Armistice of Villafranca

Armistice of Villafranca

The meeting between Napoleon III and Franz Joseph at Villafranca in a print of the time.
Context	Second Italian War of Independence
Signed	July 11 and 12, 1859
Location	Villafranca di Verona, Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia
Condition	Cession of Lombardy (except Mantua) to France, which in turn ceded it to the Kingdom of Sardinia
Negotiators	Franz Joseph I of Austria Napoleon III
Signatories	Franz Joseph I of Austria Napoleon III Victor Emmanuel II
Parties	Austrian Empire Second French Empire Kingdom of Sardinia

The Armistice of Villafranca, concluded by Napoleon III of France and Franz Joseph I of Austria on July 11, 1859, set the stage for the end of the Second Italian War of Independence.

It was the consequence of a unilateral decision by France, which, at war alongside the Kingdom of Sardinia against Austria, needed to conclude peace because of the danger of the conflict spreading to Central Europe.

The armistice of Villafranca caused the resignation of Piedmontese Prime Minister Cavour, who considered it a violation of the Sardinian-French treaty of alliance. The latter provided for the cession of the entire Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia to Piedmont, unlike the terms of the armistice, which stipulated the cession of Lombardy alone (in its current extent except the Province of Mantua).

The armistice, which King Victor Emmanuel II of Sardinia also signed on July 12, was ratified by the Treaty of Zürich of November 1859.