VILLAFRANCA, PEACE OF


Meaning of VILLAFRANCA, PEACE OF in English

v.

(1859) Preliminary peace treaty between France's Napoleon III and Austria's emperor Francis Joseph that ended the Franco-Piedmontese war against Austria.

Napoleon III made peace after the costly Battle of Solferino without consulting the Piedmontese king, Victor Emmanuel II . By the peace terms, Lombardy was ceded to France and then to Piedmont, and the dukes of Parma, Modena, and Tuscany were restored to their thrones after being deposed by nationalists. Though decried by Italian nationalists, the peace marked the beginning of Italy's unification under Piedmontese leadership.

Britannica Concise Encyclopedia.      Краткая энциклопедия Британика.