Monument of Carlo Alberto, Turin
Monument of Carlo Alberto rises on one of the historic squares of the center of Turin. It is dedicated to a truly iconic figure in the history of Italy in the 19th century. Carlo Alberto was the representative of the younger branch of the ruling house of Savoy. Nevertheless, he legally ascended the throne. During the reign of the Kingdom of Sardinia he proved to be a wise king, significantly modernizing various management instances. Carlo rejected the idea of unification of Italy. And only after the revolution in February 1848 he abolished the absolute monarchy in favor of the constitutional. In March 1848, Carlo approved the "Statuto Albertino", the new constitution of the state. After that was the war of independence with Austria and than defeat in it. The king showed himself very well here, but after the truce he abdicated in favor of his son Vittorio Emanuele II, who later became the first king of the united Italy. The monarch died in 1849 from illness in Portugal, being in exile.
Sculptural composition
The idea to put a monument to the monarch was born during his lifetime, in 1847. Funds were allocated only in 1850. The project of the sculptor Carlo Marocchetti passed through a number of committees, and received the necessary funding of 675,000 lire. Works lasted from 1856 to 1860, and the grand opening took place on July 21, 1861, a few months after Italy became a united kingdom. The sculptor was awarded the Order for his work.
The pedestal is made out of red and gray granite and has several levels. The equestrian statue of the king with a bare sword is placed on the top. It is made of bronze and turned towards the Palazzo Carignano. At the second level, there are four female figures, symbolizing the Constitution, Martyrdom, Civil equality and Freedom. On 4 sides of the same level, there are bas-reliefs with scenes from the life of the king: the Battle of Goito and Santa Lucia, abdication and death in exile in Porto. At the lowest level, there are 4 male figures representing the Sardinian armies of the time: artillery, cavalry, bersaliers and grenadiers.
How to get there
The Monument of Carlo Alberto in Turin is located on Piazza Carlo Alberto. The Museum of the Risorgimento is situated in the nearby palace. And literally one block from the square there are the famous Museo Egizio, the Graneri Palace and the Piazza Castello. By the way, the nearest public transport stop Castello is situated on the square. Trams 13, 15, and buses № 13N, 55, 56, 3904, 3991, N04, N10, S04, W01, W15, W60 stop here.
