Balbo, Cesare 1789-1853
Italian statesman and political writer

He wrote widely on political problems and Italian history, his most important work, Delle Speranze d'Italia ('Of the Hopes of Italy'), appearing in 1844. Echoing Vincenzo Gioberti, to whom it was dedicated, it called for the creation of an Italian Confederation. It also demanded the end of Austrian rule in Lombardy-Venetia and that the Habsburgs seek compensation by expansion into the Balkans. In 1847, in a growing climate of reform, Balbo accepted the invitation of King Charles Albert (1798-1849) to enter a moderate government and the following year fleetingly held office as Piedmont's first constitutional Prime Minister. In his final years he supported the policies of the Marchese D'Azeglio and Conte di Cavour despite reservations about their anticlericalism.