Italy is an old civilization, but a young state. Italy was unified in 1870 as the result of military campaigns that culminated in Rome becoming the capital in 1871. For centuries the territory was fractured into a variety of political entities. Yet the ideal of one Italia was the dream of countless intellectuals after the collapse of the Roman Empire.

In 1848 Italy was a patchwork composed of the Kingdom of Sardinia, the Papal States, Grand Duchy of Tuscany, Kingdom of Naples and Sicily, and the duchies of Modena, Parma, and Lucca. Very importantly, a large part of northern Italy was occupied by the Austrians. Risorgimento, literally the rebirth of Italy, was the political and intellectual movement for unity. Music played an important role in promoting nationalism, at a time when national unification was a compelling political force in a number of European countries.