# Victor Emmanuel II

_King of Sardinia (1849–1861) and King of Italy (1861–1878)_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/victor-emmanuel-ii
Last updated: 2026-11-02

> Victor Emmanuel II was King of Sardinia from 23 March 1849 until 17 March 1861, when he assumed the title of King of Italy and became the first king of an independent, united Italy since the 6th century, a title he held until his death in 1878. Borrowing from the old Latin title Pater Patriae of the Roman emperors, the Italians gave him the epithet of "Father of the Fatherland".

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 14 March 1820 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q168691#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Turin ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q168691#P19))
- **Died:** 9 January 1878 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q168691#P570))
- **Place of death:** Rome ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q168691#P20))
- **Citizenship:** Kingdom of Italy ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q168691#P27))
- **Occupation:** monarch; sovereign ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q168691#P106))
- **Spouse:** Archduchess Adelaide of Austria; Rosa Vercellana ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q168691#P26))
- **Positions held:** Monarch of Italy (17 March 1861 – 9 January 1878); King of Sardinia and Duke of Savoy (23 March 1839 – 17 March 1861); Head of the House of Savoy ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q168691#P39))
- **Awards:** Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece; Médaille militaire; Order of Saint Alexander Nevsky; Order of St. Andrew; Grand Master of the Order of the Most Holy Annunciation; Civil Order of Savoy; Order of the Garter; Knight of the Order of Saint Joseph; Royal Order of the Seraphim; Order of the Elephant; Royal Order of Kamehameha I; Grand Master of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus; Honorary Doctorate from the National Autonomous University of Mexico; Commemorative medal of the 1859 Italian Campaign ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q168691#P166))

## Questions

**When was Victor Emmanuel II born?**  
Victor Emmanuel II was born on 14 March 1820 in Turin.

**What positions has Victor Emmanuel II held?**  
Positions held by Victor Emmanuel II include: Monarch of Italy (1861–1878); King of Sardinia and Duke of Savoy (1839–1861); Head of the House of Savoy.

## Related

- [Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor](https://diginpl.com/people/henry-vi-holy-roman-emperor)
- [Napoleon](https://diginpl.com/people/napoleon)
- [Victor Emmanuel I](https://diginpl.com/people/victor-emmanuel-i)
- [Charles Emmanuel IV](https://diginpl.com/people/charles-emmanuel-iv)
- [Charles Albert of Sardinia](https://diginpl.com/people/charles-albert-of-sardinia)
- [Victor Amadeus II](https://diginpl.com/people/victor-amadeus-ii)
- [Charles Emmanuel III](https://diginpl.com/people/charles-emmanuel-iii)
- [Charles Felix of Sardinia](https://diginpl.com/people/charles-felix-of-sardinia)

## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Victor Emmanuel II](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_Emmanuel_II) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q168691](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q168691) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: VictorEmmanuel2 (3).jpg by Eugène Disdéri (Public domain)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:VictorEmmanuel2_(3).jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Victor Emmanuel II, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: VictorEmmanuel2 (3).jpg — Eugène Disdéri, Public domain.

## Cite this page

"Victor Emmanuel II". DigiNepal. Last updated 2 November 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/victor-emmanuel-ii. Retrieved 5 November 2026.