Resurrecting Freedom of Religion: The Contribution of the Waldensians to the Italian Risorgimento

Contrary to current historical reconstructions, far from being just a secular project, the Italian Risorgimento had deep spiritual foundations. Though collapsing with the unwillingness of the pope to give up his temporal power, the project of “resurrection” of freedom of religion in modern Italy became an anti-clerical project though not necessarily anti-Christian. On the one side, radical free church Protestants generally supported the Republican ideals of Giuseppe Mazzini and Giuseppe Garibaldi, while on the other side many Waldensians sided with the liberal Cavour and his formula – derived from the Swiss theologian Alexandre Vinet and his idea of: “a free Church in a free State.” A spiritual réveil or awakening preceded the political awakening that led to the emancipation of the Waldensians, an event embodying the ideals of the Risorgimento. Indeed, Waldensians played a considerable role in the Risorgimento, contributing soldiers, parliamentary representatives, educators, writers, entrepreneurs, missionaries, and most of all, individuals who fought for religious freedom.