Early Sentiments Of Italian Unification

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Italy Background: In III century BC Italy was unified by the Roman Empire for over 700 years. However, after the fall of the empire, Italy slowly developed into a system of city-states ruled by local princes. This system lasted through the Renaissance (1300-1700) when Italy became a site for proxy wars between the major powers in Europe, primarily the Holy Roman Empire (later Austria), Spain and France. Because of this, it made Italian Unification an ambition and arduous feat for those who believed in Italian Unification, known as “nationalists.”
Early Sentiments of Italian Unification: Beliefs of Italian Unification came about as early as 1371 in Francesco Petrarch Italia Mia when he states that the “ancient valor in Italian hearts is