ions, and opposing the claims of the Roman Curia. He
invited Count Cavour, then a rising young politician, to enter the ministry
in 1850. Cavour and Farini, also a member of the cabinet, made certain
declarations in the Chamber (May 1852) which led the ministry in the
direction of an alliance with Rattazzi and the Left. Of this d'Azeglio
disapproved, and therefore resigned office, but on the king's request he
formed a new ministry, excluding both Cavour and Farini. In October,
however, owing to ill-health and dissatisfaction with some of his
colleagues, as well as for other reasons not quite clear, he resigned once
more and retired into private life, suggesting Cavour to the king as his
successor.

For the next four years he lived modestly at Turin, devoting himself once
more to art, although he also continued to take an active interest in
politics, Cavour always consulting him on matters of moment. In 1855 he was
appointed director of the Turin art gallery. In 1859 he was given various
political missions, including one to Paris and London to prepare the basis
for a general congress of the powers on the Italian question. When war
between Piedmont and Austria appeared inevitable he returned to Italy, and
was sent as royal commissioner by Cavour to Romagna, whence the papal
troops had been expelled. After the peace of Villafranca, d'Azeglio was
recalled with orders to withdraw the Piedmontese garrisons; but he saw the
danger of allowing the papal troops to reoccupy the province, and after a
severe inner struggle left Bologna without the troops, and interviewed the
king. The latter approved of his action, and said that his orders had not
been accurately expressed; thus Romagna was saved. That same year he
published a pamphlet in French entitled _De la Politique et du droit
chretien au point de vue de la question italienne_, with the object of
inducing Napoleon III. to continue his pro-Italian policy. Early in 1860
Cavour appointed him governor of Milan, evacuated by the Austrians after
the battle of Magenta, a position which he held with great ability. But,
disapproving of the government's policy with regard to Garibaldi's Sicilian
expedition and the occupation by Piedmont of the kingdom of Naples as
inopportune, he resigned office.

The death of his two brothers in 1862 and of Cavour in 1861 caused Massimo
great grief, and he subsequently led a comparatively retired life. But he
took part in politics, both as a deputy and