kingdom · Italy

Kingdom of the Two Sicilies

1816 CE – 1861 CE · capital Naples

The largest pre-unification Italian state, the Bourbon kingdom of Naples and Sicily, overthrown by Garibaldi's Thousand in 1860.

Origins

After the Congress of Vienna restored him, Ferdinand IV of Naples and III of Sicily merged the Kingdom of Naples and the Kingdom of Sicily in December 1816, becoming Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies, with Naples as capital.

Rule and society

The kingdom was an absolute monarchy that put down revolts in 1820 and 1848; Sicilians resented losing their autonomy. Ferdinand II opened Italy's first railway, from Naples to Portici, in 1839 and built a strong navy, but his harsh repression earned him the nickname King Bomba. The south remained largely rural, with powerful landowners and widespread poverty.

Decline and legacy

In 1860 Giuseppe Garibaldi's Expedition of the Thousand conquered Sicily and Naples. Francis II held out at Gaeta until February 1861, and the kingdom was annexed to the new Kingdom of Italy.

Lineage

Kingdom of Sicily 1130 CE – 1816 CEKingdom of Naples 1282 CE – 1816 CEKingdom of the Two SiciliesKingdom of Italy 1861 CE – 1946 CE

Connections (3)

More states of Italy →

Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-the-two-sicilies
MLA
“Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-the-two-sicilies. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-the-two-sicilies.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Kingdom of the Two Sicilies’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-the-two-sicilies (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻