Kingdom of Italy

Unification and Representation

The Kingdom of Italy emerged in 1861 under the House of Savoy. Unification replaced separate diplomatic relationships with the peninsula’s states: Washington had dealt with Sardinia, the Two Sicilies, and the Papal States. Giuseppe Bertinatti, previously Sardinia’s representative, presented credentials for Italy in April 1861. The American legation followed the kingdom’s changing capital, moving from Turin to Florence in 1865 and to Rome in 1871. [1]

The monarchy’s Washington mission also protected Italian subjects abroad. After the New Orleans killings of 1891, Saverio Fava sought proceedings against the perpetrators and compensation for victims’ families. Italy recalled him, leaving Marquis Imperiali to conduct the legation’s business. [2] [3]

War, Restoration, and Succession

Mussolini’s declaration of war on the United States in December 1941 ended diplomatic relations. Washington decided to resume relations with the government in liberated Italy in October 1944, before a final peace settlement. Ambassador Alexander Kirk reopened the American embassy in January 1945. These steps restored communication while Italy was still a monarchy; the Italian Republic that followed in 1946 inherited the relationship and its diplomatic establishments. [4] [5] [1]

Related Reading

• Italy and the United States