Kingdom of Italy: Map & History
Kingdom of Italy is mapped in the atlas for 587 CE – 1946 CE, with a peak mapped extent of about 455,534 km².
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The Kingdom of Italy was a unitary state that existed from 17 March 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II, King of Sardinia, was proclaimed King of Italy, until 18 June 1946, when the monarchy was abolished, following civil discontent that led to an institutional referendum on 2 June, resulting in the establishment of the modern Italian Republic. The kingdom was established through the unification of several states over a decades-long process, called the Risorgimento. That process was influenced by House of Savoy-ruled Sardinia, which was one of Italy's legal predecessor states.
Modern Countries Once Part of Kingdom of Italy
At its mapped extent, Kingdom of Italy covered territory in 7 present-day countries. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
- Montenegro1941–1943 CE · nearly all
- San Marino732–1945 CE · nearly all
- Vatican (Holy See)1871–1945 CE · nearly all
- Albania1917–1943 CE · nearly all
- Italy587–1945 CE · most
- Greece1941–1943 CE · a large part
- France732–1943 CE · a small part
States and Provinces
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Kingdom of Italy's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Kingdom of Italy in Depth
History
The birth of the Kingdom of Italy was the result of efforts by Italian nationalists and monarchists loyal to the House of Savoy to establish a united kingdom encompassing the entire Italian Peninsula. Following the Congress of Vienna in 1815, the political and social Italian unification movement, or Risorgimento, emerged to consolidate the different states of the peninsula and liberate it from foreign control. A prominent radical figure was the patriotic journalist Giuseppe Mazzini, member of the secret revolutionary society of Carbonari and founder of the influential political movement Young Italy in the early 1830s. Mazzini favoured a unitary republic and advocated a broad nationalist movement. His prolific output of propaganda helped to spread the unification movement.
Overview
The Kingdom of Italy covered and at times exceeded the land area of the successor Italian Republic. The kingdom gradually extended its area through the Italian unification until 1870. In 1919 it annexed Trieste and Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol. The Triple Entente of the Russian Empire, the French Third Republic, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland promised to grant to Italy several regions, including former Austrian Littoral, western parts of former Duchy of Carniola, Northern Dalmatia and notably Zara, Šibenik and most of the Dalmatian islands (except Krk and Rab), according to the secret London Pact of 1915.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Kingdom of Italy (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Kingdom of Italy: Key Facts
| Capitals | Turin, Florence, Rome |
|---|---|
| Official language | Italian |
| Form of government | constitutional monarchy, parliamentary monarchy |
| Currency | Italian lira |
| Founded | 17 March 1861 |
| Dissolved | 18 June 1946 |
Preceded by
- Republic of German-Austria
- Imperial Free City of Trieste
- Free State of Fiume
- Kingdom of the Two Sicilies
- Kingdom of Sardinia
- Kingdom of Sardinia
Succeeded by
Facts from Wikidata Q172579 (CC0).
Interactive map
Kingdom of Italy on the World War I map →
See Kingdom of Italy’s territory change day by day from 23 May 1915, with every battle it fought.
Interactive map
Kingdom of Italy on the World War II map →
See Kingdom of Italy’s territory change day by day from 10 June 1940, with every battle it fought.
Kingdom of Italy Map Over Time
Dated world maps on which Kingdom of Italy appears, with the other states of the time.
Kingdom of Italy Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 455,534 km² in 1943 CE.
Kingdom of Italy: Frequently Asked Questions
When did the Kingdom of Italy exist?
The Kingdom of Italy is dated to 587 CE – 1946 CE, in the Early Middle Ages era.
What was the capital of the Kingdom of Italy?
The capital of the Kingdom of Italy was Rome.
How large was the Kingdom of Italy at its peak?
At its peak in 1943 the Kingdom of Italy covered about 455,534 km².
How did the map of the Kingdom of Italy change over time?
The Kingdom of Italy appears on 5 dated world maps in the atlas, from 600 CE to 1945 CE. Each shows its borders in that year next to the other states of the time.
Other Sovereign Realms
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Industrial Era • Capital: London
Early Modern & Age of Discovery • Capital: Agra, Fatehpur Sikri, Lahore, Delhi