40G 
PIEDMONT. 
of its former fplendour. Four millions and a half of inha¬ 
bitants, a fertile foil, and a country in which property 
always preferved its falutary influence, formed the bafis 
of the Piedmontefe power, fo important from its geogra¬ 
phical interpofition between France and Italy. The 
capital was enlarged and embellifhed; and the whole 
kingdom refumed its profperity. 
The conftitution promulgated in Spain in the begin¬ 
ning of the year 1820, had awakened in Piedmont, as well 
as in all the reft of Italy, an ardent defire for a political 
fyftem founded upon nearly the fame principles. This 
defire was occafioned either by the intrinfic goodnefs of 
theSpanifh conftitution itfelf, or by the opinion that pla¬ 
cing all Italy under governments of one kind, and at the 
fame time calculated to give freedom to the people, was 
tiie mod certain means of delivering that beautiful part 
of Europe from the oppreflion of barbarians. 
The kingdom of the Two Sicilies was the firft to imi¬ 
tate the example of Spain; and the facility with which 
a change was operated in Naples made the Piedmontefe 
determine to follow, in fome way or other, the fame track. 
See Palermo, vol. xviii. and the article Sicily. 
The defire for the Spanifli conftitution increafed in 
Piedmont when Auftria threatened to attack the Neapo¬ 
litans for daring to fet themfelves free. Befides the in¬ 
dignation which this bafe conduit excited in the minds 
of all Italians, the Piedmontefe were perfuaded that Au¬ 
ftria, when engaged in another war, would be incapable 
of refilling their armies with the weak forces left in Lom¬ 
bardy amidft a population ready to rife in infurreftion 
the moment the Piedmontefe ftandard fhould appear. 
But it was impoflible for the Piedmontefe to make war on 
Auftria without changing their government; becaufeall 
theperfons having any authority in the management of 
public affairs were partifans of that power, and regarded 
the. terror of the Auftrian arms as the only fupport of 
their defpotifm. 
The defired change was therefore eagerly precipitated 
by fubftituting, according to the great Italian plan, the 
Spanifh conftitution for the old monftrous fyftem, with 
the intention, at the fame time, that the Piedmontefe 
army fhould immediately pafs the Tefino. The troops, 
full of military ardour, were burning with zeal to execute 
this enterprife. 
It was neceflary, however, to have for a leader a perfo- 
nage of dillinCtion; and accordingly all eyes were turned 
to the prince of Carignano, who was believed to cherifh 
generous and magnanimous fentiments, and to be in¬ 
flamed with the ardent defire of freeing Italy from a fo¬ 
reign yoke. The prince promifed to aflift, with all his 
power, the glorious plan, and protefted that he was ready 
to (lied the laft drop of his blood for the purpofe of bring¬ 
ing it to a favourable iflue. Signor di Collegno, who 
poflefied the confidence of the prince, did all he could 
to encourage thefe noble fentiments. But the prince ad¬ 
mitted to his fecret counfels narrow-minded perfons, 
enemies of every ufefnl internal reform, and deaf to the 
calls of Italian honour. Their fuggeltions ftifled every 
good feeling which more worthy advifers had excited in 
his mind. The prince began then to aft a double part. 
He afiured the friends of Italian independence that he 
was unalterably devoted to their view's, while he difclofed 
their fecrets to the other party. 
The Auftrian army had advanced to the frontiers of 
Naples, and the Piedmontefe then faw that they could no 
longer delay the execution of the enterprife ; they were 
alfo convinced, that, to accomplifh fo great a change 
without a civil war, it was neceflary that it fhould be 
brought about by the troops, fuppertedby the will of the 
people. It was therefore agreed, that feverai colonels or 
commandants of regiments fhould march their corps at a 
fixed time on the capital, u'here the guards and the regi¬ 
ment of Aofta were in garrifon. 
The 6th of March (1821) arrived, the laft day of the 
carnival; and it was determined to difplay the conftitu- 
tional ftandard on the 7th at daybreak. The regiment 
called the king’s dragoons, commanded by Capt. Count 
Lefio, a gallant young man, and much beloved by the 
military, w'as ftationed at Pinerolo. The queen’s dra¬ 
goons were in Vercelli: this regiment was commanded 
by major-general Samberg, who was to be fucceeded by 
lieutenant-colonel count Cavaglio, the eldeft fon of the 
marquis di St. Marfan, minifter for foreign affairs. At 
Vineria, about three miles diftant from Turin, was quar¬ 
tered the Piedmontefe cavalry regiment, in which were 
many conftitutional officers who were acquainted with 
what was going on. 
At four o’clock, Colligno, in concert with fome artil¬ 
lery officers, and other officers of the regiment of Aofta, 
in the citadel, was to make himfelf mafter of that fortrefs. 
They were then to draw the artillery out of the arfenal, 
pafs the bridge over the Po, and encamp on the Mount 
of the Capuchins, which commands the city, on the eaft. 
This was the point at which all the friends of the confti¬ 
tution, foldiers and citizens, were to rendezvous. At 
the foot of this hill, the three regiments mentioned above 
were to unite, as they arrived from Pinerolo, Vercelli, and 
Vineria. To this force fome companies of light infantry 
were to be joined. Some companies of artillery, and a 
number of young men not in military fervice, were def- 
tined to arreft count Revel, the governor of the city, ge¬ 
neral Vinanzone, commandant of the divifion of Turin, 
and major Montremolo, of the guards, in order to pre¬ 
vent the poflibility of a fanguinary re-adtion. At the 
fame time, colonels Anfaldi and Reggio, belonging to 
the garrifon at Alefiandria, were to feize upon that 
citadel, and fecure the perfon of count di Voras, the 
governor. 
The execution of this plan could not have failed, had 
it not have been for the prince of Carignano. In his 
quality of grand mafter of artillery, he obftrudled the 
operations of Colligno fo effedtually, that he could nei¬ 
ther become mafter of the citadel at Turin, nor of the ar¬ 
tillery of the arfenal. This unexpected oppofition, made 
by one who fhould have headed the enterprife, confounded 
the principal confederates, who came to the refolution of 
deferring its execution for a few days. Being once more 
fummoned to a confutation, they refolved on its com¬ 
pletion on the morning of the 10th of March, hoping in 
the mean time fo to difpofe affairs that, in fpite of the 
prince’s oppofition, they might occupy the citadel and 
the arfenal. But neither on this fecond occafion was the 
refult fortunate. Whether fome one of thofe who were 
privy to the attempt had again placed an indifcreet con¬ 
fidence in the prince, or whether he had himfelf difeo- 
vered it by fome other means, he gave orders to all the 
officers of artillery, not to render any obedience to Col¬ 
ligno, to whom, therefore, the entrance into the citadel 
became (till more ftrongly interdicted, which therefore 
appeared an indication that the undertaking was defpe- 
rate; and it was even agreed to lay it afide till fortune 
fhould afl'ume a better alpeCt. 
The news of this meeting not having reached Aleffan- 
dria fufiiciently early, what had been agreed on was car¬ 
ried into effeCt there on the morning of the 10th. The 
citadel was occupied, the tri-coloured flag hoifted, and 
the conftitution of Spain, amidft the incredible joy and 
exultation of the garrifon and the people of Alefiandria, 
was proclaimed. On the evening of the fame day the in¬ 
telligence reached Turin, and animated the finking fpi- 
rits of the conftitutionalifts, who, aware that the die was 
caft, and that no time remained for temporizing, refolved 
to follow up the enterprife fword in hand. Capt. Lifio haf- 
tened immediately poll to Pinciolo, accompanied by the 
count of Santa Rofa, and gave orders to the regiment fta¬ 
tioned there to march to Alefiandria, where they arrived in 
two or three days. Count Cavaglio fet out for Vercelli, to 
take the command of the regiment of general Sambugo, 
