Daniele Manin at The Borghese Garden, Italy by Scan The World

Description

Daniele Manin (13 May 1804 – 22 September 1857) was an Italianpatriot and statesman from Venice.[1] He is considered by many Italian historians a hero of the Italian unification (Risorgimento). The heroic but hopeless attempt of the Bandiera Brothers, Venetians who had served in the Austrian navy against the Neapolitan Bourbons in 1844, was the first event to cause an awakening of Venetian patriotism. In 1847 Manin presented a petition to the Venetian congregation, a powerless consultative assembly tolerated by Austria, informing the emperor of the wants of the nation. He was arrested on a charge of high treason (18 January 1848), but his arrest only served to agitate of the Venetians, who were beginning to appreciate Manin. Two months later, when all Italy and half the rest of Europe were in the throes of revolution, the people of Venice forced Count Pallfy (Erdődy Pállfy Alajos gróf), the Austrian governor, to release Manin (17 March). The Austrians soon lost control of the city: the Arsenal was seized by revolutionaries and, under the direction of Manin, a civic guard and a provisional government were instituted. The Austrians withdrew from Venice on 26 March and Manin became president of the re-created Republic of San Marco. He had already been in favour of Italian unity, but not anxious for annexation to Piedmont because he would have liked to enlist French aid. He gave in to the will of the majority of his compatriots and resigned his powers to the Piedmontese…