Historically, the Statuto was proclaimed only because of the concern of revolutionary insurrection which agitated Italy at the time (and Charles Albert was only following the example of other Italian rulers), but it was the only constitution surviving the repression that followed the First war of independence in Italy (1848-1849). The Statuto remained at the base of the kingdom's legal system even after Italian unification was achieved and the Kingdom of Sardinia turned into the Kingdom of Italy. Even if it suffered deep modifications, especially during the fascist dictatorship of Benito Mussolini (who, however, ruled with the tacit approval of king Victor Emmanuel III), it was never formally abrogated until Italy assumed the republican form of government in 1946.
In its original version, it instituted a Parliament formed by a Senate entirely nominated by the king and a lower elected House of Deputies. The king retained extensive powers, even if they were rarely used in reality.
