1806 - The bag of Pedace
The history of the resistance of some Martire

[...] to the announcement that Napoleon was gotten ready to attack the Reame of the two Sicilies, the Russian troop that parked there had the order from the tsar to move in the Ionian Islands; the English troop, instead, withdrew in Sicily in order to defend themselves easier with the fleet. Failed the several attempts to resolve the crisis peacefully, the Queen Maria Carolina - “the single man of Naples” as defined by the emperor of the French - in order to make forehead the invader, thought about raise them against the populations of the Reame. And not only the army came mobilized, but the most famous heads were sped up also than masses. Hereditary Prince and Leopoldo di Borbone, quickly after the departure of the Monarchs for the Sicily, took the way of the long Calabria which exceeded the soldiers marching to the remaining defence of reign. And from Cosenza, where they had taken dwelling, they did not lack glue presence, glue word and hill promised to complete that work of propaganda that would soon have had to lead to the general revolt. Frattanto truppe French was left over, and when the two real principles new reached that the soldiers of Damas had been struck to Campotenese and the enemy to great step marched in the heart of the region, they, for the road of Rogliano, escorted from a cavalry regiment and followed from little faithfuls, they caught up Reggio where s' embarked in order to rejoin itself with the Monarchs. Of ventimila the men who composed the unravelled army, they were not remained that little hundreds in crews, quickly organized in little bands that constituted the first nucleus of the future masses. From Palermo, frattanto, they came sent in Calabria emissaries with crews, money and decorations that had to yield new supporters with the Borbone cause and to animate the old partisans.

But the borbonica propaganda, more than from the wefts of the puttinges of Carolina Maria and its money, received decoy from the words of the priests to the women to which these went insinuating that their kinsmen soon would have been transferred to fight outside the native land to advantage of the alien who considered them slaves he despised and them he thought because them vigliacchi. And in truth large allying of the throne was the clergy who on those populations believers fine nearly to the fanatismo operated to such point to make convinced them that since the cause of God was that of the King, God would have guided to them. On the other hand, French, offensive the freedom of customs for a population modest, offensive collection and still more for its affectation, and several provisions did not lack to foment hatred already abundantly fed from the borbonica propaganda. For the calabrian nature, free and independent, the conscription was like a humiliating disablement; the constitution of the civic military services and the disarmament a serious blow to the fierezza and a obligation mortificante; the pretensions of contribuzioni, ally by marriage still more serious the spirit of those people; and the rigor in the repressions a stimulus to throw outside the alien. However it cannot be tacere that general Reyner made of all in order rendering the measures less serious. The entire Calabria era, therefore, in boiling. Anywhere it brooded, in that attended atmosphere of and eve, desire to hit the invader that had forced the king to escape and to porsi to discretion of an other alien.

A first outbreak, impreparata and unexpected, had 22 March 1806 to Soveria. For its position to horse between cosentino and the catanzarese, Soveria was one of the countries of the inside quickly occupied from the French. The commander, hardly joint, sedotto from the beauty of a young spouse and I forget about the confidentiality of the customs calabrians, penetrated in the house of this during an absence of the husband. To the sight of the alien, considered only enemy, the woman I scream, provoking the prompt participation of the spouse, Antonio Morasco, than one threw on the official and the victims of a murder.

This short and fulminea tragedy to character the book of martyrs gave the sign for the other immensest one. Bravo agriculturist, use to the handling of the crews for practical venatoria and staff bravura, Carmine Caligiuri, quickly made and person who commits barratry of the massacre promotore. Postosi to the head of some fellow countrymen, assaulted the soldiers of the garrison before that they had had news of the dead women of their commander, and killed fourteen. Broken the brake, espostosi to the reprisal, assembles those same ones had helped that it in the enterprise, is sheltered in mountains and it devotes oneself to the fight. Four days after, the 26, give over the dominant heights the Church of Pasture, Caligiuri and its follow to us, they assaulted of surprise a numerous group of soldiers ch' were of escort to some directed bakers of the army to Nicastro and they kill forty. Between they there was the Conte Turr that visited the Calabria and it was intentional to join to those soldiers for emergency. The poveretto, feeling itself stranger, churches the grace of the life. But certainly that he did not succeed it of being saved and sure by now of the destiny, “pugna from deprived of hope and he falls from prode”. Self-confident fact from these easy successes that notorieties in the contrada increase it, Caligiuri collects volunteers to Saint Biagio, Petronà, Saint Tommaso, Saint Motta Lucia, Conflenti, Martirano and Mannelli. The 28 assault Hurl hoping a lot that the aid of the borbonici of the inside facilitates it the possession of that important place. But, recognized, it comes killed. Its dead women sgomenta the gregari that are skidded in a flash. The facts do not lack to produce effects: the French, for vendetta, put to bag and fire Mannelli, Saint Biagio, Saint Tommaso and Petronà and damage Martirano saving Saint Motta Lucia and Confluenti because they were resolutions to hide their hostile mind. For greater emergency, the French general strengthened the garrison of Hurls and sent many soldiers to Soneria. Although the motions and the commotion of the people, the fact of Soneria is not still uprising: it remains to the margins of the report. However it had been enough to raise the spirit of the borbonici that were striven, with the word of men estimated for their social position and their culture, to support the hopes and to inflame them because the torbid ones continued, while the patriots, in the fear of this same eventuality, strove themselves in any case in order to ask for it, often making resorted to threats of next reprisals. This placed less against, in way hidden, realistic and patriots, that is the faithfuls to the past, that it had all the appearances of being definitively tramontato, and the supporters of the future newborn. But the things proceeded between rancors, not manifest purposes that not inasprivano apparently the life in that first time. As it always happens in our countries, because of the smallness of the atmosphere and the monotonia of the life, the familiar rivalries come on purpose grafted on political rivalries that serve to hit the adversary more easily. For which nearly in no common little one any motion to political character can be undressed from its dresses of private jealousies. But the real revolt did not have to be late to manifest itself. And, to give of the way, 4 May 1806, was the municipality of Pedace. In order to understand the revolt of the pedacesi it must go scovare those familiar rivalries of which before we pointed out. The family Leonetti di Pedace was composed from don Paschal and the sons don Giuseppe, Don Giovanni, don Gaetano, don Luigi, don Antonio, don Francisco, Lucia woman and woman Marianna beyond the wife and two sisters of don Paschal. When the sons were still in adolescenziale age, don Paschal he supported its family with the profits that he perceived collecting the interests of the University striving itself as Chancellor and Rations them. Grown the sons in age of being able to exercise their professions joining between they were made masnada of thieves many. Don Giovanni, one of the sons of don Paschal, was parish priest in Cosenza and at the same time school master, instructd the sons of the attorneies general, and he carried it to this to having a such friendship to demand of the favors. Don Antonio, that it exercised the profession in the Courts, acted near the same Ministers respected as it demanded the brother. With these means they protect the thieves with which they were come to an agreement and with which they divided the fruit of their thefts. Counting on the same gangster they dared a dispotismo on their Native land, and of it they obtained those communal charges, that they are apt for soggiogare an entire municipality, and to swallow the public money by themselves. Don Gaetano exercised the profession of Chancellor and Rations them; don Antonio from proxy of the Municipality; don Francisco from parish priest; don Luigi from doctor contracted out from the municipality; let alone the private professions of notaro, druggist, medical speziale and parish priest. Practically all the services of the pedacesi had to pass by force through the family of the Leonetti. The dispotismo oppressed honest people for means of criminals who guaranteed the justice handling itself near the Ministers, the profits whom of it they gained were many, such gives to make to lead they a voluptuous life beyond their degree, a lot that their patrimony never did not improve. The dispotismo that put into effect not only stopped to ruffle money: they assaulted maritate the honest, marriageable women to, also in own houses in order to satisfy theirs unbridled passions. With the advent of the French to the government, the Leonetti thought well to thus aggraziarsi their sympathies from being able to continue to exercise their power. Resosi account that the new government would not have allowed to the thefts with which had become rich, thought to unravel itself of the thieves who had helped before them. To these they joined also who, between honest people, could bring damage to their professions and their profits, therefore they made to arrest also notaro N. Favella, doctor Michele Martire, and the speziale Bartolo Iocca.
 

The new government entrusts to don Gaetano the role of Head of Patrol and these, believing that with such charge it could decide of all and all, called people to work for he in order then to send them to house without wage, indeed threatening them that if did not obey it would have made them to arrest for wandering. All this had increased to hatred and the rancor of all the population of Pedace regarding the Leonetti family. The idea of the macchinazioni made from the despoti began to outline itself for the carcerazione of the more honest man of the country, Raffaele Iocca, and of many others. It increased, in their mind, the wish to rebel itself to such dispotismi.
It was thus that, the night of 3 May, Paschal Martire, clergyman, Vincenzo Iocca, parish priest, with Salvatore Amantea di Spezzano Grande and Leonardo Small Ferrari di Spezzano, assembled beyond two hundred men. On the credit side dawn of 4 May attacked the house of the Leonetti killing don Gaetano. Don Luigi scappò in the Casole neighbor with to the other relatives, don Giuseppe was sheltered in church. As soon as they discovered the shelter of don Giuseppe, the rioters collected themselves around the church but they found the women that they did not want to open the door. Not daring to force a sacred place, the congiurati ones obtained, behind threats, than the parish priest Donated George it gave the order to open them. Once within poor being attempted the Leonetti but they did not succeed to you. Full loads of anger were in order to return themselves some outside when the Iocca, brother of the parish priest and chierichetto in its years more greens, were remembered of a hiding place in sacrestia: there they found the gangster. Carried outside it came killed to archibugiate stabbings and. The two Leonetti residents to Cosenza asked general Verdier justice for the revolt for the pedacesi, but these answered to it that: “a common crime, which it is this, will have to be defined for the ordinary ways of the justice. And justice will be made”. Therefore not there was the timely participation against the country. In fact, from the day of the rebellion, the 4, to that one of the French shipment, the 8, very run four days that the Verdier would not have left to pass if the borbonica flag had waved in the country sin from the beginning. The lacked military participation and the minds by now ignited made that the faithfuls to the Borboni turned the moment to they favor even if the motion was not of clear political nature. Guided from Small Ferrari di Spezzano the rebelled ones they occupied the height of the “Giunco” and invited people to the revolt against the French patriots Barracco, Barrese, Catalan, De Marco, Monaco, Ceiling prices, Scorzafava and Spina in order to revenge the dynasty, the religion and the nationality, assuring valid aids from the Sicily and the vendetta for the suffering insults. The multiple purpose of the borbonici provokes the opposition of the party of the partisans with Giovanni Thorn, young person ventenne of Breaks Little one, than they address to its fellow countrymen saying that to follow the example of the pedacesi she would have carried the ira of the French on the country, subjecting it to extermination, burnt houses and the young women would have become “lubridio of the dull formations”. But to only eight they followed it men. At this point the flag white woman of the Borboni waved on Pedace, and this, more than the demands for the Leonetti, gave the definitive impulse so that the French invaded the country.
 

8 May: General Verdier orders to the colonel Dufour, at the head of 800 soldiers, to attack Pedace from the southern part while Potot captain with to its men had to join with the squad of the burning Giovanni Thorn, on the heights of Breaks to Little one, preparing an ambush in the throat of Malaperto. The pedacesi, aware than by now same in order to happen, sheltered on adjacent mounts the country, excluded I manipulate of men commant from Iocca and lain in wait for near the convent of the Cappuccini. Dufour, followed from the Leonetti always ready to urge it to the vendetta, easy had reason of the resistance of the pedacesi that, with difficulty succeeded to open a passage in order to escape on mountains, but joints on the hill of Malaperto fell in the ambush preparatogli from Potot and Spina. Twenty-six borbonici died and many others were hurt. Later on the country was plundered and given to flames. The same evening of 8 May Dufour under orders re-entered to Cosenza leaving to Pedace a company of Hardieu captain. Thorn obtained the captain license. The survivors of the crash of Malaperto sheltered themselves in Sila in order to join then to the men of Caligiuri. The Leonetti, not still satisfied, vented their temper against honest people making a slaughter. The indulto published in favor of who it wanted to re-enter in the country, promised it excluded impunity to they seventeen too much adverse persons to the Leonetti, which to fury of persecutions forced several them to emigrate in Sicily. The others, assured from Giuseppe Gervino, in which the entire country riponeva full confidence, re-entered. But the ira of the Leonetti not placò. Indeed they were still pined more in the purposes than vendetta, and when it was constituted the military commission they obtained the exercise of a detail rigor towards the culprits of the rebellion of Pedace. Fourteen days after the tragedy of the country, the parish priest Donated George, than already it had to be folded to concur that its church became theater of scenes orrende, came judged under the imputation of complicity in the revolt. It succeeded to escape to the thanks, capital punishment to the brave defense of the brother Giovanni, but not to the exile. From the Sicily, towards the june end, the Amantea, Ferrari, Leaf, Iocca and Pisano for a turned new returned several. In the country, because of the greater and more and more frequent persecutions of the Leonetti, nobody gave more credit to the indulto of May, and not even to what there was towards the june end. Sdegnato from the state of things that had created the entire people, at the beginning of July, gave to the revolt creating sfracelli also in province (the attack to Pianete di Rovito culminated with the umpteenth defeat). The 17 July the French returned to Pedace.
 

Al they income found the resistance of the men of Lorenzo Martire, but soon she was resolved in favor of the invaders having counted fifty victims in the rows of the rebelled ones. The survivors found escape in mountains. The country of new was plundered and given to flames and the Leonetti, like always, using their infuence on the French, they gave themselves to sold and personal hatreds. The thirteen years old son of Being worth Tommaso and the father of the parish priest in exile were killed Notar Donated Domenico. These came attacked in own room, vilipeso, percosso and at last burned alive. Virgilio Ruberti, paralyzed to half, honest man and very seen was killed pure don. Also Antonio Donato and Michele Covello, indultati, the Leonetti after to have stracciato they ticket shot them to the emergency. Because of their continuous and interminable hatred, general Peyri sent a letter of office to the Governor of the Large Circondario di Spezzano with which the Ministers Zurlo and Angar decided “that the Leonetti siblings, patriots too much exaggerated, in homage to the hatred that to they carried Pedace, had been traslocati with members of parliament you mail in other province”. After two French shipments against Pedace, the country is remained desolate, impoverito but adverse agl' more fiercely invading. Of this the spillages were made some supporters that, like heads or gregari, they were present on all the battlefields against the French. Their contribution to the cause was little importance, in that which it came defined “the war of Calabria”, in the attempt not to drive away the invader.
 
Between these Giacomo Pisano and Lorenzo Martire di Pedace and Salvatore Large Amantea di Spezzano were distinguished particularly, all and three survivors of the bag. Some excesses, deplorable but perhaps justified from the impositions and suffered soprusi, above all of the Pisano, made to be born the legend of the ferocity “peracise”. In spite of the failure to the Pianete di Rovito, Pisano more and more it is decided to fight however and wherever the French. To first of August it is encamped, with two hundred men, in the forest of the Walnut, near Acres. In spite of the numerous presence of the French, many partisans of the borboni were present in that country, commant from Antonio Rose, a Dominican friar, and from three its siblings. The 14 of the same month a nourished number of borbonici realists was made captive from the French partisans but, with the aid of two peasants, they asked aid the Pisano. These quickly join with satisfaction to the demand and march on the country to whose doors the acceptance of the people facilitates it the occupation of the lived one. The responsibles of the carcerazione of the asserrandosi borbonici scappano to Bisignano inside of the castle under protection of the French official Bagnanich. Pisano nozzle to the liberation of the prisoners favoured from the numerous borbonici that at this point had joined to its row. Cunningly the besieged ones make to run voice between the besiegers who soon will arrive aids. If this does not leave the own calm masses, it does not prevent that their attack more violent and bloody as is pressati from the necessity to make soon. After six hours of combat, a modest squad of partisans succeeds to exit from a secret door of the castle taking to the shoulders the realists whom, sure of the arrival of the aids of which he whispered himself, he strikes in retreat towards Acres, where 30 August comes assaulted and defeats from general Verdier. The Pisano, followed from its, returns in the forests. In the several episodes that are ollowed, we notice the naivete of the borbonici of forehead to the organization of the French. Often a small squad of the invaders succeeds, with the ability recognized of truppe the Napoleoniche, to having the better one on hundred than faithful men to the king. This has had to the fact that, the supporters with the cause borbone, was not other that poor people capacity to the war more for the impositions endured that not for a real enlistment, where the courage to the fight was son of the desperation and hatred towards the usurpatori and their slave drivers. Pisano 3 October is to S. Peter in Guarano with to the Martire joints upon request of aid from the borbonici of the country that had been looked at to kill, from the French who got ready to a requisition of straw and mattresses, Ferdinand Shepherds, Panza Saint and the clergyman Francisco Bernardo.

The attack, of six hundred men, is silent and fulmineo and very soon it has the better one on the forced soldiers than Deguisans to the escape but quickly resumed. Little succeeded to escape, the others, 23 soldiers, were burnt alive in the public square of the country. Verdier, the same night, to the head of two thousand men, march on by now desolate empty S.Pietro and burns the entire excluded country the house of the Collice baron partisan of the French. Encouraged from the easy one succeeding Pisano and Martire, with to Biafora di San Giovanni in Flower, attacks Seizes. As well as sure how much arrogant, with thousand men to their continuation, they come rejected from the French patriots commant from the Captain Vine. After these facts, the Pisano, is moved in the Crotonese where they procure not little damages to Cutro and Isola Rizzuto Head. 16 January 1807, from Saint Nicholas of the High, dave had established the residence, moves some to the onslaught of Saint Giovanni in Flower but, although the plan was conceived with a sure military ability, it came rejected from the four hundred soldiers from the garrison. Pisano by now was tenaciously persecuted the French much to obligate it to leave the province. It went to Sant' Eufemia but, not finding hospitality from the Benincasa, other opponent of the French, s' it embarked on an English ship for the Sicily. In the September of 1808 it re-enters in Calabria participating to the espugnazione of Reggio and successively of Tiriolo where, while it made to set afire the house of a priest came mortally from this hit in mouth. Still alive churches to its men to revenge it, but before wanted to be incenerito, and, thus half-alive, it was thrown between the flames that same it had ignited. If the excesses made from the borboni were serious, less serious they were not from the French. The Pisano, the Martire and the others were capacities to disumane fights not for nature, but consequently to the natural aversion to the alien that, in order to fight it better, were forced to being cruel more than they.