He was granted a stipend and traveled to Venice. He joined the rebellions of 1848, and suffered exile in England until 1857. On his return to Modena, Duke Francesco V commissioned frescoes for the Ducal Palace of Modena recalling the visit of the Pope Pius VII to Modena. Once Modena came under the Savoyard dynasty, he painted frescoes depicting the "Battle of Palestro" and the "Entry of Delegates from Reggio and Modena to Turin". He was named professor of design for the Regia Scuola Militare of Modena.