He was the eldest son of a Piedmontese of good family, who served for ten years in the French army under Masséna and Napoleon.

[1] He had finished his education at the University of Parma, when the French Revolution of 1830 caused a ferment in Italy.

He sympathized with the movement, and within a few months was successively a conspirator, a state prisoner, a combatant and a fugitive.

In August 1836, he embarked for New York,[2] and three years later he proceeded to England, where he supported himself as a translator and teacher of languages.

He retained his seat until 1864, passing the summer in England and fulfilling his parliamentary duties at Turin in the winter.

[1] Among his chief works are Gallenga's earlier publications appeared under the pseudonym of Luigi Mariotti.