Valeggio, between Peschiera and Verona on the north. We are currently negotiating the surrender of Legnago and Mantua, the two southernmost fortresses of the Quadrilateral. Legnago could have been stormed easily, an old fortress which couldn't put up a serious resistance. Mantua is much stronger, but the Austrian garrison is less than 5,000 men, and couldn't held the perimeter of the fortress. I anticipate that both fortresses will surrender within a few days. At this stage, we control both the crossing of the Po near Mantua and the road to the Brenner pass, along the western shore of lake Garda. Our troops have entered Trentino, under gen. Alfonso Lamarmora, and have advanced without encountering serious resistance up to Trento, which is in our hands. Unfortunately, a further advance northward was stopped north of Salorno, some 30 km short of Bolzano, where our advance guard was ambushed by Austrian Jaegers shooting from the woods and a couple of batteries on the slopes of Monte Corno. I have to commend the behavior of the Student Volunteer Regiment, which charged with bayonets the Jaegers in the wood, and allowed the advance guard to retreat to Salorno. Colonel Montanelli here " a respectful nod in his direction " was wounded leading the countercharge".
"That was very well done, colonel Montanelli. I spoke with some of your students in Zevio just yesterday, and they impressed me with their courage as well as with their respect for you".​

"I thank Your Highness on behalf of my volunteers".

Gen. Bava took up again the narrative: "Gen. Lamarmora is confident that he can force the narrows north of Salorno, but he will need more men and guns".
"Tell him to stop, and fortify the position at Salorno. I am not sending more men into that meat grinder, the more so since I am sure that the Austrians will have fortified their positions by now. It would have been nice to push up to the Brenner pass, but there's not any real strategic gain to be achieved. We control the road to the Brenner, no Austrian army can march down to relieve the garrison in Verona, and this is what it matters. It would have also been nice if Gen. Lamarmora had deployed scouts in advance, to avoid being mousetrapped, but that's spilt milk."
"I will convey the message and your orders, Your Highness. Now, looking at the east, we are controlling all significant bridges and crossings on the Adige and the Piave rivers. The population is friendly, and we have liaised with the provisional governments of Treviso and Belluno: the supply situation is a bit tight, but manageable. Our advance guard has crossed the Tagliamento, securing the bridges, and is expected to be in Udine and Palmanova day after tomorrow.​

The reinforcements ordered by Your Highness have started the march 2 days ago, and should start the crossing of the Adige right now.
No organized Austrian troops appear to be present west of Isonzo, but general Nugent is reported to be in Gorizia with 12-15,000 men".

"Very well." The prince started speaking again " The information I gathered in Venice matches pretty well with your report. The fortress of Palmanova is held by insurgents, and it is important that our troops are ready to support them if necessary. Udine has declared its willingness to rejoin the Republic of Saint Mark, and the same has been done by the other cities of Veneto and Friuli. General Durando has crossed into Veneto, and is marching towards Friuli with 6,000 regulars and 4,000 volunteers: I met him in Venice, and we are in agreement on the strategy to be implemented. General d'Orleans, you will be in command of the eastern front. Secure bridgeheads across the Isonzo if possible, but refrain from attacking entrenched enemy positions. You will have numerical superiority, so you'll be able to feint and threaten to encircle them. I spoke early of logistics: they will come by sea, which means that you'll need to secure a good harbor. Monfalcone should do the trick, given the sea superiority that the Serenissima is enjoying, and the fact that Nugent cannot cover it without leaving his secure hole in Gorizia. If the situation is well in hands, you are authorized to send probing forces towards Trieste and Istria, the Venetian navy will support amphibious operations. Don't forget, however, that your main objective is to keep general Nugent bottled in Gorizia, and to defeat him if he tries to leave the city. Liaise with Gen. Durando when he arrives: he was a Sardinian officer until a few years ago, there will be no difficulty. Liaise also with the irregulars in Cadore as well as in Udine: they can protect the mountainside, provide you with guides, conduct raids in Austrian territory. General di Borbone, you'll be under the command of general d'Orleans. Your lancers will be very useful for scouting and raiding, but no cavalry charges unless d'Orleans orders it.

Last war theatre: Dalmatia. After the successful mutiny in Pola, a squadron of brigs was sent to Zara, to assess the situation in Dalmatia: they took the harbor by stealth, neutralized the harbor batteries and secured the other ships there. The day after they supported the insurgents in the city, and now Zara is free. The same brigs raised the flag of insurrection all along the coast: Sebenico, Spalato, Trau, Ragusa, Pregasto have been freed, with little or no resistance from the small Austrian garrisons. The Serenissima and the kingdom of Sardinia have joined forces to secure the freedom of Dalmatia, and general Durando has agreed to join this fight, sending a mixed force of regulars and volunteers to Zara under general Ferrari (6). Venetian ships are transporting them across the Adriatic. General Alessandro Lamarmora and two regiments of Bersaglieri have also departed for Zara. Gen. Lamarmora will command this theatre, and will operate in accordance with the political instructions of Signor Tommaseo, Provveditore per la Dalmazia. Some 7,000 volunteers from the papal States have remained in Ferrara, as a strategic reserve: they may be shipped to Friuli or to Dalmatia, or to... Never mind, to Friuli or Dalmatia, as I said, depending on how the events unfold.​

We are coming close to achieving a victory that no one could anticipate or even hope: I have the utmost confidence in you all

Footnotes:

1. Captain Griffino fought with distinction at Goito IOTL; he does the same ITTL, and is promoted to Major
2. Major Luciano Manara, Milanese patriot and insurgent. OTL he died in 1849, gallantly fighting in the defense of the Roman Republic against the French troops of gen. Oudinot. ITTL his future may be more rewarding
3. Giuseppe Montanelli, university professor and moderate democrat, commanding the Student Volunteers regiment. IOTL he was wounded at the battle of Curtatone and Montanara, where the Volunteers stopped Radetzki's attempt to relieve the garrison of Peschiera. ITTL he's still wounded, but in Trentino
4. Emilio Graziani, fictional brother of captain Leone Graziani, who is in the provisional government of the Republic of Saint Mark
5. Luigi Federico Menabrea, Commander of the Military Academy in Turin. Well known artillerist and sapper. He's back from a tour of the duchies of Parma and Modena
6. General Andrea Ferrari, an old war horse who started his career in the Napoleonic war, and subsequently fought all over Europe and North Africa with distinction. He's in charge of the volunteers, since he's a fervent democrat

Made in @LordKalvan​

 

[Tarabas]

Isola della Scala, April 3rd, 1848-Lunch time

At noon, the morning was evolving into a gorgeous afternoon. Still, Ferdinand forced himself not notice the luxuries of this beautiful spring day; he simply had no time for this. Still, he was a member of House Savoy, and could not avoid a certain degree of formality.
"I am sorry we could not speak earlier, my dearest sister. It's just..."
"There is no need to apologize, brother. As Lieutenant of the Realm and Commander in Chief, you have many important things to worry about."
"Which does not mean I have the right to make a Queen wait for me..." To this, Maria Cristina blushed prettily, while Henri gave a nervous laugh, but then their eyes met, and, somehow, the room turned brighter. Ferdinand could not help but noticing this, and thought briefly of his Maria Adelaide, and the... calmer, steadier love they shared. But those were thoughts for after the war.
"So, let me guess... Father gave his blessing to your accession to the Sicilian Throne?"
"Yes, he did. He looked confused, spoke at length of a dream he had. He said he was seeing a crown on my head, and for a brief moment he looked more resolute, calmer, even younger. But then..." Maria Cristina suddenly looked worried, and Henri took her hand gently.
"He seemed to falter", Henri continued for her. "I solemnly swore to him that I will always protect my wife-and my Queen and her throne."
Ferdinand nodded gravely.
"I am sure you will, Henri: no queen could ask for a truer Champion. But before anything else, I have to ask, Maria Cristina... Do you really want the crown?"
"I... have never thought of myself as a Queen before, I have to be honest. Most of times, especially before meeting Henri, I hardly felt a Princess. And yet somehow the people of Sicily, who do not know me, asked me to become their rightful ruler, and..." she paused. She squeezed Henri's hand looked at her husband, and continued, fierce emerging in her eyes.
"... I want to heed this call. I might not be a hero of the battlefield as you, brother, or as my beloved Henri, but I want to make a difference, and I understand that any ruler owes a duty to her people. So yes, I want to become Queen of Sicily, and lead my new people towards a better future. I want to be in Palermo as soon as possible"
Ferdinand contemplated for a moment the woman before him. Maria Cristina had never looked so vibrant, so beautiful, so alive.
"Very well, then. You have my wholehearted support. But... we will need to secure your position, sister. Ferdinando di Borbone will not take this lightly, and will react. The British are sympathetic but will not help us directly. In short..."
"...we have a war to win before going to Palermo." Henri finished the sentence for him. Ferdinand nodded.
"And what should I do while you two win the war?" For a second, Ferdinand pictured her as a modern Joanne d'Arc, tricolor in hand, guiding a charge in the battlefield. Henri lowered his eyes for a second.
"Meet with the Sicilian envoys regularly. Listen to the problems of your people, get to know them, make plans. Build consent. In short, sis... Do your queenly homework."​

An argentine burst of laughter from Maria Cristina.

"This is what I love about you, Ferdi: you never change. Lieutenant of the Realm, Commander in Chief, the Prince of the Italians, the Hero of Goito, and what is your advice to a future Queen? "Do your homework". Henri, my love, how can this possibly work on the battlefield?" "Bersaglieri, do your math against the Austrians", she mused, in a pretty decent imitation of Ferdinand. "That's artillery in a nutshell. My studies are applicable to other parts of the military equation too", Ferdinand thought.
"Je ne sais même pas, mon amour." Henri answered. He then looked intensely at Ferdinand.​

"But I have seen it works bloody well", he added.

"I have ordered a light lunch to be served. Join me and my best advisor, the count of Cavour, and we can talk a little more. Talk to him, Maria Cristina, it will be worth your while: Camillo will introduce you to the murky waters of politics, teach you how to keep always your counsel until the right moment comes, introduce to you people from other Italian states. Some of them are high in the councils of their monarchs, others are little better than revolutionaries, but it doesn't matter. Trust me in this, sister: if he thinks you should meet them, you would be a fool to refuse. The next couple of weeks here in Isola della Scala will teach you many things : this little, sleepy town in the countryside will become the political beating heart of all Italy."
​

Made in Tarabas & @LordKalvan ​

 

[Tarabas]

Isola della Scala, Villa Pindemonte, Study of Prince Ferdinando - 4 April 1848, afternoon

Ferdinando had enjoyed very much today's light lunch: Maria Cristina, Henri and Camillo were probably the three persons in the world he could be more relaxed with, and which provided the strongest intellectual stimulation too. Of course he loved his wife and his children, and loved and respected his father, but this trio was completely on a different plane. On a whimsy, he had even referred to the four of them as the Society of the Four Elementals: Maria Cristina was Fire, no doubt about that; it was equally clear that Henry was Earth, strong, reliable and practical; Camillo was Air, mercurial, curious and inquisitive, always refreshing. Which left Water for himself, and it was a good fit, he thought: everyone knew that water was quiet and persistent, and in the end even the hardest rock - or the hardest problem - would be defeated.

Unsurprisingly, the count of Cavour had been able to charm and to impress both Maria Cristina and Henry: the elemental of Air could be harsh and biting as the north wind in winter, but also gentle and stimulating as the breezes of spring. Maria Cristina would certainly benefit even from a short tutoring.

Ferdinando sighed, and concentrated on the many issues which needed to be immediately addressed .
"Camillo, let me thank you for accepting to advise my sister in political matters. She will have to find her own advisers in due time, and from her own kingdom, but she also needs a reliable and trusty advisor right now.

"I was under the impression that I could not refuse the orders of the Lieutenant" Camillo was irrepressible as usual "However, your choice to suggest me as an advisor for the Duchess of Genova, and soon to be Queen of Sicily honors and pleases me: your sister is a very intelligent and self-willed woman, and she will learn very quickly how to navigate the political waters. Most of all, she must learn to keep her own counsel, and let the minor players make most of the noise. Incidentally, I understand that the Sicilian Parliament resurrected the Constitution of 1813, which gives more power to Parliament and less to the monarch compared to the Statute recently granted by your father. Which is a good thing, as I see it: granting any kind of Constitution is what really matters, and once this fateful step is taken the balance of power will move steadily away from the monarch and into the hands of Parliament, like water flowing downhill. I predict that this is going to happen in the kingdom of Sardinia too, and when the unavoidable crisis will occur it will be a good thing that you will be on the throne, since you are not prone to delusions and have very good political instincts. Your achievements in Venice are the best proof of what I am saying."

"Do you believe me so prone to give away my God-given Divine Right of King?", Ferdinand said, half jokingly, but to Camillo it sounded like a biting imitation of the late King Carlo Felice. "Besides, I do not understand why you make such a fuss about my actions in Venice. The city freed herself without any need of our help, and they managed to gain a fleet in the bargain. The other cities of Veneto and Friuli freed themselves too. I went to Venice to better understand what was happening, and once I did there was no other reasonable strategy for me to follow."

"Do you mean to tell me that you played no role in the resurrection of the Most Serene Republic? That your victory at Goito did not have an impact? Or that you did not propose an alliance, and not just in Veneto and Friuli, but even in Dalmatia where you sent your best general? Any other victorious general, not to mention one who is also heir to a kingdom, would have put forward demands, would have made your help conditional to political subservience, but you didn't. And that is because you have very good political instincts. I am certainly not a republican, but I do agree with you: the restoration of the Republic of Saint Mark is the best political outcome for the kingdom of Sardinia, better to have a grateful ally than an unruly subject. By not asking for anything, you've ensured that they will give you more than you might have reasonably asked. Leaving aside any other consideration, governing all of Northern Italy from Turin would have meant a terrible headache for us: the people of Lombardy and Veneto are very different from the people of Piedmont (2). Forgive my bluntness, but do you believe that your father would have chosen to act as you did?"

"I do not have an answer to your question, and can only repeat what I said before: the people of Veneto regained their freedom on their own, and I would not try to take it away from them. My aim is to expel the Austrians from Italy, and avoid in the future that they may act as they did in the past 30 years. I have reasonable expectations that the people of Lombardy will not be against joining Sardinia, but these expectations must be confirmed by a plebiscite, and it is even possible that the best solution for Lombardy would be to give them their own parliament and government, in personal union with the crown of Sardinia. After all, there are more Lombards than Piedmontese, aren't there? I met a most intriguing person in Venice, signor Carlo Cattaneo, and after speaking with him I am starting to think that we must thread lightly in Lombardy. Beyond this, and remembering that the war is not yet over, I believe that the Italian States must be brought together in some form of Confederation: only in this way we can truly make us confident that we will be able to keep free of foreign interventions and promote commerce and industry in Italy."

"Yesterday night you asked me if I had a solution for your conundrum (1): how to win the peace after winning the war. It looks like you already had the answer to your question, once again proving that your political instincts are very well developed. What you are asking from me is a detailed roadmap to achieve your goals."

"Yes, how to cut in some way the Gordian knot of treacherous Italian politics, and even more how to do it quickly, while the wind is in our sails. I am afraid that it will take a long time to achieve my goals.

"Time is what you do not have, my Prince. We are lucky that the Austrians have not yet asked for an armistice, maybe we should thank God for endowing the Habsburgs with such arrogance that they do not realize the situation they are in. Once an armistice is signed, the diplomacy of the Powers will come in play, and they will try to impose on us their own wishes. We must quickly put in place a solution which is both reasonable and of our own making, You certainly remember what the British ambassador said earlier today. If I may ask, what was in the letter he handed over to you?"

"It was personally written by Prince Albert. Congratulations on our victory at Goito, well wishes but also a hint that the British government was concerned with unrest in Europe, and a veiled suggestion that we should not be too greedy. He agrees with you: whatever we do, we must be quick."

"Prince Albert has always been a reasonable man with a great clarity of vision, as well as a good friend. Very well, there is only a single strategy we can put in place quickly. Delegations from Sicily and Tuscany are due to arrive here today. I am informed that also the Republic of St. Mark has sent a delegation, and the same has been arranged by the Provisional Governments of Lombardy and of the Cispadanian Duchies. There is no one from Naples, officially at least. Professor Scialoia arrived yesterday, and gave me the latest news: King Ferdinand doesn't intend to support our war against the Austrians, even if he has not officially declared so. He would like to send an army to Palermo, the offer of the crown of Sicily to your sister enraged him, but he's also afraid of his own subjects: for now at least he'll do what he does best, nothing. We have some friends in Naples anyway, or at least Scialoia says so. There is no one here from the Papal States, but no need for them, I might say. Propose an Italian Confederation, something similar to the German Zollverein: commerce and common defense, and each and any state taking care of its internal business but under a constitution. Offer the presidency of this Confederation to His Holiness. I doubt anyone will oppose this proposal, it should go forward by acclamation. We can also make use of Gioberti: let's send him to Rome with this proposal, it is what he has been advocating for years."

"Yesterday night you said Gioberti was a fool: did you change your mind?"

"Certainly not, he's a misguided fool, but even fools can be used under the right circumstances"

Ferdinand smiled. It was surprising how the two of them were similar: he had said those very same words regarding his good cousin Ferdinando Carlo.
"So be it, then. Italians, I shall seal your fates in the hands of a fool", he mused.​

Footnotes

1. Reference to Interlude #4
2. Cavour said words much like these in 1859, during a visit to Milan and Bologna

Made in @LordKalvan & Tarabas​

 

[Tarabas]

Isola della Scala, Villa Pindemonte, Study of Prince Ferdinando - 4 April 1848, afternoon (continued)

The Count of Cavour bowed, and departed. Without any doubt with the intention of swimming in the murky waters of politics, thought Ferdinando with a smile, wishing him a good hunt.
A Royal Equerry replaced him: "Your Highness, General Menabrea is here, as you asked. We are also informed that various delegations are arriving to Isola della Scala. They should be here within two or three hours."
" Do you know which delegations are arriving?"
"A delegation from Tuscany and a second one from Sicily, Your Highness. A third one from Milan, and the last one from the Republic of St. Mark."
Quite a lot of people, mused Ferdinand. "Please look after suitable accommodations for them. I do hope we will not be too crowded."
" Count Cavour asked the majordomo to look for suitable additional lodgings a few days ago, and Villa Boschi was found to be the most suitable. It features also a very large ballroom, as requested by the Count. Everything is ready since yesterday, and we have also hired suitable servants, cooks and footmen.​

"That was well done. Now ask General Menabrea to enter." Camillo-the-Spider has spun his web, mused Ferdinand, and now the flies are clamoring to enter it. Very impressive.

"My dear General Menabrea, have a seat. What was your impression of the General Staff meeting this morning?".
"It appeared to be very professional, Your Highness. Maps of every place of interest for the campaigns were available, precise numbers of our forces and estimates of enemy strength were produced on demand, and you managed to run it like a clockwork mechanism. I know by experience that it's not always easy to manage so many officers, in particular when dealing with various and distant theatres of operations."
"It's still a work in progress, my dear Menabrea. You would have not been impressed if you had been present when I first tried to build up a General Staff for the Sardinian army."​

"The concept of General Staff was firstly adopted by the Prussian army during the last years of the Napoleonic wars, wasn't it?"

"That is correct, but my impression is that it was not furtherly developed over the next decades: it remained limited to a small group of officers, who were supposed to provide advice to the king on campaign. More than three decades of peace failed to produce the incentive to develop it further, but I can believe it might, and should, evolve into a powerful tool for future wars. However a Prussian general, Carl von Clausewitz, wrote extensively on the subject, although his writings were published only after his death, and I believe they have not yet been translated. I was presented the first three books by Prince Albert for my birthday in 1840. I have read them more than a few times, and they are fascinating, dealing with the political-military interfaces of making war: they are aptly titled "Vom Kriege", "On War", and while being written from the point of view of a theoretician, they would benefit also any general in the field. I have had them translated in Italian (1), and I strongly recommend that they become mandatory reading at the Military Academy. I have also procured the other 7 books written by him, and they are being translated too."
"I will be seriously considering your recommendation, Your Highness. Has my appointment as Quartermaster General anything to do with these books?"
"You are right, it has, but I am truly concerned by the hard task of keeping our armies supplied in the field. An army marches on its stomach. Didn't Napoleon say that , or was Frederick the Great to say it first? Never mind, the concept is more than sound, but unfortunately many generals do not concern themselves with these practical matters: they are convinced it's enough to snap their fingers to get all the provisions they need, or at worst they send out foraging parties and the civilians pay the price of war. This is unacceptable, and has to end. In the future, I can see the expansion of railways to be the solution, but in this war we need to make the best use of water transportation, given that we command the major rivers in Northern Italy and our allies in Venice are once again masters of the Adriatic.
However I am afraid that I will have to ask you of another couple of things on top of that. You know what they say, the reward for a job well done is always more work."​

"I'm your to command, Your Highness". The answer was firm, but Ferdinando could almost feel a hint of worry.

"The first task I have in mind is training. Our army, and in particular the Bersaglieri Corps, has greatly benefitted by intensive training over the last three years. This has also to continue, but the same care has to be taken to train the Volunterr Levies that are being raised in Lombardy and elsewhere. I have also promised our allies in Venice to provide a military mission to help training their ground forces: while Venice doesn't require help in terms of their navy personnel, their experience in land combat is frankly very limited, and the few experienced military men they have are officers who fought in the Napoleonic wars, and are not just old but also find it very difficult to grasp the changes brought by technological progress."​

"It shall be done, Your Highness. And the other thing?"

"You have certainly heard that the Sicilian parliament has voted to offer the crown of Sicily to my sister. She will accept, but she also need a reliable man to advise her on military matters, while the Count of Cavour will advise her on political issues. Do you accept this last task, General Menabrea?​

"I do, Your Highness. How could I refuse such a honor?"
"Wonderful. Maria Cristina will travel to Palermo only after the end of this war, but do you have any suggestion for now?"

"I understand that a task force of the Sardinian navy is making ready in Genoa to sail to the Adriatic. However, since Venice appears to be in full control of the sea, I wonder if it would not be more reasonable to dispatch the task force to Palermo instead, in token of our support to the decision of the Sicilian Parliament. You will need to discuss this possibility with both Venice and the Sicilians, obviously, to avoid any misunderstanding. It might be possible to send a military mission and some artillery pieces to Palermo, to help in the training of the Sicilian army, but again this has to be discussed and agreed with the Sicilians."
"Your suggestions appear to be sound, and this proves that I was not in the wrong by selecting you for this additional role. I understand that signor La Masa, Ministry of War in the Sicilian Government, is in the delegation arriving today at Isola della Scala. He should be the right person with whom you might discuss these ideas."​

Footnotes

1. The first Italian translation of Vom Kriege was published only in 1942 IOTL

Made in @LordKalvan ​

 

[Tarabas]

The Arrival of the Four Wise Men (and a Wise Woman)
Isola della Scala, Villa Pindemonte, Study of Prince Ferdinando - 4 April 1848, late afternoon

Prince Ferdinand and the Count of Cavour were looking from the windows at the arrival of an impressive cortege: a number of carriages, escorted by at least a regiment of infantry.
"The first Wise Man has already arrived, Your Highness. I settled the Milanese delegation at Villa Borghi. " Cavour quipped "They are bringing you no gold, no frankincense, no myrrh, but iron...the Iron Crown of Lombardy, even if they don't know it yet. Since the Milanese include members of both the Provisional Government and the War Council, they are quite skittish: each faction has its own agenda. I am however quite confident that the approach you have in mind for Lombardy will not displease either the moderate or the democrats. Of course it will not completely please either of them, and for this reason I do believe it is a good compromise approach. The Second and the Third Wise Men are the one you see approaching. Sicilians and Tuscans marching side by side in amicable company: who could anticipate such a thing even just a few months ago?"
"I am not completely comfortable with your characterization of these arrivals, Camillo. Your sarcasm is usually biting, but this time you are worse than ever. I am going to humor you, nonetheless, for the time being. The Sicilians are obviously coming to offer the crown to my sister: no surprise here. Do you know anything about the delegates? And which are the Tuscans' reasons to come in such number?"
"The Sicilians are bringing the crown of their island, as you said, and a token force of volunteers. Given the distance from Palermo, and the need to keep what few military forces they have ready if King Ferdinand were to try to invade, it is as good as they can do. I don't know personally the delegates, but from what professor Scialoia knows of them, it is a high-level delegation, once again including both moderates and democrats. It looks like prince Ruggero Settimo's political strategy is not so different from your own: to privilege unity of intents, and accept necessary compromises."
" A causa vinta (1): first let us win the war, everything else can be amicably settled in due time. Sig. Cattaneo explained his position with these words, and I do agree completely with him. It looks like I am not the only one."
"Exactly so, Your Highness. The Tuscan delegation is led by Marquis Capponi and Baron Ricasoli, both members in good standing of the Grand Duke's Privy Council. I know them both personally, and I believe that Baron Ricasoli was introduced to you last December (2). Marquis Capponi is a good friend of Prime Minister Balbo, with whom he shares also new-Guelph sympathies, and I understand he does not like me very much, but it will not be a problem . Baron Ricasoli is a smart man, very much involved with industrial ventures, besides his extensive land holdings. I found him very congenial when we met in Turin, we speak the same language you might say" Cavour smiled thinly, before going on " The ostensible reason for this mission is to congratulate yourself for the victory at Goito, but I believe they also want to address something more important. There are three regiments of Tuscan infantry accompanying them, and this is the gift that the Third Wise man is bringing to you: it looks like that sending troops to the winning army is the thing to do in European diplomacy. This means that the Grand Duke is firmly convinced that the war is won, or nearly so, and his signal that he is not going to let his family ties with Vienna trump the interests of Tuscany and the dynasty. Therefore I do believe that Tuscany will fit nicely in our political strategy, but don't let yourself become too optimistic: neither Capponi nor Ricasoli are going to sell Tuscan support too cheaply, and it will be necessary to give them some tangible token of the appreciation of the Kingdom of Sardinia for their support and friendship. I have already some ideas about what might please them, and it will not be anything which would be important for us. It's also quite possible it might fit very neatly into a railway project which is going to be very useful, but this is a discussion for another time: "a causa vinta", as you said."
"I understand that the delegation of the Republic of Saint Mark is also due to arrive this evening, Camillo."
"In a couple of hours at most, Your Highness. This is the fourth Wise Man, who is bringing you the gift of a fleet. Most considerate of them. It is a very good thing that in our modern times we can afford even a fourth Wise Man."

"And it's not even Christmas", Ferdinand mused. "I think it would be better to house the Venetians here, at Villa Pindemonte. I need to discuss with them the prosecution of the war, and also the idea that gen. Menabrea floated to me earlier. It would be a good thing to send a naval squadron to Palermo, to show our support for Sicilian independence. Obviously I don't want to disappoint the Venetians in any way, and I need their assent since these ships were going to be sent to the Adriatic: however, as of now the Republic is in full control of the sea, and they don't really need additional ships, so it should not be difficult to gain their assent. By the same token, I don't want to antagonize Sicily. It should be in their interest to have a Sardinian squadron in Palermo, but we have to play it nice. General Menabrea is also going to discuss with them a military mission to train their army, but I want you to keep an oversight. Therefore I am going to play host to the Venetians, and you will be in Villa Borghi to keep the other delegations happy and cooperative. I suppose the formal offer of the Sicilian crown to my sister might be done tomorrow afternoon, if the Sicilians agree. It should really be a grand formal affair, but there are too many demands on our time to afford these niceties. We are still at war, and I want to send Henri d'Orleans to Friuli not later than day after tomorrow."

What neither the Prince nor the Count could know yet was that, alongside the four Wise Men, a Wise Woman was coming, by the name of Cristina Trivulzio di Belgiojoso, at the head of a 200 strong force of volunteers (3).

Footnotes

1. Carlo Cattaneo spoke these words IOTL when an agreement was made between the Provisional Government (where moderate liberals where in the majority) and the War Council (driven by democrats) to postpone any decision on the future government of Lombardy to the end of the war against Austria.
2. Baron Ricasoli was in Turin in December 1847, to canvass Sardinian support in the negotiation for the duchy of Parma, following the death of Marie Louise.
3. Princess Cristina Trivulzio di Belgioioso was a Lombard aristocrat who was a strong supporter of Mazzini and obviously a bitter enemy of Austria. Spent the 1830s as an exile in Paris, but she was in Naples when the news of the insurrection of Milan reached her. She rented a steamship, enlisted a couple hundred volunteers and left for Milan, where she arrived on 6 April. ITTL, she gets also the news of Goito, and she lands in Livorno, not in Genoa, to proceed toward Goito. On the road she meets the Tuscan and Sicilian delegations, and joins them on the last leg of the journey.

Made in @LordKalvan & Tarabas​

 

[Tarabas]

Isola della Scala, Villa Borghi- 4 April 1848, late afternoon

Camillo di Cavour had greeted the Tuscan and Sicilian delegates, and given instruction to the footmen to take them to their rooms.
There was a last carriage, though. When the door opened, and a veiled lady stepped down, the Count was genuinely surprised, but managed not to break his stride and to bow over her gloved hand smoothly.
"Princess Belgioioso, you made my day perfect. Welcome to Villa Borghi."
"My dear Count of Cavour, you were always a charmer. Aren't you happy to see me? Could you believe I would stay away from the place where all these wonders are being worked out?"
" I was slightly surprised to see you today, Princess, but I am very happy to see you here. First of all, because only the most cold blooded and jaded man could not be happy to see you, my lady. And second, but not a very a distant second, mind, because I was thinking of you just today."
"Now you have managed to intrigue me, Camillo. Let's do away with your flatteries, and address the true meaning of your words. Why were you thinking of me today? I don't think we met since that soiree in Paris, and it was almost ten years ago."
"It is because we are fighting a war here, Princess, an more importantly because winning a war does not bring any benefit if you cannot also win the peace. There are battles which can be won by the sword, and battles which can be won by the pen, but there are also battles where the sword or the pen avail nothing, and can only be won by the beauty, the fire and the wit of a beautiful Lombard princess."
"Flatterer. And which battle would this be? I have brought with me 200 stout-hearted volunteers from Naples, but I am thinking you do not look for soldiers, do you?"
"Indeed I do not, Princess. I need you, and the battle is for the hearts and minds of your own countrymen. But I will explain better later on. For the time being, let me settle you at the villa. I am sure you need some rest, and a dinner is planned tonight, in about three hours."
The Count of Cavour signaled to a footman: "Take Princess Belgioioso to the Blue Room, on the first floor, and make sure she has anything she need.

There was an eager look in the eyes of the count, while he thought: "Everything is falling into place. Now I am sure that I can win this game, and give my prince what he needs."
​

Made in @LordKalvan ​

 

[Tarabas]

Isola della Scala, Villa Pindemonte- 4 April 1848, early evening

Ferdinando greeted in person the delegates of the Republic of St. Mark when they entered Villa Pindemonte. It was an impressive group, confirming the commitment of the Republic to the alliance and to the prosecution of the war: Daniele Manin, President of the Provisional Government and Foreign Secretary, Giovanni Francesco Avesani (1), Minister for Justice, Leone Graziani (2), Minister for the Navy and recently promoted to vice-admiral, Count Alvise Mocenigo (3), President of the Municipality of Venice, Count Sebastiano Tecchio (4), delegate for Vicenza, and Giuseppe Olivi (5), podesta' of Treviso.
"Gentlemen, welcome to Villa Pindemonte. Other delegations have already arrived to Isola della Scala: you will meet them tomorrow.
A dinner will be served soon. Please refresh yourselves, accommodations have been set aside for you in the Villa."
"We thank you for your kind welcome, Your Highness. The trip from Venice was hardly arduous, and we will be at your disposal shortly." Daniele Manin replied, bowing courteously.
While the delegates were taken away, Ferdinando thought that the composition of the delegation was quite telling,
Manin and Avesani were the acknowledged leaders of the two wings of the liberal moderates in Venice, with the former closer to the "New Men" in the city, merchants and manufactory owners, and the latter closer to the traditional landed interests. Manin had also a strong support among the workers of the Arsenale, the Arsenalotti, always a player to be reckoned with in Venetian politics.
Count Mocenigo was obviously the representative of the Venetian patriciate a man of his class, no doubt, but Ferdinando had met him in Venice, and he thought the Count was no hidebound reactionary: his presence here was a clear indication that the Venetian patriciate was willing to support the re-birth of the Republic.
Leone Graziani had been a navy man all his life, with a distinguished career in the Austrian navy, but that was not all. Graziani had been also high in the councils of the Prometheus organization, and Ferdinando thought he had been the strongest supporter of the plan to incite a mutiny in Pola. Well, it was not surprising to see him promoted and chosen as minister for the Navy after his plan had been so incredibly successful.
Count Tecchio was another man who Ferdinando had met in Vicenza, and then again in Venice: a level-headed man, another lawyer, unsurprisingly , and most important of all his presence here, together with the podesta' of Treviso, was proof that Manin and Avesani had took to heart the idea that the mainland provinces had to play a front-line role in the new Republic: all to the good.
It was somehow surprising that no representative from Friuli was in the delegation. Most likely, it was because the war front had moved to Friuli, and the delegates from there had considered their presence there to be necessary. It would be good to confirm this by making a few polite enquiries, though, If there were problems between Friuli and Venice, the war effort might be affected, and Henri informed. Besides, where on earth was Henri?

...........

" Henri. I am going to Villa Borghi tonight, and meeting the Sicilian delegation. And the other delegations too, of course"
The last statement came in as an afterthought, and Henri sighed: he knew his wife very well, and when she was speaking in that particular tone of voice the chances to change her mind were close to zero.
" I can understand your eagerness, Maria Cristina, and certainly I do sympathize. It is a matter of protocol, though. The Sicilian delegation, well all the delegations actually, have not yet been properly introduced, and a princess cannot just go there unannounced and unexpected."
"A princess maybe cannot... But my dear friend, the countess of Rivoli, can and will, without affecting any protocol of any sorts. her handsome French husband can join as well, if so he wishes.... What was his name? Comte D'or..."
"Comte d'Ormes. A dear friend of mine, by happenstance." He sighed, but he could not help but smile.
"See? It was not so difficult after all. Send a note to count Cavour, letting him know that our fiends are going. I'll get ready to leave. Letizia (6) can also come with us, so that I... The Countess of Rivoli can be properly chaperoned if you want to have a drink with the other gentlemen. Or, if she wishes to meet personally with the famous Princess of Belgioioso without her husband around."
Henri's sigh was almost audible this time, and he closed his eyes. But we he opened them up, Maria Cristina was donning her most intense and seductive smile.
"You know, my dear, what the Comte d'Ormes told me once about his wife, the Countess of Rivoli?" He said, piercing his blue eyes into hers.
"I do not think you mentioned that, my love" she replied, as they drove closer, their breaths becoming one.
"That she's got the same terrible beauty that only the fiercest battles have. But that's a battle he never gets tired of, on the contrary. Lose or win, it doesn't matter: he will fight this until he dies, because it's the only thing that keeps him alive."
Maria Cristina's answer came in the form of the most passionate kiss. (7)

..........

Shortly after the departure of Maria Cristina, Letizia and Henri, there was a last surprise visitor arriving to Villa Pindemonte.
" Your Highness, Monsignor Corboli Bussi (8) has arrived from Rome. He apologizes for not having let you know in advance of his arrival, and would like to speak to you at your convenience."
Ferdinando frowned. Monsignor Corboli Bussi was a high-level diplomat of the Secretary of State in Rome: he had been in Turin to discuss for the Customs Union of the papal States, Tuscany and Sardinia, and he was also a close advisor of the Pope himself. He must have had his own reason to come here, but what was he going to bring forward?
"Please inform the Monsignore that I will meet him tomorrow morning, and let him know that dinner will be served soon if he wants to join us and is not too tired. I assume the majordomo has already provided him with accommodation?"
"Yes, Your Highness"
"Please send a note to the Count of Cavour, informing him that the Monsignore has arrived, and I'll meet him tomorrow morning"

Footnotes​

1. G. F. Avesani, lawyer and close to the positions of the Municipality of Venice. IOTL was a rival of Manin for the leadership of the Provisional Government, and Manin prevailed. ITTL, the different status of the war and the presence of Ferdinando in Venice has avoided the breach, and both Manin and him are member of the Provisional Government​
2. Leone Graziani, served 40 years in the Navy of the Kingdom of Italy and then of Austria, being promoted up to senior captain. IOTL he was appointed as Chief of the Arsenale and promoted to rear admiral by Manin. ITTL, the role played by him within Prometheus has boosted him higher. Remarkably, he was the father-in-law of Attilio Bandiera, one of the two brothers who were executedt in Calabria after an ill-fated attempt to raise a Mazzinian insurrection​
3. Count Alvise Mocenigo, scion of a very ancient patrician family in Venice. A moderate and progressive thinker in the ranks of the Patriciate​
4. Count Sebastiano Tecchia was a lawyer and patriot, very active in the insurrection of Vicenza in 1848​
5. Giuseppe Olivi, Podesta' of Treviso from 1847 to 1852: patriot and politician. His 5 sons all fought against Austria during the siege of Venice (and one was killed there).​
6. Letizia Tadini, Countess of Savignano and Acceglio. Chief lady-in-waiting and best friend of Maria Cristina​
7. Allegedly, the famous picture "Il Bacio" by Hayez was inspired by this clandestine kiss. As the legend goes, Letizia was going to see Maria Cristina and happened to see the scene unnoticed, and was so surprised by this bruto of passion that she had to talk about it to a close friend, who commented of it to another close friend, and so on, until the account reached the ears of the famous painter. Probably we will never know the truth, but the kissing couple represented in this iconic picture do carry an impressive resemblance of Maria Cristina and Henri .​
8. Monsignor Giovanni Corboli Bussi, diplomat and advisor of Pius IX. One of the few true liberals among the Roman Curia. IOTL he was sent to Peschiera, to meet Carlo Alberto and try to obtain a loan to offset the deficit in the Papal finances.​

Made in @LordKalvan and Tarabas​

 

[Tarabas]

Isola della Scala, Villa Pindemonte- 4 April 1848, early evening

"You are telling me that you do not know General d'Orleans' whereabouts, Augusto, just that he left Villa Pindemonte?Why? Did he receive information regarding a possible attack by the enemy?"
Ferdinando's tone was very dry, and Augusto di Cavour blushed deeply: "Your Highness, there has been no report of enemy movements. However, I do have some news of sorts for you, even though..."
"Which news, Captain?"
"A note from the Count of Cavour, Your Highness. He informs that the Countess of Rivoli and the Compte d'Ormes are headed do Villa Borghi."
To that, Ferdinand eased, and nearly chuckled. Puzzled, Augusto went on,
"If you require the presence of General d'Orleans for the dinner, I can keep searching for him."
"No need for that... It seems you knew more than you think. I urge you to ponder over that a bit... send for General Menabrea, he can replace d'Orleans, and you'll join the dinner too. From what I have seen in Venice, you are quite able to mingle with Venetians without embarrassing yourself. But I must warn you: there will be no ladies tonight, don't be disappointed."
Augusto's handsome face turned from red to outright purple.

................

The dinner had gone smoothly, in a convivial atmosphere, and Monsignor Corboli Bussi has proved to be a witty and charming person.
He had apologized for his unannounced arrival, and excused himself pretty early, alleging to be fatigued after a long ride.
The prince had obviously granted him leave to retire, and invited him for a meeting in his study next morning.
On the face of it, everything was fine, but Ferdinando thought that he had seen a hint of worry and tension in the eyes of the Monsignore, which was out of character for an accomplished diplomat.
No reason to worry now, better to pay attention to the delegation from Venice.

Daniele Manin was the first to speak: "Our warmest thanks for your hospitality, Your Highness. I am pleased to inform you that we bring good news from Dalmatia: the coast is already completely freed, and population has joyously welcomed the resurgence of the Republic of St. Mark and the promise of freedom. The flag of the Lion has been raised from Zara to Spalato to the Bocche di Cattaro and Ragusa, and Dalmatian delegates are under way to give their allegiance to the Republic. Even Signor Tommaseo, the best of friends and a true patriot, but also a morose and pessimist man to the core, is sending back glowing reports. General La Marmora has carried out the occupation of the island of Pago (1) in the north, and is supervising the construction of defensive position along the Tedanio (2) river, from Obrevazzo (3) to Possedaria (4), the former border of the duchy of Dalmatia. General La Marmora is confident that he will be able to hold the border, given the poor roads in the area and our complete control of the sea. Admiral Graziani will provide all necessary information about our naval strategy."

"Very good news, Signor Presidente. There are good news also from our side: the avant-garde of Gen. De Sonnaz Corps has reached Udine, and the rest of his troops should be there in two-three days. A second Corps, under Gen. Bava, has departed three days ago: within a week they should also be in Udine. General d'Orleans, who will command the eastern theatre, will leave the day after tomorrow, with some additional cavalry: he should be able to overtake Gen. Bava's Corps and reach Udine with him. We are however in need of more information about Friuli, in particular with whom our troops should liaise with on the political side. We are going to need guides, and also pilots who know well the Isonzo river. Some jaegers from the mountains would also help."

"Signor Cavedalis (5) from Udine, whom you met in Venice, was supposed to be part of this delegation, but he decided to go back to Friuli in order to be of assistance to your troops: he's outstanding experience as a military engineer, and knows the region very well, in particular the easternmost part. Then there is signor Antonio Dragoni (6), Podesta' of Udine, a stout patriot and a member of the Provisional Government of Friuli, and many others which would be too long to name. I will make an exception for Captain Calvi (7), whom we sent to Cadore from Venice to organize the insurgents. The first news we have received back from him confirm that the Cadore is in full insurrection and he has already started to organize battalions of Jaegers from the region to keep watch on the mountain passes between Friuli and Austria. Captain Calvi is an able and dedicated man, a former senior lieutenant in the Austrian army who resigned his commission upon receiving news of the insurrection of Venice and joined us without hesitation.
He will need guns and ammunitions, but he should be able to put in the field 4,000 or 5,000 volunteers, all familiar with the mountains and the woods of Cadore. Finally, the Provisional Government of Friuli has unanimously voted to join the Republic of St. Mark, on the basis of a perfect equality of rights and duties (8), which is also the basis on which the Republic of St. Mark stands."

"Thank you, signor Manin. General Menabrea, our General Staff Quartermaster, will take care of supplying guns and ammunitions to Captain Calvi, as well as to other volunteer forces that the Provisional Government of Friuli may raise. If nothing else, we have collected quite several thousands of Austrian guns on the battlefield of Goito which can be put to good use. " The prince's smile had a sharkish quality , and was joined by similar expressions around the table. "Of course, the main bottleneck would be distances. I intend to make good use of rivers and marine transportation, and for this purpose we will need a good port: I was thinking of Monfalcone, unless there is any problem I am not aware of. Maybe tomorrow Admiral Graziani and General Menabrea may sit down together, and discuss the matter. General Menabrea is also in charge of training, and as I remember we discussed the possibility of providing a training cadre for your newly enlisted soldiers in Veneto. Maybe now it is also the right time for Admiral Graziani to report on naval operations in the Adriatic."

"I am at your command, Your Highness. As President Manin already said, our naval forces are in full control of the Dalmatian coast, and we are proceeding to occupy all the islands there and also in the Gulf of Carnaro. This last task should not be too difficult, since there are only token Austrian forces on the islands, and the population is welcoming our arrival. The only fortress is on the island of Lissa, and it might require a formal siege to reduce it. Our navy is also blockading Trieste, Pola and Fiume: no enemy sortie has been attempted until now, and I am confident that the blockade can be kept as long as needed. I would not suggest to attempt a landing there, however, since the three harbours are protected by fortifications. Monfalcone is not so fortified, and I would suggest a shelling of the harbour together with a landward attack along the right bank of Isonzo. We'll try to get better intelligence on local forces and naval assets before proceeding, but it should be possible to take the town without having to fight a real battle."

"It looks like the Venetian navy is in full control of the sea, which brings me to my second question. A Sardinian taskforce was planned to be sent to the Adriatic, to support naval operations there, but from your report it does not look like it is really needed. The successful operation in Pola has made again Venice Queen of the Adriatic. " Ferdinand knew very well when it was necessary to be diplomatic.

"I do agree with your appraisal, Your Highness. What naval assets the Austrians still have are bottled in their home ports."

"In such a case, I have a suggestion to make. As you are probably aware, my sister, Princess Maria Cristina, has been offered the crown of Sicily by the parliament in Palermo. The formal offer will take place tomorrow afternoon at Villa Borghi, and you are all invited, of course. Unfortunately, the Sicilian Provisional Government has only a few naval assets at its disposal, and there is always the possibility that Ferdinando of Bourbon might try a landing in Sicilia to put down the insurrection. With your agreement, I would suggest to dispatch the Sardinian task force to Palermo, to show the Sicilian people that we are on their side in the battle for freedom. Furtherly, it would be useful if you would also join the task force with a few Venetian ships. A token force is all that is required, since this is mostly a political statement: it would show the world that the Italians are willing to stand by each other in the battle for freedom. I am going to make the same proposal to the delegates from the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, of course, but I wanted to make it first to the Republic of St. Mark."

"Your suggestions are sound, Your Highness, and I can remember very well the help you provided, and continue to give, to the Republic. As a private citizen, I am very much in favor of showing our Sicilian brothers that we are willing to help. As the President of the Provisional Government, I have to discuss these proposals with my fellow delegates. With your indulgence, we'll give you our position tomorrow.

"One last question, Your Highness. I was surprised by the arrival of Monsignor Corboli Bussi. Do you know the reason for such a visit?" This was Avesani.

" Not yet, signor Avesani. I trust that tomorrow the Monsignore will tell me the reasons behind such an arduous voyage."

"Hopefully, it will not be anything hard to give him. I'm however concerned by the attitude of the Patriarch of Venice: he has always been a supporter of the Austrian government. After the insurrection, he has not made any public proclamation against the Republic, but he has also not made any sign of approval of these political developments. Let's hope for the best."

Footnotes
​

1. Island of Pag in Croat​
2. Zrmanja river in Croat​
3. Obrevac in Croat​
4. Posederjie in Croat​
5. Giovanni Battista Cavedalis, military engineer and patriot​
6. Antonio Dragoni was one of the main promoters of the Provisional Government​
7. Pietro Fortunato Calvi, the commander of the volunteers corps in Cadore who managed to hold at bay Austrian forces until the end of July 1848​
8. The Provisional Government of Friuli voted IOTL to join the Republic of St. Mark on the basis of this same wording

Made in @LordKalvan & Tarabas​

 

[Tarabas]

A Night at Villa Borghi - Part 1
Villa Borghi, 4 April 1848, Evening

Cristina Trivulzio did not waste much time in her room at Villa Borghi. A new dress, a few touch-ups of her make up and her hair, and she was ready for the evening. She was intrigued by the words of Count Cavour: what was the man up to? The best thing was to go and look for the delegation from Milan, and try to get the latest news.
However, while she was walking toward the main staircase, she recognised one of the three men who were talking quietly in an alcove of the corridor: "Enrico Misley ! A lot of years have passed since you helped me in Marsiglia (1). How are you, and what are you doing here?"
"I am well, Cristina, although a bit older and more worn by life. I am here for the same reason as you, I would say: to make Italy. Let me introduce my friends: Nicola Fabrizi (2), an old and dear friend from Modena, Luigi Chiesi (3), from Reggio di Lombardia, Giuseppe Borsani (4), from Parma. The gentlemen are delegates of the Provisional Government of Cispadania : the old duchies, with the only exception of Piacenza, which has already applied for annexation to the kingdom of Sardinia . Gentlemen, let me introduce Princess Cristina Trivulzio di Belgioioso, an ardent Italian patriot."
"I assume the Provisional Government has not yet decided on the future form of government."
"You are correct, Princess. There are different options to be evaluated, and we have agreed to take the necessary time in order to make the right decision." Luigi Chiesi, the oldest of the three delegates. Cristina could think of only one option (and a half, maybe) but she kept that for herself.
"I can commend your wisdom, sir, even if I do not know you. There will be time to debate the form of government, but now any effort must be dedicated to win the war." A voice with a Lombard accent "Carlo Cattaneo, per servirvi. I do apologise for interrupting you, but I could not resist to the desire of paying my respects to Princess Belgioioso."

There were a few more minutes of amicable chatting, then Cattaneo and the Princess left to search for the Milanese delegation.
"I was told they can usually be found further down the corridor, where they have more or less officially appropriated a room for their use. We Milanese are not shy, and also care for our comforts. I understand that there are three members from the Provisional Government, including Gabrio Casati (5), its president , and two from the War Council (6), Giuseppe Ferrari (7) and Enrico Cernuschi (8). Trusted men, and good friends both. You know I don't see eye-to-eye with Casati, though: a slippery eel of a man, if ever there was one. "
"I think you are ungenerous towards Gabrio Casati, Carlo. He has always tried to do his best to improve the situation in Lombardy, and he was successful in some of his attempts. I know him well enough to assure you that his heart is in the right place."
"A bit difficult to sympathize with a man who is ready to bend his knee to a foreign king just a few days after the lackeys of another one have been kicked out of his city (9), and a man unfit for times of war. Be it as it may: I will be civil, for now. While we are talking of slippery men, I would suggest you to be careful when dealing with Misley: you certainly know he's been under a shadow since the failure of the insurrections of 1831."
"I met Misley in Marsiglia when I had to go into exile in France: I had little money, and no friends, but Enrico befriended and supported me, and gave me a letter of introduction in Paris. Without him, I don't know what I could have done. I know the rumors that Misley was in cahoots with the duke of Modena, and betrayed the other conspirators, but I have never believed them."
"Even conspirators can be generous and truthful once or twice in their lives"
Cristina bit her tongue, and knew it was time to change topic.
"How is the relation between the Provisional Government and the War Council, Carlo? I believed that there had been a rapprochement."
"There is an agreement to postpone any decision on the political status of Lombardy until after the end of the war, just like I said to the gentleman from Reggio. It wasn't an easy decision for me to accept this, but it makes sense, provided that each side plays fair. I went to Venice also to avoid temptation on my side, if you want to know." The last words were said with a smile.
"And what are the latest news from Venice? I heard rumors, but they sound so wild."
"My dear Cristina, the truth will put to shame the wildest rumors. The Republic of St. Mark has been reborn, the cities of Veneto and Friuli have all sworn allegiance to it, the Austrian fleet has been stolen from Pola by an audacious coup de main, Dalmatia has risen against the Austrians and is now free and hoists the flag of the Lion, there is a formal alliance between the republic and the kingdom of Sardinia. If these events are not wild enough, I have kept the most puzzling one for last: the man who is behind the resurrection of the republic and the alliance is none other than Ferdinand of Savoy, and he asked for nothing in exchange. I have met him in Venice: very courteous, intelligent, soft-spoken, but you cannot read his eyes."
"It would seem that the staunchest of Republicans has been put under the spell of a Monarch... But, fear not! It takes but a Princess' smile to see through the eyes of a Prince." A gorgeous example of said smile followed, so gorgeous that Cattaneo had to make use of all of his philosophy not to lose his composure. It took a while for him to ask himself, silently but solemnly, whether a spell had truly been cast upon him, and by whom.

Footnotes​

1. Enrico Misley, an expatriate from Modena, had befriended and Helped Cristina Trivulzio when she had to go in exile in France in 1832​
2. Nicola Fabrizi, also from Modena. A military man, exiled since the 1830s and a fervent democrat​
3. Luigi Chiesi, from Reggio di Lombardia (now Reggio nell'Emilia). Liberal, the mastermind behind the Provisional Government of Cispadania: a temporary union between the duchies of Parma, Reggio e Modena after the dukes had left their domains.​
4. Giuseppe Borsani, from Parma. Democrat.​
5. The other two members from the Provisional Government were Pompeo Litta, Minister for War, and Achille Mauri, delegate from Mantua and Secretary to the Provisional Government. Both liberals.​
6. The War Council of Milan represented the republican, democrat faction of the insurgents, and was usually in opposition to the liberal, Piedmontese-sympathizing Provisional Government​
7. Giuseppe Ferrari, lawyer and philosopher. Positioned on the democrat side, but often critical of the actions proposed by Mazzini​
8. Enrico Cernuschi, lawyer and democrat. Fought bravely at Porta Tosa during the Five Days of Milan, a great friend of Cattaneo​
9. Gabrio Casati was often (and in many cases unjustly) accused by the pro-republic democrats to have been too accommodating with the Austrians and too willing to ask for annexation to Sardinia. The former accusation is certainly untrue, the latter is more credible. G. Casati is one of the might-have-beens of Risorgimento: he played certainly an important role as Podesta' of Milan to ameliorate the conditions under which the Lombards had to live, without major results, but the fault lies on the Austrian side, which was unwilling to grant any concession. Casati managed to have an Italian prelate installed as archbishop in 1847 (instead of another German one, like the Austrians wanted) and turned the inauguration procession in a kind of anti-Austrian, pro-Pius IX demonstration, and vehemently protested in front of the Governor for the harsh reaction of the Austrian troops in occasion of the "cigars strike" of early January '48. He was also a brother-in-law of Federico Confalonieri, incarcerated by the Austrians after 1832, and freed only thanks to the insistence of Casati and the campaign that Belgioioso orchestrated from Paris, involving in it many prominent Frenchmen, including the aged Marquis de Lafayette.​

Made in @LordKalvan & Tarabas​

 

[Tarabas]

A Night at Villa Borghi - Part 2
Villa Borghi, 4 April 1848, Late Evening

Camillo di Cavour didn't know if he was in hogs' heaven or running toward a precipice. On one side of the ledger he was having the best time of his life: at the center of everything, pulling a thousand threads to produce a masterpiece, pitting his wits against worthy opponents (and worthy friends, but in politics there was no great difference between friends and foes), more than everything having found a prince worth of his allegiance: for a moment Cavour felt a real closeness with his distant ancestor who had come to Italy with Charlemagne to fight and carve a fief in the south of Piedmont. However, there was the other side of the ledger too: so many players in the game, so many unexpected challenges and opportunities. It would be easy to go wrong, to miss a step, to falter. But he would avoid that, at any cost: al custa cal custa (1), but he would not fail his liege, he would not smear the proud name of the house of Cavour.
Right now, he was confronting a new challenge, not a very difficult one, but completely unexpected: princess Maria Cristina couldn't wait until tomorrow to meet the Sicilian delegates, and so she had come - unannounced and without warning, but for the timely note from her husband - under the fig leaf of an incognito identity which was so thin to be almost laughable: there was no doubt that, when the Countess of Rivoli and the Comte d'Ormes were announced, only a nitwit could be deceived (and there were not too many nitwits currently guesting at Villa Borghi, which again was both a good and a bad thing).
Now he was witnessing the meeting between the princess and his husband, and the three delegates from Sicily. The princess' eyes were sparkling, there was fire in her veins for sure, while her husband, in the uniform of a colonel of the Piedmontese carabinieri, stood a step behind her: that was a good sign, Henri d'Orleans apparently knew the rules of etiquette for a future prince consort, and would not try to steal the scene from his wife.

When the Sicilian delegation entered, Prof. Mariano Stabile started to kneel, but was immediately stopped by Maria Cristina:
"The offer of the crown has been voted by the Parliament of a free people, and I will never require any Sicilian to kneel in front of me: not after being crowned in Palermo, much less now when at best I am a Queen designated."
Cavour was carefully looking at the expressions of the Sicilians: surprise, mingled to pleasure, almost bordering on awe, and knew that this was the founding stone in the legend of the Queen-to-be: without any doubt, the young princess shared the same sound political instincts of her brother, as well as his outspokenness and disregard for conventions. Some old curmudgeon (Solaro della Margherita came to mind, but also his own good brother Gustavo) would certainly be apoplectic, and loudly condemn this betrayal of the God-given right of kings, but Camillo was pleased, even if his face was devoid of expression: the whirlwind of this spring was heralding a new world, and a new world would require new rules.
"I thank you for your gracious words, Your Royal Highness , and even more I thank God for having guided our mind and our hearts when we took this most fateful decision: we couldn't hope for a better Queen" Stabile replied, bowing deeply.

...........

One thing done, and 99 more to go, mused Cavour rejoining the other guests of the night.
The second thing was already happening: a little crowd in a corner of the ballroom was being addressed by a man with piercing eyes and a cultured voice. Giuseppe Mazzini, the apostle of all revolutionaries and the boogeyman of any reactionary.
Prince Ferdinand had been very firm in his decision: any delegate would be admitted to the proceedings of Isola della Scala, even if he was a democrat or a republican, and one of his first actions as Lieutenant of the Kingdom had been to grant an amnesty for political crimes.
Cavour moved close to the crowd surrounding Mazzini, to better hear what he was saying:
"Italians have suffered for decades under the harsh laws of the Austrian empire: Austrian troops have intervened at their leisure and with full impunity to suppress in blood our insurrections, but also when there was no unrest, and life apparently flowed normally, policemen, judges, informants, censorship have plagued our lives. We have been forbidden to discuss openly our ideas, and have been imprisoned by an intricate structure of rules and regulations which have taken away most of the pleasure of living. Any one of you knows that under the censorship rules there are four categories of books, and only one of them is allowed to be printed: and even the decision to grant the permission to publish is taken only in Vienna! Do not believe that there rules are enforced just in Italy: they are applied all over the Austrian empire, stinting no efforts, and also the other states of Germany are bound by them: Metternich himself forced all the German states to accept his Carlsbad Dictates (2) in 1819, and reiterated them in 1839. For thirty years these Dictates have equally stifled the life of all Germans, and not just to keep the bloodthirsty revolutionaries at bay: slowly but surely these rules have permeated all aspects of social life: mutual help societies are banned at the stroke of a pen, student fraternities are forbidden, gymnastic clubs are scrutinized with meticulous care. Even the syllabus of all universities are carefully checked by myopic censors and liberal professors are dismissed by fiat. A German friend of mine told me that social life in the Germanies is nowadays restricted to theatres and opera halls: is this familiar to you too? I have lived many years in London, and in some public parks there is a notice: please do not step on the grass. I would assume that there are public parks in Vienna, but there the notice would read: you are allowed to step on the grass. Do you see the difference? Under the reactionary regimes only those things which are explicitly allowed are permitted, while under constitutional regimes only the forbidden actions are specified(3)."
Mazzini was in full flow, and until now Cavour could not object to his words: his characterization of the Austrian regime was scathing, but accurate. Camillo remembered one of his relatives in Geneva citing an Austrian writer to him: "The empire rests on four armies: a standing army of soldiers, a sitting army of bureaucrats, a kneeling army of priests and a crawling army of informants (4)". A better parsed sentence for sure, but it perfectly matched Mazzini's words. Somewhat bored by that rather priestly sermon, Cavour could not help but wonder whether "Don Mazzini" would be satisfied with the Italy they were shaping at Isola della Scala or not. Probably not in full, he thought, but then he should not be completely dissatisfied, either, he mused with an aristocratic smile.

Princess Cristina di Belgioioso was among those listening to Mazzini: Giuseppe was born to preach, thought the princess, even if not all of his preaching had been harmless. Too many young men had been sent to death fired up his siren song, embarking into enterprises which could never succeed. (5)
She was momentarily distracted by a footman, handing her a folded message. After perusing it, she asked: "Who sent this?"
"The countess of Rivoli, milady. She is standing near the fireplace, with her husband an another lady".

Cristina smiled thinly, thinking "The countess of Rivoli, of course. Known to select few as the Duchess of Genoa too, or is it the other way around? Well, the evening is becoming more and more interesting. Let's see what she has to tell me."

"Madame of Rivoli, I am honored by your attention" Cristina di Belgioioso spoke a fluent French, courtesy of the many years spent in Paris.
"Not as much as I am pleased to have the opportunity to meet you in person, Princess of Belgioioso. Your achievements and your legend precedes you. May I introduce my husband , the comte d'Ormes, and my dear friend countess Acceglio?"
"Enchanted, Comte, Countess. Are you from Savoy, Comte? I am not familiar with your title."
"No, princess. I was born in France: Ormes is a small fief near Orleans."
"And you are wearing the uniform of a Sardinian colonel. Were you one of the heroes of Goito, colonel?"
"Hardly, Madame. I only did my duty."
"May I call you Cristina, princess? "The countess of Rivoli smiled "And you may call me Costanza."
"Of course, Costanza."
"Is it true that you have arrived to Isola della Scala leading a regiment of volunteers?
"I see the news are moving fast, and becoming wilder by the hour. Tomorrow, they will say that I was at their head, riding a white horse and holding up a tricolor flag(6)." A round of laughter all around "It was just two companies of volunteers: I was in Naples, when I got the news that your...Prince Ferdinand had crossed the Ticino and was marching against the Austrians. There were many more stout hearts willing to follow me to the battle, but the ship I hired could hold just 200 men. I intended to go to Milan, but then I heard in Livorno of the victorious battle of Goito, and changed my destination."
"You Cristina have in common with my husband the habit of downplaying your own achievements. He was very brave at Goito, and you have been equally brave and bold in embarking on such an adventure."
"I recognized the uniform of the Carabinieri, and I have been told of their brave charge at the bridge, so I have not been deceived by the modesty of your husband. My adventure was not really bold, though, and anyway I arrived here too late."
"I believe a woman of your stature, Cristina, will still have many a chance to shine in this glorious springtime of Italy. If I may ask, were you so perfect even as a child? How can you be a princess, a patriot, a fighter, a journalist, a writer, an exile and yet the most famous salon keeper in Paris?"
Cristina felt that there was something missing in her question, a close. She thought that maybe it could have been "How can get to be a remarkable woman in this world of men?", but in the end preferred to keep that question to herself.
"You keep flattering me, Costanza. To answer part of your question, I was as a child melancholy, serious, introverted, quiet, so shy that I often happened to burst into tears in the living room of my mother because I realized that I was being looked at or that they wanted me to talk.(7) I guess that some of the talents you so kindly attribute to me were born out of consciousness of my weaknesses. I believe this is how it works best. And, from something I saw tonight, I would say the the most rebel of princesses is growing up into a great Queen: I may have been the uncrowned queen of yesterday's Parisian salons, but she will be the crowned Queen of tomorrow. Not that there are any other princesses here other than me, tonight." They all laughed; Maria Cristina blushed, but just a little, her eyes glowing.

A sudden commotion at the door, when a thin man with a dashing moustache, dressed in the uniform of a general officer with many shining decorations, entered.
"Is that prince Ferdinand? I was not expecting him to come here tonight." Cristina Trivulzio enquired.
The comte d'Ormes laughed: "Prince Ferdinand would never be seen wearing such a uniform, it's only suitable for an opera singer or for an actor on the scene. That man is Carlo di Borbone, heir to the ducal throne of Parma. Il duchino (8) arrived here a few days ago, leading two squadrons of Parmesan lancers and most anxious to get into the thick of the fight. For my sins, he will depart with me day after tomorrow, towards Udine and the Isonzo river."
"For a man just a step away from a ducal throne, his contribution to the war appears to be a bit stingy."
"It was a minor miracle he arrived here, after all: I've been told that he lost his way two or three times, and was almost arrested by our troops in Mantua. Apparently, he never thought necessary to pick up a map before leaving Parma (9). Unfortunately, now he is here, making a nuisance of himself. True to form, apparently. I'm told that when he was studying at the Military Academy in Turin, a few years ago, one night he got drunk in a dive, picked up a fight with another equally drunk cadet, and then fought a duel with him. It ended up in a farce, obviously: their seconds did not put a ball in their pistols, and no one was hurt. Then the duelists decided that all the demands of honor had been answered, also because no one remembered the reason for the duel, and finally each went his way to sleep off the drink." The argentine laugh of Cristina Belgioioso was spontaneous and compelling, and many heads turned towards her.
Henri silently congratulated with himself for not having revealed the most juicy piece of the story: his brother-at-law had added that after the duel it was discovered that both duelists had thoroughly pissed their own breeches. According to Ferdinand, because of the effect of excessive drink, but then he usually thought the best of everyone. Which was surely honorable, but experience taught that especially in war and politics, thinking the worse was actually the best policy. Most of times, at the very least, and only time would tell if "il Duchino" could be an exception. Maybe that was worth a bet with Ferdinand, although one he would have preferred to lose, a rare thing to think. "After all, it's 1848: anything may happen, except boredom", he mused.

Footnotes​

1. "al custa cal custa" is Piedmontese dialect for "no matter the cost"​
2. Metternich was always a strong believer in rules and regulations, and the need for strong censorship and strict regulations for meeting places, even the most innocent-looking ones​
3. An actual OTL quote from an article written by Mazzini in 1839​
4. The sentence is attributed to Adolf Fischof, Hungarian of Jewish descent who was among the Vienna insurgents​
5. Cristina di Belgioioso had been a close supporter of Mazzini, and helped him to finance the botched insurrection of Savoy in 1835. Following additional failed insurrections, she had later distanced politically from his methods, if not his ideas.​
6. Which, apart from the white horse, was precisely as she entered Milan IOTL​
7. An actual OTL quote by Cristina Trivulzio di Belgioioso​
8. "the little duke", nickname of Ferdinando Carlo​
9. IOTL, Ferdinando Carlo left Parma alone, got lost a couple of times on the way to the encampment of Carlo Alberto, and was finally arrested in Mantua on suspicion of being an Austrian spy​

Made in @LordKalvan & Tarabas​

 

[Tarabas]

Villa Pindemonte, 5 April 1848, Early Morning

"The best of the day to you, Monsignore. I trust you have recovered form your fatigue." Prince Ferdinand was a morning person, and had already managed to go through the correspondence of the night before, when Monsignor Corboli Bussi joined him for breakfast.
"Your Highness is very kind, and I thank you for your hospitality: I rested very well. "
"Count Cavour was supposed to join us, but he may have been delayed a little. Let us start to break our fast, and of course you may explain the reasons for your arduous trip to Isola della Scala."
"I will explain everything: my mission has to deal with a few different issues. The first, and the most significant, is that the Holy Father is becoming concerned with the behavior of General Durando. He was not supposed to cross on his own authority the border with Veneto, and his proclamation to the troops was not well received in Rome (1): crusades are a thing of the distant past, and moreover proclaiming a crusade against a Catholic monarch is completely unacceptable. Gen. Durando was instructed to defend the border of the Papal States, and to place himself and his troops under the command of your father."
Ferdinando kept his expression uncommitted, wondering if this was going to be a repeat of the Nuncio's tirade in Turin.(2)
"I do agree with you, Monsignore: the proclamation was a bit too harsh, although I understand it was well received by the troops. It is also true, however, that foreign oppression should be something belonging to a distant past, together with the crusades, but unfortunately... we live in a fallen world. I will let General Durando know of my displeasure with his words, since I am sure that the Holy Father has also equally reprimanded the officers in charge of the repressions in Rimini, barely three years ago. Christian sentiments must always be upheld, I am sure that no one would dispute that. (3)"
The Monsignore was about tot say something, but Ferdinand preceded him,
"My father is unfortunately confined to bed, and has given to me the authority of Lieutenant of the Realm and Commander of the army while he recovers" If he recovers, thought Ferdinand: the health of the king was not improving, unfortunately, in stark contrast with the King's apparent peace of mind, a feeling Ferdinand could not help but envy sometimes.
"I met with Gen. Durando in Venice a few days ago, and all the movements of his troops have been discussed in detail with me and with our allies in Venice. The General also assured me that he was in constant contact with the Minister for War in Rome, Prince Aldobrandini (4), and that he would keep him informed of any development. I was also shown the decrees ordering the formation of an expeditionary corps and authorizing the enrolment of volunteers under Gen. Ferrari. The mission was clearly defined: ensure the safety of the Papal States and join the other Italian forces in their operations. I also know that His Holiness blessed the papal troops and the volunteers on their departure from Rome, and invoked the blessings of God upon the Italian peoples, with very clear words: "Dio benedica l'Italia"(5). I assume that all these things are true, and therefore I feel compelled to ask you, Monsignore, to answer a very simple question: what has changed in Rome? "

The Monsignore looked embarrassed, and was saved for a moment by the arrival of Cavour: "Your Highness, Monsignore: my most heartfelt apologies for being late. It was a very long night."
"You are forgiven, my dear Count, and I trust that the Monsignore will be equally forgiving and refrain from imposing a penance."
"There is not even the need to be forgiven, Count Cavour. I am sure you have been working very hard and there are many demands on your time." The Monsignore had completely regained his composure " I will try to clarify as much as I can the issues in Rome, Your Highness. His Holiness the Pope is both the Monarch of the Papal States and the Spiritual Father of more than 200 million Catholics all over the world. The Pope is also under a fideicommissum to preserve the integrity of the Church, to hand it over intact to his successor, as it happened for 18 centuries. There is a growing concern in the Curia that the words and the actions of the Holy Father might be misinterpreted, and construed as indicating that he has a special preference for Italy and Italians, to the detriment of the Catholics who live in other countries. Before my departure, he spoke to me: "I love in equal way all the people who are faithful to the Catholic doctrine, and prosper in the Church. My blessing of the Italian people was a prayer to God to shower on them the blessing of the peace, and this prayer I have spoken for any other people, since they are equally dear to me, even if the Italian people are physically closer. (6)" I trust that these words answer your question, and may help you to appreciate the difficult position in which the Holy Father finds himself. I will add that the battles and the deaths in Northern Italy have perturbed the souls of many of the Cardinals, and that Cardinal Antonelli recently resigned from Secretary of State for this very reason (7) ."

Neither the prince nor the count expressed any dissatisfaction with what appeared to be an unsatisfactory answer.
There was just a single nugget of truth in all these mealy-mouthed words: the Pope had to take care of 200 millions of Catholics, not just 25 million Italians, and the integrity of the Church was the paramount concern.

"As a faithful Catholic , I look to His Holiness as my spiritual guide. As an Italian, I dearly hope to be able to look at him also as the President of an Italian Confederacy, based on criteria of freedom and justice for all." There was a spark of outright confusion in Corboli's eyes. "I am sure there will be the opportunity to further discuss these topics in the next few days. Is there anything else you would like to discuss with us right now, Monsignore?"
"Just something very prosaic, I am afraid. The Secretary of State had negotiated at the beginning of February a loan with a French bank: one million scudi, to cover the deficit in this year's budget. Unfortunately, due to recent ... events in France, it was not possible to finalize the loan. The Secretary of State has instructed me to enquire if the kingdom of Sardinia would be willing to lend such a sum to the Papal States (8)."
"I am afraid this issue will have to be discussed in Turin, Monsignore: the Minister for Finance and the Treasury will have to look at the budget. Please consider that keeping an army in the field is already straining Sardinian finances, though. However, I can promise you the Sardinian army will take care of supplies for the expeditionary corps in Veneto and the volunteers in Dalmatia. Besides, as a Lieutenant of the Realm we are bound by the Statute, and we cannot take any decision without discussing with our Ministry(9)" The last sentence had been pronounced with kingly gravity, with a particular stress on the plurale majestatis.
The Prince went on with cold politeness:
"If there is nothing else to discuss, may I ask for your indulgence, Monsignore? There are many other tasks which await me."

An outright and clear dismissal. Corboli Bussi could not even feel annoyed: after all, he was offering the Pope's remonstrances and asking for money at the same time, small wonder the Prince was displeased.
"Certainly, Your Highness. May God's blessings be with you."
"Thank you Monsignore. Please remember that there is a ceremonial event planned for noon today: I trust you'll be in attendance."
"I will, but only as a private person. The issue of the crown of Sicily is being debated in the Curia, and the Holy Father has not yet announced his position. I beg your indulgence, but I cannot do otherwise."
"Which means he is disapproving, while the King in Naples has lodged formal protests with Rome. Birds of a feather flock together", Ferdinand thought.

Footnotes
​

1. The Monsignore was not wrong. Durando's proclamation staeted with calling to "war against barbarism", went on asking for "the extermination of all God's foes" and ended up with a classic "God wills it"« Il santo Pontefice ha benedetto le vostre spade , che unite a quelle di Carlo Alberto debbono concordi muovere allo esterminio dei nemici di Dio . . . . . una tal guerra della civiltà contro la barbarie , è guerra non solo nazionale , ma altamente cristiana . Soldati ! è convenevole dunque , ed ho stabilito che ad essa tutti moviamo fregiati della croce di Cristo . Quanti appartengono al corpo di operazione la porteranno sul cuore , della forma di quella che vedranno sul mio . Con essa ed in essa saremo vincitori , come furono i nostri padri . Sia nostro grido di guerra : Iddio lo vuole »​
2. See Narrative Interlude #5: A regular Prime Minister's Tuesday​
3. Ferdinando refers to the aftermath of the 1845 Rimini riots, described by D'Azeglio in a notorious pamphlet. Pius IX was elected in June 1846, one month later he granted an amnesty for political crimes (which was largely publicized and turned him almost overnight in the poster boy of liberalism). Three days after granting the amnesty, he received in a solemn audience the officers who had been in charge of the very harsh repression of the riots the year before, to praise, decorate and promote them. This second fact was not publicized much.​
4. Prince Aldobrandini was the Minister for War in the first Papal ministry which included lay persons. There were two ministerial decrees, one ordering the formation of the Expedition Corps, made up of four regiments of infantry and two regiments of cavalry, with usual complements of artillery and engineers, and one authorizing the formation of a Volunteer Corps​
5. IOTL, Pius IX gave the public blessings on 30 March 1848​
6. These words are taken from the "Non Semel" Papal allocution of 30 April 1848, when Pius IX pulled out of the war​
7. See Narrative Interlude #5: A regular Prime Minister's Tuesday​
8. The request of loan happened IOTL too. Monsignor Corboli Bussi was sent to Peschiera to meet Carlo Alberto, to ask the king to keep Durando under control, and also to ask for a loan of one million scudi, since the loan negotiated in France was derailed by the French revolution. The loan was not granted.​
9. Charles Albert used similar words ("As a constitutional king..") IOTL to avoid giving a straight answer to the Sicilian envoys offering the Crown of Sicily to Ferdinand for the second time​

Made in @LordKalvan & Tarabas ​