Britannica Sources used in this answer

What happened when Giuseppe Garibaldi met Victor Emmanuel II in October 1860?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Portrait of Giuseppe Garibaldi wearing a beret and cloak, with a full beard and mustache, looking toward the camera. — Giuseppe Garibaldi Giuseppe Garibaldi, c. 1860–82.

On October 26, 1860, Giuseppe Garibaldi met with Victor Emmanuel II following the success of his Expedition of the Thousand. During this encounter, Garibaldi relinquished his dictatorship over southern Italy into the king's hands.1

Garibaldi was the first person to hail Victor Emmanuel as the king of a united Italy. This meeting followed a plebiscite in the south that resulted in an overwhelming victory for annexation under Piedmont. Although Garibaldi had hoped to continue governing the region as the king's viceroy, his request was refused by the monarch and his advisors, who viewed the revolutionary leader as a dangerous radical. Following the transition of power, Garibaldi eventually returned to his home on the island of Caprera, refusing the rewards offered to him for his service.21