As the first capitalist nation,Italy gained independence and unification in the mid-19 t hcentury by the Risorgimento and became a nation-state. Nation and state became fully one,which was the core value of nationalism. Nationalism acted as an intellectual dynamism of the Risorgimento; and in turn the Risorgimento intensified the appeal of nationalism. These two forces together acted on the historical process of nation-state-building. What is more,culture also played a key role in the process. As the themes of the Risorgimento,independence,unification,and liberty reflected nationalism ’s three meanings respectively: the prelude of national consciousness,the value of Risorgimento,and the modern construction of nation-state.