United Provinces of Central Italy

The United Provinces of Central Italy (Italian: Province Unite del Centro Italia), also known as the Confederation of Central Italy or General Government of Central Italy, was a short-lived military government established by the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia. It was formed by a union of the former Grand Duchy of Tuscany, Duchy of Parma, Duchy of Modena, and the Papal Legations, after the Second Italian War of Independence.

United Provinces of Central Italy Province Unite del Centro Italia (Italian)
1859–1860
Top: Flag of the United Provinces Bottom: Flag used in Tuscany Coat of arms
The United Provinces of Central Italy (green)
Status	Client state of the Kingdom of Sardinia
Capital	Modena
Common languages	Italian Tuscan Emilian-Romagnol
Government	Military government
• King	Victor Emmanuel II
• Governor General	Carlo Bon Compagni di Mombello
• Appointed Regent	Eugenio Emanuele di Savoia-Carignano
Historical era	Late modern
• Revolution	8 December 1859
• Annexation	22 March 1860
Currency	Sardinian lira, Tuscan florin
Preceded by Succeeded by Grand Duchy of Tuscany Duchy of Parma and Piacenza Duchy of Modena and Reggio Papal Legations Kingdom of Sardinia
Today part of	Italy

After August 1859, the pro-Piedmontese regimes of Tuscany, Parma, Modena and the Papal Legations agreed to several military treaties. On 7 November 1859, they elected Eugenio Emanuele di Savoia-Carignano as their regent.

The peace of the Treaty of Zürich had left the question of the United Provinces unsettled.[1] This led to a period of negotiations and eventually to the Treaty of Turin during Napoleon III faced pressure from Austria through their ambassador Richard von Metternich to halt Sardinian expansion[2] and restore Ferdinand IV who had been deposed as Grand Duke of Tuscany and was a cousin of Austrian emperor Franz Joseph I.[2] The Austrians saw Savoia-Carignano, a member of the same dynasty as Victor Emmanuel II, as unacceptably likely to promote annexation by Sardinia.[3] At the urging of Napoleon III, Victor Emmanuel II refused to allow Savoia-Cariagnano to accept,[3] instead sending Carlo Bon Compagni[4] as the Governor General of Central Italy, who was responsible for the diplomatic and military affairs of the states.

On 8 December 1859, Parma, Modena and the Papal Legations were incorporated into the Royal Provinces of Emilia. After plebiscites were held during March 1860, and France was granted Nice and Savoy, the territory was annexed formally to Piedmont-Sardinia, as Bon Compagni resigned on 3 March 1860.