The Yorkshireman Who Made Italy: Sir James Hudson at Turin, 1852-63

Given its rich heritage as the heart of the Roman Empire, the seat of the Catholic Church, and birthplace of the Renaissance, it is easy to forget that the modern Italian state dates from the mid-nineteenth century. When it came to pass, the unifying of Italy was the work not only of Italian patriots and politicians, but of a British diplomat born in Yorkshire, who was described as being 'more Italian than the Italian themselves'.