The Manzoni Family
Page 42
SOMIS DE CHAVRIE, COUNT a Catholic and a liberal, friend to Enrichetta during her conversion.
TOMMASEO, NICCOLO author of Colloqui con Manzoni, compiled a Tuscan Dictionary of Synonyms; confidant of Rosmini.
TOSI, MONSIGNOR LUIGI the Manzonis’ confessor in Milan for many years; less of a radical than Abbé Degola who had recommended him; Bishop of Pavia for the last twenty years of his life. Perhaps a model for Cardinal Federigo in I promessi sposi.
TRECHI, SIGISMONDO known to the Manzonis as ‘the legendary baron’; member of the Lombard reform group, well known in the salons of London and Paris.
VERRI, COUNT ALESSANDRO Pietro’s younger brother, early Italian novelist.
VERRI, COUNT PIETRO friend of Beccaria; arranged the marriage of his dowerless daughter to Don Pietro Manzoni. Founder of Il Caffé, short-lived but strongly influential journal for reform. VERRI, DON GIOVANNI the youngest of the Verris, Donna Giulia’s lover, and rumoured to be the actual father of Manzoni.
VICTOR EMMANUEL II King of Italy. Became King of Sardinia and Piedmont in 1849; appointed Cavour as his chief minister. In 1859 the Austrians demanded the disarmament of Sardinia and were refused. The French aided the Sardinians when the Austrians attacked and they defeated the Austrians in the battles of Montebello, Magenta, and Solferino. Lombardy was ceded to Sardinia via the French; in 1860 Modena, Parma, the Romagna and Tuscany were peacefully annexed. Savoy and Nice were ceded to France when Sicily and Naples were added to Sardinia by Garibaldi. In 1861 Victor Emmanuel was proclaimed King of Italy in Turin, and the capital was transferred to Florence. In 1866 the end of the Austro-Prussian war (in which Italy was allied to Prussia) gave Venetia to Italy. After the fall of the Empire in 1870, the French ended their occupation of Rome, and the province was added to the kingdom of Italy.
VISCONTI DI SAN VITO, MARCHESE ERMES one of Manzoni’s greatest friends; wrote in II Conciliatore and works on the philosophy of aesthetics; in the small group who came to talk with Manzoni in the evenings in later life.