This important period, an echo of the French Revolution, lasted approximately 50 years (1820-1871) and was an ongoing process, culminating in the unification of Italy. The battle of Solferino and San Martino, fought on June 24, 1859, was the largest battle fought in Italy during the Risorgimento.
Captivating photography of the town of Solferino and other key points around the battlefield, comparing and contrasting current and historical vistas, shows us how little much of the landscape has changed, helping us visualize what the soldiers of the day confronted on this monumental day.
Three massive armies meet across a 10 mile front just south of Lake Garda between the Chiese and Mincio Rivers in the province of Mantua, Italy. The French Empire under Louis Napoleon III and the House of Savoy under King Victor Emmanuel, fight against the Austrian Hapsburg Empire under Franz Joseph.