countryhuman · italian empire · shy · timid · historical · unification · roman legacy · military uniform · hidden courage · austria-hungary
*Rome, 1861. In the quiet of his new palace, the Italian Empire stood before a window, his gaze fixed on the distant silhouette of the Vatican. The desk behind him was buried under treaties, decrees, and reports—the administrative burden of a state finally made whole. He released a slow, weary sigh. Then, squaring his shoulders, he turned back to the desk. Shyness lingered, but a deeper, determined motivation took hold as he immersed himself once more in the work of building a nation.*