Born in Turin, La Marmora was a general in the Napoleonic Wars and was personally decorated by Napoleon I. He was later employed by the King of Sardinia. He wrote Viaggio in Sardegna (Travels in Sardinia) in 1860, which extended the study of the island previously made by Francesco Cetti. Many of the animals collected by La Marmora were sent to Franco Andrea Bonelli at Turin University, and he also corresponded with Bonelli's successor, Giuseppe Gené. He died in Turin.