Charles Felix of Sardinia
Reign (1821–1831)
Reign (1821–1831\)
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Even before he reached Turin, Charles Felix repudiated the Regent's promise and, to help restore order, he called in the Austrians, who stayed in Piedmont till 1823\. In that same year, Charles Albert went to Spain to extinguish by force of arms the last sparks of revolt, making himself an object of hatred as the betrayer of Italian liberalism, but regaining the confidence of the King, who might have chosen another successor.

Charles Felix was a true reactionary, convinced that the world would soon be swept clean of all those \- in his view \- wicked and sacrilegious innovations introduced by the French Revolution and diffused throughout Europe by Napoleon Bonaparte "the rascal" as he called him.

### Internal policy

[thumb\|Charles Felix depicted on a 1 [lira](/wiki/Sardinian_lira "Sardinian lira") coin of 1828](/wiki/File:Carlo_Felice_1_lira_genova.jpg "Carlo Felice 1 lira genova.jpg")
Charles Felix was rarely present in Turin as king and did not participate in the social life of the capital, since he had never sought the throne and had no particular affection for the Turinese, whom he considered to have proven themselves traitors to the dynasty through their support for Napoleon and the constitutional protests.

In practice, he resided in Turin only during the theatre season and he spent the rest of the time travelling around [Savoy](/wiki/Savoy "Savoy"), [Nice](/wiki/Nice "Nice"), [Genoa](/wiki/Genoa "Genoa") (one of his favourite residences) and the castles of [Govone](/wiki/Govone_Castle "Govone Castle") and [Agliè](/wiki/Ducal_castle_of_Agli%C3%A8 "Ducal castle of Agliè"), which he had inherited from his sister Maria Anna.
As a result, the king tended to delegate large amounts of power to his ministers, especially Count Roget de Cholex, Minister of the Interior, reserving a supervisory role for himself. His government was characterised by [Massimo d'Azeglio](/wiki/Massimo_d%27Azeglio "Massimo d'Azeglio") as follows:

Nevertheless, the king was not entirely unaware of the need for reform and certainly exerted himself in the defense of the Piedmontese realm from Pontifical and foreign intervention. He limited the privileges and exemptions of the church, which seemed harmful to the state, almost completely abolished the right of sanctuary in holy places, granted secular courts the right to hear cases against priests, and imposed civic oversight of [catechisms](/wiki/Catechism "Catechism"), sermons, and religious books.

Regarding the issue of church property which had been secularised in 1792 (with Papal consent) and Franciscan property which had been secularised unilaterally, the king appointed an extraordinary board composed of officials and supporters of the clergy. The proposals, delivered to [Pope Leo XII](/wiki/Pope_Leo_XII "Pope Leo XII") by ambassador\-extraordinary [Filiberto Avogadro di Collobiano](/wiki/Filiberto_Avogadro_di_Collobiano "Filiberto Avogadro di Collobiano") in December 1827, were examined by a council of cardinals, who rejected some financial details and the right of the state to dispose of the property freely. However, on 1 April 1828, the king summoned a new council, to which he professed flexibility on the financial issues and rigidity on the issue of disposal. The resulting agreement was approved on 14 May 1828 by the Holy See.F Lemmi, Carlo Felice, Torino, 1931, p. 221\.

There were also important legislative reforms, which were effected by the Edict of 16 July 1822, which reformed mortgages; the Edict of 27 August 1822, which unified the military penal law; and the Edict of 27 September 1822, which reformed the judicial system. These changes were capped by the *Civil and Criminal Laws of the Kingdom of Sardinia*, signed on 16 January 1827, which replaced the dated [Carta de Logu](/wiki/Carta_de_Logu "Carta de Logu").

In fact, while Victor Emmanuel had implemented a rigid counter\-revolution, which uncritically revoked every arrangement made by the French after the abdication of Charles Emmanuel IV, the state could not continue to ignore the will of the majority of its subjects who called for laws in accordance with the ideas and needs of their contemporary world. Some reforms to fill the gaps were necessary.F. Sclopis, *Storia della legislazione italiana dall'epoca della Rivoluzione francese, 1789, a quella delle Riforme italiane, 1847*, p.206\.

Thus, on 27 September 1822, after Charles Felix had re\-established the publication of mortgages and codified the military penal law, he promulgated an Edict on the reform of the civil judicial system \- excluding Sardinia.

The edict abolished a majority of the special jurisdictions (e.g. for gambling offences, or management of ports), instituted 40 collegial prefecture tribunals (which managed 416 "district courts"), with [original jurisdiction](/wiki/Original_jurisdiction "Original jurisdiction"), which were divided into four classes, according to the importance of the area, and he entrusted instruction of the procedures to special members of these tribunals. Civil and penal jurisdiction remained with the Senate in Turin and fiscal jurisdiction with the [Court of Audit](/wiki/Court_of_Audit_%28Italy%29 "Court of Audit (Italy)").Piola Caselli, *La Magistratura. Studio sull'ordinamento giudiziario nella storia, nelle leggi straniere, nella legge italiana e nei progetti di riforma*, pp. 226\-227\.

In addition, a single [appellate jurisdiction](/wiki/Appellate_jurisdiction "Appellate jurisdiction") was introduced, eliminating the multiplicity of appeals that had previously existed and the ministerial position of fiscal advocate was introduced.M. Taruffo, *La giustizia civile in Italia dal ‘700 ad oggi*, p.94

Finally, he made the act of taking a case to court free, however inadequately, replacing the old system of the *sportula*, which was a very heavy judicial fee, calculated on the basis of the seriousness of the case, which provided the judges' pay, with a regular system of salaries paid by the state.P. Saraceno, *Storia della magistratura italiana. Le origini – la magistratura nel Regno di Sardegna*, pp.40\-41\.

Another important change was the code of civil and criminal law of the Kingdom of Sardinia promulgated on 16 January 1827, mainly as a result of the work of the Count of Cholex. The code was prepared in Turin by the Supreme Council of Sardinia. It was then examined by an appropriate Sardinian committee and the [Reale Udienza](/wiki/Reale_Udienza "Reale Udienza") of Sardinia. The result was a confection of Sardinian and mainland sources, creating a law which was both traditional and novel.. G. Manno, *Biografia di S. A. R. il duca del Genevese poscia re C. F., in Note sarde e ricordi*, Torino 1868, p. 288

The most novel changes relate to penal law: the abolition of the *giudatico* (impunity for criminals who had arrested other criminals) and the *esemplarità* (cruel extensions of the death penalty, like [quartering](/wiki/Hung%2C_drawn%2C_and_quartered "Hung, drawn, and quartered") the corpse and scattering the ashes); restrictions on the imposition of the death penalty; affirmation of the principle that the punishment should fit the crime; and the distinction between attempted crimes and crimes actually committed.C. Sole,*La Sardegna di Carlo Felice e il problema della terra*, Cagliari 1967 p.65

Finally, the slave trade was abolished and it was declared that any person who was found in captivity on a ship flying the Sardinian flag would instantly be freed.A. Imeroni, *I re di Sardegna pel riscatto degli schiavi dai Barbareschi*, in Rass. stor. d. Risorg., XXII (1935\), pp. 580\-588\.

### Economic initiatives

[thumb\|250px\|The Teatro Carlo Felice, Genoa](/wiki/File:Genoa_%2825%29.jpg "Genoa (25).jpg")
Charles Felix's reign was characterised by financial and economic difficulties and rigid protectionism, but there were some initiatives relating to services and public works.

The road network was improved by the construction of the road between [Cagliari](/wiki/Cagliari "Cagliari") and [Sassari](/wiki/Sassari "Sassari") (now [Strada statale 131 Charles Felix](/wiki/Strada_statale_131_Charles_Felix "Strada statale 131 Charles Felix")) and between Genoa and Nice, as well as bridges over the [Bormida](/wiki/Bormida_%28river%29 "Bormida (river)") and the [Ticino](/wiki/Ticino "Ticino") (the latter completed in 1828\). A large number of public buildings were constructed in the cities: the port of Nice was largely restored, Genoa received a theatre (the [Teatro Carlo Felice](/wiki/Teatro_Carlo_Felice "Teatro Carlo Felice"), named after the king), and Turin benefited from a programme of urban improvement which included the bridge over the [Dora](/wiki/Dora_Riparia "Dora Riparia"), the [Piazza Carlo Felice](/wiki/Piazza_Carlo_Felice "Piazza Carlo Felice"), underground drainage channels, the porticos of the [Piazza Castello](/wiki/Piazza_Castello%2C_Turin "Piazza Castello, Turin") and various new suburbs.

Charles Felix paid attention to the steelworking sector, which had already occupied him as Viceroy, as well as the banking and insurance sectors, which were improved significantly by the creation of the [Cassa di Risparmio di Torino](/wiki/Cassa_di_Risparmio_di_Torino "Cassa di Risparmio di Torino") in 1827 and the establishment of the [Royal Mutual Society of Insurers](/wiki/Reale_Mutua_Assicurazioni "Reale Mutua Assicurazioni") in June 1829\. He also encouraged the agricultural and manufacturing sector by granting many exemptions and fiscal benefits and through the creation of [trade fairs](/wiki/Trade_fair "Trade fair") like that of 1829, in which 500 exhibitors participated.

### Foreign policy

[thumb\|right\|Portrait of King Charles Felix, ](/wiki/File:Ritratto_di_Carlo_Felice_di_Savoia.jpg "Ritratto di Carlo Felice di Savoia.jpg")

Theoretically, Charles Felix was committed to the territorial expansion of his realm, but he did not maintain any expansionist illusions and preferred to concentrate on the economic and commercial interests of his realm.F. Lemmi, *La politica estera di Carlo Alberto nei suoi primi anni di regno*, Firenze 1928, p. 93\.Bianchi, Storia della Diplomazia, II, p.77\. Thus in 1821, with the help of the Austrians and English, he signed an advantageous trade agreement with the [Sublime Porte](/wiki/Sublime_Porte "Sublime Porte").

In September 1825, in order to force the [Bey of Tripoli](/wiki/Bey_of_Tripoli "Bey of Tripoli") to observe the treaty established with him in 1816 under English auspices, and to respect Sardinian ships sailing along the coast of North Africa, he launched a demonstration of force. Towards the end of the month, two frigates (*Commercio* and *Cristina*), a corvette (*Tritone*) and a brig (*Nereide*) under the command of captain [Francesco Sivori](/wiki/Francesco_Sivori "Francesco Sivori"), appeared off the coast of Tripoli. After a final attempt to pressure the Bey diplomatically, ten Sardinian longboats sailed into the harbour on the night of 27 September and set fire to a Tripolitanian brig and two schooners, routing or killing the Tripolitanian troops. This forced the Bey to take a more conciliatory approach.Account from Am. Des Geneys, *Arch. di Stato di Torino*

In 1828, he ended the construction of a bridge over the River Ticino at [Boffalora](/wiki/Boffalora_sopra_Ticino "Boffalora sopra Ticino"), which had been begun by his brother Victor Emmanuel I some years earlier as a result of a treaty with the Emperor of Austria, who controlled the other side of the river as part of the [Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia](/wiki/Kingdom_of_Lombardy%E2%80%93Venetia "Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia").

### Patronage

[thumb\|Tomb of Charles Felix, [Hautecombe Abbey](/wiki/Hautecombe_Abbey "Hautecombe Abbey")](/wiki/File:Carlo_Felice_Savoy_Sardinia_Hautecombe.jpg "Carlo Felice Savoy Sardinia Hautecombe.jpg")
Charles Felix was an avid patron of art and culture. In 1824, he acquired [Hautecombe Abbey](/wiki/Hautecombe_Abbey "Hautecombe Abbey"), where many of his ancestors were buried and entrusted a restoration programme to the architect [Ernesto Melano](/wiki/Ernesto_Melano "Ernesto Melano").

In the same year, he was responsible for the acquisition of a good part of the collection which now constitutes the [Museo Egizio](/wiki/Museo_Egizio "Museo Egizio") in Turin. The pieces were acquired from [Bernardino Drovetti](/wiki/Bernardino_Drovetti "Bernardino Drovetti"), a native of [Barbania](/wiki/Barbania "Barbania"), who was then the French [consul](/wiki/Consul_%28representative%29 "Consul (representative)") in Egypt. The collection was placed in the [Palazzo dell'Accademia delle Scienze](/wiki/Palazzo_dell%27Accademia_delle_Scienze_%28Turin%29 "Palazzo dell'Accademia delle Scienze (Turin)"), which is still the site of the museum.

In 1827, Charles Felix instituted the Chamber of Commerce and the School of Palaeography and Diplomacy, affiliated with the Academy of Painting and Sculpture.


How does the construction of a bridge reflect the values or priorities of its sponsor?