Azeglio

Azeglio, MASSIMO TAPARELLI, MARCHESE D', famous as an artist, a publicist, a romance-writer, and a statesman, was the descendant of an ancient and noble family of Piedmont. He was born in 1798 at Turin, where his father held a high military position. In his fifteenth year, he followed his father to Rome, where he had been appointed ambassador, and there became passionately devoted to the fine arts; but had to accept an appointment in a Piedmontese cavalry regiment. Here he devoted his leisure with such intensity to scientific pursuits, that he brought on an illness which forced him to quit the service. After some difficulty, he got his father's permission to devote himself entirely to painting. A year had hardly elapsed ere Azeglio had made himself a name in Rome as a landscape-painter. On the death of his father in 1830, he went to Milan, and made the friendship of Alessandro Manzoni, whose daughter he married. He now began to make himself favourably known also in literature, his novels, Ettore Fieramosco (1833) and Nicolò dc' Lapì (1841), having done much to fan the national spirit of the Italians. The political affairs of Italy soon occupied him exclusively; he traversed the provinces, cities, and villages, seeking to stir up the spirit of patriotism, and to conciliate the unhappy party divisions, and was everywhere received with rejoicing and acclamation. Azeglio never belonged to a secret political society, but opposed conspiracies as mischievous, and exhorted the impatient to moderation. While in Florence, he wrote his famous piece, Degli ultimi casi di Romagna, in which he lashed the miserable papal government, denounced the vain attempts at insurrection, and proved to the Italian princes the necessity of a national policy. After the election of Pius IX. as pope, he returned to Rome, and to his influence were ascribed the reforms with which Pius began his government. When Charles Albert, after the rising of Lombardy, crossed the Ticino, Azeglio left Rome with the papal troops destined to support the Italian contest. In the battle of Vicenza, where he commanded a legion, he was severely wounded. Scarcely was he recovered, when with his pen he courageously opposed the republican party, now intoxicated with victory. On the opening of the Sardinian parliament, he was chosen a member of the Chamber of Deputies. After the unfortunate event of the battle of Novara, the young king, Victor-Emmanuel II., appointed him (1849) president of the cabinet, and his influence in this high position was most beneficial. At the close of the war in 1859, Azeglio was for a time military commissioner extraordinary for the Roman States. On his retirement he issued a proclamation to the people, which greatly tended to strengthen their resolution by its noble yet temperate advice. He died 15th January 1866. He wrote many works, mainly on public questions, and his political correspondence and an autobiographical work, I miei Ricordi, were published after his death. See the Lives by Pavesio (1871) and Bianchi (1884).