: The era was dominated by prime ministers like Depretis and Crispi, who navigated a "highly imperfect democracy" and labor unrest.
: Despite social backwardness in some areas, Italy modernized its education and culture to align with broader European patterns. Italy in the Nineteenth Century 1796-1900 (Shor...
Real political momentum shifted to the Kingdom of Sardinia (Piedmont), led by Victor Emmanuel II and the pragmatic statesman Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour . Through strategic alliances and the military exploits of Giuseppe Garibaldi in the South, the Kingdom of Italy was finally proclaimed on March 17, 1861. : The era was dominated by prime ministers