Camillo Cavour(1810 — 1861)

Morning

Cavour rose early, around six o'clock, and devoted his mornings to reading diplomatic dispatches and European newspapers. He annotated his ambassadors' reports before receiving his collaborators and ministers for intense working meetings. His desk was covered with maps, correspondence, and handwritten notes.

Afternoon

His afternoons were taken up by sessions in the Sardinian Parliament, where Cavour distinguished himself with elaborate speeches and a formidable ability to improvise responses to opposition attacks. He often negotiated in parallel with foreign diplomats, juggling parliamentary debates and the corridors of diplomacy.

Evening

In the evenings, Cavour frequented Turin's salons and liberal circles where Piedmontese nobles, financiers, and intellectuals mingled. A great lover of card games and political conversation, he used these social occasions to cultivate his networks of influence. He went to bed late, often after midnight.

Food

Cavour was a refined gourmand who appreciated Piedmontese cuisine rich in truffles, risotto, and slow-cooked meats. He readily drank Barolo wine produced on his own estates and entertained guests at lavish working dinners. His table was renowned in Turin as a place where gastronomic pleasures and political discussions went hand in hand.

Clothing

Cavour dressed with the understated elegance of an Anglophile liberal gentleman: a black frock coat, white cravat, and grey trousers made up his daily uniform in Parliament. He wore round spectacles and a lorgnon that reinforced his air of a serious bourgeois notable, contrasting sharply with Garibaldi's more flamboyant appearance.

Housing

Cavour lived in a government apartment in Turin, modestly furnished but equipped with a large library and a study where he received visitors. He spent summers at his family estate in Santena, where he personally oversaw his model farming operations, finding renewal in the work of the fields.