The 1859 Battle of Solferino/San Martino was a decisive engagement of the Second Italian War of Independence, contributing to Italian unification.
Key Facts
- Date
- 24 June 1859
- Conflict
- Second Italian War of Independence
- Village renamed
- San Martino della Battaglia (after 1859)
- Administrative unit
- Frazione of Desenzano del Garda
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The Second Italian War of Independence pitted French and Piedmontese forces against Austria in 1859. Tensions over Austrian control of northern Italy led to a series of major battles in the region around Lake Garda, of which the engagement near San Martino was one part of the broader struggle for Italian sovereignty.
On 24 June 1859, the Battle of Solferino, also referred to as the Battle of San Martino, was fought near the village of San Martino in northern Italy. The engagement was part of the wider conflict of the Second Italian War of Independence and took place in proximity to the simultaneously fought Battle of Solferino.
Following the battle, the village of San Martino was renamed San Martino della Battaglia in commemoration of the 1859 engagement. The battle's carnage also inspired Henry Dunant to found what became the International Red Cross. Today San Martino della Battaglia is a frazione of the comune of Desenzano del Garda.