SARDINIA, KINGDOM OF, a former kingdom of Italy, and the nucleus of the present kingde.nu tf Italy, included the duchies of Savoy and Genoa, and parts of those of Mont ferrat mid Milan, the principality of Piedmont, the county of Nice, and the islands of Sardinia and Caprera, amounting in all to 19,564 English sq.m. of continental ter ritory, with a pop. of (1857) 4,590,260, and 9,205 of insular territory, wit41 a pop. of 577,282; total area, 28,769 English sq.m., pop. 5.167,542. In 1859 it was in creased by the addition of the Austrian portion -of the Milanese. and diminished by the cession in 1860 of Savoy and Nice to France, the change in the conti nental territory being shown by the following figures: area, 21,099 English sq.m.; pop., 6.530,23; the insular territory remaining unaltered. The various districts above mentioned differ greatly from each other in physical configuration and cli mate, and the more important of these are treated in separate articles. See also ITALY. The Roman Catholic religion was established by law in Mar., 1848; hut monastic orders, with the exception of those which are also benevolent institutions, were suppressed May 28, 1855. In 1859 the army amounted to 76,172 men. and the fleet to 29 ships (none of them men-of-war), with 436 guns; the revenue (1858), which was mostly derived from customs, duties, and direct taxation, to --E5,799.301; and the expenditure to k.!5,949,902—a want of equilibrium in the finances which had long existed, and which caused the establishme:It. since 1819, of a gradually increasing national debt, that amounted (1858) to .4:27,080.810. The annual import trade amounted (1857) to a declared value of £1'9,123,054, and the exports to £14,605,043.
The kingdom of Sardinia was originated by a treaty (Aug. 24. 1720) between Austria and the duke of Savoy (q.v.), by which the latter agreed to surrender Sicily to the for mer on Condition of receiving in exellanaxt the island of Sardinia, and the erection of his states into a kingdom. In 1730 Vietor-Ainadeus I., the last duke of Savoy and first king of Sardinia. resigned the throne to his son, Charles-Emmanuel I. (1780-73); but repent ing his resolution, and attempting to resume the government, lie was put in prison, where he died in 1732. Ilis son, by joining with and Spain against, Austria, obtained 173`) the territories of Tortona and Novara, to which were further added (1743), diking the war of the Austrian succession, the county of Aughit•ra and the terri tories of Vigevano and Pavia. lie was the author of the code known as the Corpus Curoliuuan.. Ills successor, Fietor-Amodens H. (1773-06), acceded to the European coalition against France, and was deprived in consequence of Savoy and Nice in 1792; but sustained by England and the pope. lie raised an army, and maintained himself in his king-loin till 1790, w en Bonaplu•te forced him formally to relinquish the territories be had lost. Ills son, Chartes-/-,'Innurno/c/11. (1796-1802). was at first an ally of France: but the directory, in 1798, compelled him to surrender all his continental possessions, which were then incorporated with France; and it was not till the first peace of Paris (May 311, 18141 that the house of Savoy regained its territories. The congress of 'Vienna (Dee., 1814) annexed to Sardinia the ancient reptilthe of Genoa, and the second pence of Paris (1815) restored a small portion of Savoy, which France still possessed, and gave the king a protectorate over the small principality of Monaco. Long before this time
Charles-Emmanuel' had abdicated, and his brother, Victor-Eatntantal L (1802-21), sue= seeded to hisrights, and made his entry into Tulin, May 20, 1814. his return restored the ancient misgovernment; and similar political changes in the other Italian states revived the societies of the " Carbonari" (q.v.) and other similar secret associations, whose aims were supported by a portion of the nobility and army, and by the heir presumptive to the throne, Charles-Albert, prince of Savoy-Carignan. The insurrection, of the army on Mar. 9-10, 1821, brought on a general revolution, But the king haven? abdicated in favor of his brother, Cheeries-PW4t; 0821-31), and the Austrians having come to '..10 rescue, the insurrection was put down. limier the protection of an Aiistriat; of occupation till 1823, Charles-Felix re-established absolute power, recalled the Jesuits. persecuted the Protestants,. and took various other measures for rooting out al.,. opposition. 011 his death the elder line of Savoy became extinct. and the suceessioz fel to the cadet branch of Savoy-Carignan (see SAVOY, HousE oF), whose rights had been recognized by the congress of Vienna, and Charies-ilitert (q.v.) (1t;:31-49) ascended the throne. The liberals were gratified with some slight reforms, but the power of the clergy was untouched. and the conspiracy of Nov. 30, 1833, at Turin, and thZi mad inroad of Mazzini, at the head of a small band of German. Polish, and Italian refugees, in Fe-b., 1834, only disturbed the country, and confirmed the government in its despotic policy. The interior administration was, however, carried on with more energy than under the two previous reigns, through the conclusion of treaties with France, Ilritain, Tinker, the Low Countries, Denmark, Austria, and the Hanse towns, etc.; the construc tion of .roads, bridges, and railways was vigorously prosecuted, and agriculture and other industries were encouraged. In 1842 the king commenced a gradual but progres sive liberal policy, promulgated a limited net of amnesty to political offenders, relaxed the severity of censorship, reformed judicial administration and prison discipline, and abolished the feudal system in Sardinia. The kingdom participated in the agitations of 1846 and 1847, which affected the whole peninsula, but was wholly exempt from insur rections and conspiracies, the people contenting themselves with expressing their views and wishes in petitions and demonstrations displaying entire confidence in the govern ment. On 'eel). 8, 1848, the king announced at new and extremely liberal constitution, which was proclaimed some weeks afterward; a liberal law of election was decreed, the first Sardinian parliament convoked for April 17, and the act of amnesty declared gen eral. In the midst Of these changes the revolution broke out, and Charles-Albert, who was saluted with the title of " the sword of Italy," put himself at the head of the move ment, and declared war against Austria. (Sec ITALY, RADETSKY, (AC.) Ott the day after the fatal rout of Novara (Mar. 13, 1849), Charles-Albert abdicated, and was suc ceeded by his son, Victor-Emmanuel (q.v.), who, in alliance with France, declared war against Austria in 1859: and by Mar., 1861, was in possession of the whole of Italy, except Venetia and Rome, and exchanged the title king of Sardinia for that of king of Italy. Venetia was added to the kingdom in 1866, and the papal states iu 1A70, when the union of Italy was complete.
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