There he became a convert from republicanism to monarchism, being convinced that only under the auspices of King Victor Emmanuel could Italy be freed, and together with Giorgio Pallavicini and Giuseppe La Farina he founded the Societd Nazionale Italiana with the object of propagating the idea of unity under the Piedmontese monarchy.
A number of Ricci's letters are extant in the possession of the family, and access to them was afforded to Giuseppe La Farina, author of the work called La China, considerata nella sua Storia, &c. (Florence, 1843), by the Marchese Amico Ricci of Macerata, living at Bologna.
La Farina's quotations contain nothing of interest.
He was in communication with some of the conspirators, especially with La Farina, the leader of the Societd Nazionale, an association the object of which was to unite Italy under the king of Sardinia, and he even communicated with Mazzini and the republicans, both in Italy and abroad, whenever he thought that they could help in the expulsion of the Austrians from Italy.
La Farina was accordingly sent to Palermo to urge the immediate annexation of Sicily to Piedmont.