Who they were
Camillo Cavour was a statesman of Piedmont-Sardinia, the chief political architect of Italian unification.
What they did
As prime minister he modernized Piedmont and used shrewd diplomacy, an alliance with France against Austria in 1859 and the management of Garibaldi’s conquests, to bring most of Italy under the Savoy monarchy. He became the first prime minister of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861 but died months later.
Legacy
Remembered as the political mastermind of unification, complementing Garibaldi’s military role and Mazzini’s ideals, he is counted among the fathers of the fatherland.