Historedia
EuropeEvent

Garibaldi's Expedition of the Thousand conquers Sicily and Naples

When
1860
Where
Marsala; Calatafimi; Palermo; Milazzo; Strait of Messina crossing; Castelfidardo
Episodes
6

Garibaldi's Expedition of the Thousand, launched in 1860 with covert British support, aimed to liberate southern Italy from Bourbon rule. Landing at Marsala, his forces defeated Neapolitan troops at Calatafimi, captured Palermo, and won at Milazzo. Crossing to the mainland, they took Naples, while Piedmontese forces invaded the Papal States, defeating the Papal army at Castelfidardo to link up with Garibaldi.

Episodes

  1. 11 May 1860 · MarsalaLanding at Marsala

    Garibaldi's Thousand arrived at Marsala on 11 May 1860, aided by Royal Navy ships, marking the start of the expedition.

  2. 15 May 1860 · CalatafimiBattle of Calatafimi

    Garibaldi's Redshirts defeated a larger Neapolitan army at Calatafimi on 15 May 1860, securing his first victory in Sicily.

  3. 27-30 May 1860 · PalermoSiege of Palermo

    Garibaldi's forces besieged and occupied Palermo between 27 and 30 May 1860, taking the capital of Sicily.

  4. 17-24 July 1860 · MilazzoBattle of Milazzo

    Garibaldi's forces defeated royal Neapolitan forces near Milazzo in July 1860, bringing nearly all of Sicily under his control.

  5. August 1860 · Strait of Messina crossingCrossing to the Mainland

    After securing Sicily, Garibaldi's forces crossed from the island to the Italian mainland in August 1860 to continue the campaign against the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.

  6. 18 September 1860 · CastelfidardoBattle of Castelfidardo

    Piedmontese forces defeated the Papal army at Castelfidardo on 18 September 1860, allowing them to march into Neapolitan territory.

Background and detail

Background. In 1860, Italian patriots targeted the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies for unification. Garibaldi, a famous revolutionary leader, planned an expedition against Sicily and Naples with covert support from the United Kingdom. Exile Rosolino Pilo exhorted him to liberate southern Italy from Bourbon rule. By May 1860, Garibaldi had collected 1,089 volunteers for his expedition to Sicily.

Expedition. Garibaldi's landing in Marsala on 11 May 1860 was favored by the presence of Royal Navy ships. On 14 May, he declared the dictatorship of Sicily in the name of King Victor Emmanuel II. The Thousand, flanked by Sicilian insurgents, had their first clash on 15 May against royal troops. The siege of Palermo took place between 27 and 30 May.

Link-up. At the end of August 1860, departures from northern ports were suspended by Cavour, who intended to invade the Papal States and the territory of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. On 7 September, Cavour issued an ultimatum to the Papal Secretary of State demanding the dismissal of foreign mercenary units in the Papal army.

Outcome. The expedition was a success, concluding with a plebiscite that brought Naples and Sicily into the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia. The annexation completed the first phase of Italian unification, leading to the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861. The Battle of Castelfidardo allowed Piedmontese forces to continue their march into Neapolitan territory.

Participants. Giuseppe Garibaldi led the Expedition of the Thousand on behalf of Victor Emmanuel II. General Francesco Landi led the royal troops at Calatafimi. King Francis II of the Two Sicilies ruled the Bourbon kingdom. Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour, was the Sardinian Prime Minister who issued ultimatums to the Papal States.

People involved

Sources

  1. Expedition of the Thousand Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-13
  2. Battle of Milazzo (1860) Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-21
  3. Battle of Castelfidardo Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-21
  4. Siege of Palermo Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-22
  5. Kingdom of the Two Sicilies Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-20
  6. Giuseppe Garibaldi Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-25
  7. Battle of Calatafimi Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-21

Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.