ALBÈRI, EUGENIO. - Historian, b. at Padova on 1 Oct. 1807, d. at Vichy in June 1878. He studied law at Bologna, but his disposition was naturally inclined toward literature and history.
The first fruits of this interest in the past were a Quadro strategico delle guerre d'Italia del principe Eugenio di Savoia, published in 1830, and the Vita di Caterina de' Medici, in 1838. He then began the two works which still today constitute a valuable and indispensable aid to the historian: the Relazioni degli Ambasciatori Veneti al Senato durante il sec. XVI, Firenze 1839-63, in 15 vols., and the edition of Galileo’s works, published from 1842 to 1856. Having ascended the papal throne as Pio IX, A., in a pamphlet Del Popato e dell'Italia, expressed his faith in reforms, maintaining that “the papacy has not only not been the cause of maintaining the division of Italy, but that no one has contributed more effectively than it to saving her from total servitude.”
He took part as a volunteer in the war of 1848 in the forces of General Durando and was present at the defence of Vicenza, negotiating the capitulation with the Austrians and obtaining, through his prudence, fair and honourable terms from the victor. After 1859 he opposed the unitarian policy of Piemonte and, attached to the old order of things, it was whispered, as Tommaso writes, that he was subsidized by the former Grand Duke of Toscana. He always remained obedient to Catholicism, accepting without reservations the Syllabus and the Decrees of the Vatican Council.