Carlo Pellion di Persano

Admiral Carlo Pellion di Persano was an Italian naval officer and politician best known for commanding the Regia Marina fleet which was defeated in the 1866 Battle of Lissa during the Third Italian War of Independence. Persano was born in Vercelli, Sésia on 11 March 1806. He joined the Royal Sardinian Navy as a young man and advanced rapidly through the ranks. Persano commanded the Sardinian navy from 1860 to 1861, and saw action during the unification of Italy. Following the unification, he was appointed as the Minister of the Navy of the Kingdom of Italy in 1862 and was elected to the Senate of the Kingdom of Italy in 1865.