Born in Felizzano, after attending the Military College of Modena Spingardi took part to the Third Italian War of Independence as a second lieutenant of grenadiers.

[1] Deputy between 1904 and 1909 and Senator from 1909 till his death,[2] he was undersecretary of the war ministry between 1903 and 1905, and after a short experience as Commanding General of the Carabinieri Corps in 1909 he became Minister of War, a role he held until 1914 under four different cabinets.

[1][3] During this time he supervised the Italo-Turkish War, was decorated with the Supreme Order of the Most Holy Annunciation and received the title of Count.

[1][3] During the World War I, Spingardi served for less than a month as territorial commander of the III army corps, in Milan, being exonerated after his measures against pacifist and interventionist demonstrations were deemed too weak by the government.

[1] Spingardi died on 22 September 1918, apparently ill with malaria he had been infected by some Austrian prisoners in Asinara.