conte Cesare Balbo

Born in Turin on November 21, 1789, Cesare Balbo was a Piedmontese count, historian, and political thinker. He was the son of Prospero Balbo, a diplomat and scholar, and grew up around public life and international affairs.

Balbo became one of the better-known moderate liberals of the Italian Risorgimento. Rather than pushing the most radical solutions, he favored constitutional government and gradual reform, and his political writing made him an important voice in discussions about how Italy might become stronger and more united.

He also took an active role in government during the revolutions of 1848, serving as the first prime minister of Sardinia-Piedmont under the new constitution. He died on June 3, 1853, but his combination of statesmanship and historical writing kept his name closely tied to the early movement for Italian unification.