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The 19th Century in Tuscany Italy

The Restauration in 1814 was organized by Ferdinando III who in the end clashed any freedom previously granted by the local government appointing himself the town'gonfaloniere'. The French occupation had influenced the new literati with ideas of liberty and stirrings for national independence, which the granddukes opposed. (because they couldn't maintain public consent and gradually lost power.

In 1819 in Florence Giampiero Vieusseux constituted a department for lectures and discussion that took his name and soon became the centre where the new ideas of independence in a united Italy developed. Florence, thanks to the vigour of these ideas and to its extraordinary tradotion, became again the main cultural centre in Italy and one of the most important in Europe. Florence was the residence of all the best minds of Giovane Italia (among which Foscolo, Manzoni, Leopardi, Tommaseo), but also of distinguished foreigners such as Chateaubriand, Shelley, Byron, von Platen).

From 1824 the new grandduke Leopoldo II tried to turn Tuscany into a modern state reclaiming Meremma, financing the building of railroads, creating the first telegraphic line in Italy (1846) between Livorno and Pisa. But Leopoldo had, by then, lost his people's confidence and during the revolt of 1848 the grandduchy ran away to Rome and later to Gaeta. The next year he returned to Florence with the support of the Austrian troops but he had to accept permanent exile when, in 1859, a war burst between the king of Sardinia (supported by France) and Austria. In Florence a provisional government was apportedand, in 1860, Bettino Ricasoli organised a plebiscite thet ratified the annexation of the whole country to the kingdom of Sardinia - Piedmont. On the 16th April 1860 Vittorio Emanuele II made his entry in Florence, that deliberately abandoned its tradition of liberty to became a member of a common country. The town immediately established its supremacy as a vital centre of a united Italy. In 1861 in Florence the first Italian exhibition of industry and manufacturing was held.

The daily newspaper "La Nazione" (a meaningful title) began to be published. A few years later, however, Florence became the first capital of the kingdom of Italy (1865). A little later, however, the capital and the government shifted to Rome and Florence became again a regional centre, seat of the Archbishop, of court of Appeal, a highquarter of army corps and of a Director of Education.

As Tuscany was mainly an agricultural country, Florence was above all a large market for wine, oil, corn and livestock. However, some important industries developed as well, such as the foundry of Pignone (that used iron from Elba Island) and the manufacture of optical and precision instruments of the architect Giuseppe Poggi, specifically, with the creation of several ring roads. The local prestigious University attracted distinguished researchers, thanks to whom Florence maintained its significance as the main cultural centre of Italy. Together with Milan Florencewas also one of the two centres of Italian publishing trade. The local handicraft became unique and revealed its best products as embroideries, dressed hides, ceramics, sculptures, mosaics, carved wood, finished metals, glasswork and the famous interwoven straw.

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