---
node: victor_emmanuel_ii
type: person
slug: victor_emmanuel_ii
title: "Victor Emmanuel II"
lead: "Victor Emmanuel II was the King of Sardinia who became the first king of a united Italy."
published: 2026-07-11
updated: 2026-07-11
---

## Who they were

Victor Emmanuel II was the King of Sardinia who became the first king of a united Italy.

## What they did

With Cavour as his minister and Garibaldi's conquests, he was proclaimed King of Italy in 1861. Venetia was added in 1866 and Rome in 1870, completing unification with Rome as the capital.

## Legacy

Called "Father of the Fatherland," he gave his name to monuments across Italy, and his reign established the Savoy monarchy over the new nation-state.