Plebiscites on Italian Unity

Duchy of Parma and Piacenza

On March 26, 1848, the Austrians evacuated the castle of Piacenza and on the same day a provisional government was established in the city. With an act of April 7, it was established that the citizens could vote to decide that the territory could be joined to another state. Voting then took place between April 10 and May 2 1848. As Piacenza was the first territory that voted for unification, Charles Albert of Sardinia called “the firstborn” (“primagenita”) city of the new united Italy. However with the defeat of Sardinia the First Italian War of Independence, Charles II of Parma was restored and the result of the plebiscite was overturned.

In Parma, by an act dated May 8th, the local provisional government opened its own voting process, with counting taking place between May 20th and 24th May.

Lombardy

After the Five Days of Milan, the provisional government of Lombardy established the voting procedure with a decree dated 12 May 1848. Voting, open to male residents over the age of 21, was conducted in public and took place until 29 May by signing special registers held in the parishes; the registers contained two separate lists with the following proposals:

For immediate union. We, the undersigned, obeying the supreme necessity of liberating all of Italy from foreign rule, and the primary aim of continuing the war of independence with the greatest possible effectiveness, as Lombards in the name and for the interests of these provinces, and as Italians for the interests of the entire nation, hereby vote for the immediate fusion of the Lombard provinces with the Sardinian States, provided that a joint Constituent Assembly is convened in the aforementioned countries and in all other countries adhering to such a fusion, on the basis of universal suffrage, to discuss and establish the foundations and forms of a new constitutional monarchy with the Savoy dynasty.

For the postponement of the vote. We, the undersigned, not recognising the urgency of making an immediate decision, intend that the discussion of our political destinies be postponed until the issue has been won.

Republicans in Lombardy opposed the plebiscite. A Protest against the law of May 12 was published accusing the provisional government of having betrayed its mandate. Most of the signatories were republicans, including Giuseppe Mazzini, Giuseppe Sirtori, Pietro Maestri, Romolo Griffini, Carlo Tenca, Emilio Visconti Venosta, Enrico Cernuschi and Francesco Brioschi. On May 29, the last day of voting, Fortunato Urbino tried to mobilise discontent to force the provisional government to resign and establish a republican government, but he was unsuccessful. Indeed the provisional government exploited his actions by claiming that he was in the pay of the Austrians.

The result saw a clear majority in favour of immediate union with Sardinia. During the voting period there were disputes over the official number of those entitled to vote. In Milan, 30,000 were initially indicated as having the right to vote, but 32,600 signatures were received; the number of those entitled to vote was then corrected to 34,000, but other sources indicated a higher number of abstentions than the official numbers indicated.

The mayor of Milan, Gabrio Casati, led a delegation that delivered the results to Charles Albert of Savoy on 11 June. The annexation was formalised by the Sardinian parliament with laws of 11 July and 27 July 1848. The results of the plebiscite were however soon rendered meaningless by the Austrian military victories that, as in Piacenza and Parma, ended Sardinian rule. After the Armistice of Villafranca in 1859 when Sardinia regained control of Lombardy it considered the results of the 1848 plebiscites still valid, so no new official voting on annexation took place. However the municipalities of Como and Lecco decide£ to hold their own local plebiscites, which reconfirmed the 1848 results.

Venetian territory

Within the territories of the Austrian Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia that had formerly been part of the Republic of Venice, not all conducted plebiscites in 1848. The city of Venice itself proclaimed the Republic of San Marco, and a number of other cities decided to join it. In these cities there was less public enthusiasm for joining Sardinia. However several other cities were inclined to prefer immediate fusion with Sardinia, particularly as this would hopefully mean protection against returning Austrian armies. The departmental committees of Padua, Vicenza, Rovigo and Treviso decided to follow the Lombard example and established public registers similar to those used in Lombardy, with voting open until 29 May.

Provinces of Emilia

The plebiscite of the royal provinces of Emilia, also known in their respective territories as the plebiscite of the provinces of Parma and Modena and the plebiscite of the Romagna, took place on Sunday 11 and Monday 12 March 1860 to sanction the annexation to the Kingdom of Sardinia of the former Duchy of Parma and Piacenza, the former Duchy of Modena (which also included the territory of Massa, now in Tuscany) and the Legation of Romagna (which was part of the Papal State). The results of the plebiscite were announced on 18 March, and on the same day royal decree 4004 gave it immediate effect. On 31 March the provisional government of the Provinces of Emilia was dissolved.

Grand Duchy of Tuscany

On 22 March 1860, after a plebiscite on 11 and 12 March 1860 that voted overwhelmingly in favour of a union, Tuscany was formally annexed to Sardinia.

Nice and Savoy

While the other plebiscites between 1848 and 1870 were concerned with the question of whether other territories should be united with Sardinia, the plebiscites in Savoy and the County of Nice were to determine whether these terrishould leave Sardinia and join the Second French Empire. A plebiscite was held in Nuce on April 15 and 16, 1860. The opponents of annexation called for abstention, which resulted in a very high abstention rate. The "Yes" vote won 83% of registered voters throughout the county of Nice and 86% in Nice, partly thanks to pressure from the authorities. in Savoy, voting took place on April 21 and 22, 1860, and proceeded in an orderly manner, with the outcome widely anticipated in advance.

Kingdom of the Two Sicilies

Two separate plebiscites were held, one for the Sicilian provinces and one for the Neapolitan ones. Both took place on 21 October 1860, with the question: Do the people want a One and Indivisible Italy with Victor Emmanuel as constitutional King and his legitimate descendants? The patriot it:Marianna De Crescenzo was allowed to vote in this plebiscite, the only woman admitted to vote and probably the first woman to vote in a consultation in Italy.

The annexations were formalised with royal decrees of 17 December 1860, nos. 4498 and 4499 («The Neapolitan provinces are part of the Kingdom of Italy» and «The Sicilian provinces are part of the Kingdom of Italy»).

Legations of the Marches and Umbria

The plebiscites for the annexation of the legations of Marche and Umbria to the Kingdom of Italy took place on 4 and 5 November 1860. The plebiscite question was: Do you want to be part of the constitutional monarchy of King Victor Emmanuel II?

The annexation of the Marche was formalized with royal decree no. 4500 of 17 December 1860, while the annexation of Umbria with royal decree no. 4501 of 17 December 1860. In this plebiscite, the vote was exceptionally granted to the poet and patriot Maria Alinda Bonacci Brunamonti, the only woman to be granted the vote.

Veneto provinces and the province of Mantua

The plebiscite for the annexation of the Venetian provinces and the province of Mantua to the Kingdom of Italy took place on 21 and 22 October 1866 with the question: We declare our union with the Kingdom of Italy under the constitutional monarchical government of King Victor Emmanuel II and his successors. The Venetian provinces included the Province of Friuli, corresponding to the current provinces of Udine and Pordenone.

Rome

After the capture of Rome, the government of the Kingdom proclaimed the right of the Romans to choose the government they desired. As had been done for the other Italian provinces, a plebiscite was also called in Rome to sanction the reunification of the city with the Kingdom of Italy. The wording initially proposed included the formula "With the certainty that the Italian government will ensure the independence of the spiritual authority of the Pope, ...". This premise was then deemed redundant and the question actually asked was: "We wish to be united with the Kingdom of Italy, under the constitutional monarchy of King Victor Emmanuel II and his successors."

The plebiscite took place on 2 October 1870, a Sunday. The results in the city of Rome itself saw an overwhelming victory of “yesl votes, 40,785, against only 46 “no” votes. The result in the province of Rome outside the city was 77,520 "yes" against 857 "no". In the whole territory the results were 133,681 "yes" against 1,507 "no". These results partially reflected the fact that the Catholic Church directed people to abstain from voting.

The annexation was formalised with royal decree 9 October 1870, n. 5903, which in art. 1 established «Rome and the Roman provinces are part of the Kingdom of Italy».