Editing Massimo d'Azeglio (section)

{{Short description|Italian statesman, novelist, and painter (1798–1866)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name             = Massimo d'Azeglio
| honorific-suffix = [[Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus|OSML]], [[Military Order of Savoy|MOS]], [[Civil Order of Savoy|COS]], [[Legion of Honour|LH]]
| image            = Massimo d'Azeglio.jpg
| caption          = Portrait of D'Azeglio by [[Francesco Gonin]], 1850
| office           = [[Senate of the Republic (Italy)|Senator of the Kingdom of Italy]]
| monarch          = [[Victor Emmanuel II of Italy|Victor Emmanuel II]]
| term_start       = 20 October 1853
| term_end         = 15 January 1866
| office1          = [[Prime Minister of Sardinia]]
| monarch1         = Victor Emmanuel II
| term_start1      = 7 May 1849
| term_end1        = 4 November 1852
| predecessor1     = [[Claudio Gabriele de Launay]]
| successor1       = [[Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour|The Count of Cavour]]
| office2          = Member of the [[Chamber of Deputies (Kingdom of Sardinia)|Chamber of Deputies<br>of the Kingdom of Sardinia]]
| term_start2      = 8 May 1848
| term_end2        = 20 October 1853
| constituency2    = [[Strambino]]
| birth_date       = {{birth date|df=y|1798|10|24}}
| birth_place      = [[Turin]], [[Kingdom of Sardinia (1720–1861)|Kingdom of Sardinia]]
| death_date       = {{death date and age|df=y|1866|1|15|1798|10|24}}
| death_place      = Turin, [[Kingdom of Italy|Italy]]
| party            = [[Historical Right]]
| spouse           = {{Marriage|Giulia Claudia Manzoni|1831|1834|end=died}}
| children         = Alessandra Taparelli
| parents          = Cesare Taparelli and Cristina Morozzo
| alma_mater       = [[University of Turin]]
| profession       = Soldier, writer, painter
| branch           = {{army|Kingdom of Sardinia}}
| serviceyears     = 1815; 1848–1849
| rank             = [[Colonel]]
| unit             = 2nd [[Cavalry]] Regiment
| battles          = [[First Italian War of Independence]]
}}
'''Massimo Taparelli, Marquess of Azeglio''' (24 October 1798 – 15 January 1866), commonly called '''Massimo d'Azeglio''' ({{IPA|it|ˈmassimo tapaˈrɛlli dadˈdzeʎʎo|lang}}), was a Piedmontese-Italian statesman, novelist, and painter. He was [[Prime Minister of Sardinia]] for almost three years until succeeded by his rival [[Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour]]. A moderate [[Liberalism|liberal]] and member of the [[Moderate Party (Italy)|Moderate Party]] associated with the [[Historical Right]], d'Azeglio hoped for a [[federal union]] between Italian states.<ref>{{cite book |last=Rapport |first=Michael |title=Nineteenth-Century Europe |date=2005 |publisher=Macmillan International Higher Education |page=165}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Matsumoto-Best |first=Saho |title=Britain and the Papacy in the Age of Revolution, 1846–1851 |date=2003 |publisher=Boydell & Brewer |page=23}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Romani |first=Roberto |title=Sensibilities of the Risorgimento: Reason and Passions in Political Thought |date=2018 |publisher=BRILL |page=193}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Marrone |first=Gaetana |title=Encyclopedia of Italian Literary Studies: A-J |date=2007 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |page=573}}</ref>

As Prime Minister, d'Azeglio consolidated the parliamentary system, getting the young King [[Victor Emmanuel II]] to accept his constitutional status, and worked hard for a peace treaty with [[Austrian Empire|Austria]]. Although himself a Roman Catholic, he introduced freedom of worship, supported public education, and sought to reduce the power of the clergy in local political affairs. As a senator, following the annexation of the [[United Provinces of Central Italy]], d'Azeglio attempted to solve the [[Roman Question]] through reconciliation between the Vatican and the new Italian Kingdom. His brother was a Jesuit priest.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.letteraturaitaliana.net/pdf/Volume_8/t207.pdf|url-status=dead|title=I miei ricordi|website=Letteratura Italiana|language=it|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230605192359/http://www.letteraturaitaliana.net/pdf/Volume_8/t207.pdf|archive-date=5 June 2023|access-date=23 December 2024}}</ref>