At the end of the Battle of Novara, seeing his army defeated, King Charles Albert threw himself into the fray seeking death, but found none. He then retreated to Palazzo Bellini, from where he sent a messenger to the Austrian general to request an armistice. The terms imposed were extremely harsh, and, hoping that his Piedmont would obtain less severe terms, that same evening Charles Albert abdicated in favor of his son Victor Emmanuel and left Italy for exile in Porto, Portugal, choosing for himself the simple title of Count of Barge. He died a few months later.
