SIEGE OF TURIN 1706 - THE CAVORETTO FORT

For many years—indeed, for a great many years—I lived in the Turin district known as Cavoretto, from the Piedmontese Caùret, meaning “kid” or “young goat.” For all that time, I was living right beside History without realizing it, as I suspect is also true of most of the people who live there today.

Cavoretto was once a small independent municipality, before being incorporated into the City of Turin in 1889. Today it is a predominantly residential district, green and hilly in character.

The area is dominated by Parco Europa, which to me had always been simply a pleasant park for a walk or for practising martial arts outdoors. Yet the park overlooks the city from the south and offers an extraordinary view across the southern part of Turin, towards Moncalieri.

Indeed, the role played by Cavoretto, and the military dynamics that developed around it, have never been examined in any real depth. My work consists precisely in searching for and uncovering information that may have long been available, but has never been properly interpreted or explained from a logical and functional point of view.

At first glance, after consulting various websites and books, Cavoretto always appears to have formed part of the French lines of circumvallation. This is how it is represented on virtually every map, including the most detailed maps of the Turin hills, several of which are in my own collection.

The reality, however, appears to have been rather different. Evidence of this can be found in a particularly interesting booklet entitled Ragguaglio Giornale dell’Assedio di Torino, cominciato il 13 maggio 1706, e Liberazione del Medesimo seguita li 7 settembre del medesimo anno. Manoscritto finora inedito (A Journal Account of the Siege of Turin, begun on 13 May 1706, and of its Liberation on 7 September of the same year. A Previously Unpublished Manuscript).

This small volume was published in Turin in 1906, on the bicentenary of the siege, by the Tipografia degli Artigianelli, and I own a copy of its first edition. It was edited by Dr Costantino Coda.

The original manuscript was written by an unknown author, although he was probably a nobleman who took part in the defence of the Citadel of Turin. It was discovered at Alpignano and was subsequently transcribed and published.

Of particular relevance here is its account of the events of May 1706. It states that, only a few days after the siege had begun on 13 May, the French started digging and preparing their line of circumvallation. By 22 May 1706, the works extended from Cascina Crocetta (1) down towards the River Po (2), with the purpose of cutting off the supply routes used by the Savoyard forces.

Map with total view

Details of the Cavoretto's zone

1) Farmstead "Crocetta"

2) Zone of the Circumvallation that approaches to the River Po

3) Cavoretto

4) Road to Pinerolo

A) Piedmontese artillery Range from the Cavoretto's Fort

On 24 May 1706, Duke Victor Amadeus II ordered the construction of two fortified positions on the hills overlooking Turin: one near the Vigna di Madama Reale and the other at Cavoretto. The two positions were reportedly assigned a total battery of thirty-three artillery pieces.

The number of guns mentioned in the Ragguaglio appears somewhat approximate and is not specified with sufficient clarity. This problem can be resolved by turning to another source, the Journal Historique du Siège de la Ville et de la Citadelle de Turin. L’Année 1706, of which I possess copies of both surviving versions. This work is, in fact, considerably more precise and may therefore be regarded as the more reliable account.

                           

It states that, on 23 May, in order to protect the Valentino, a battery of four guns was established on high ground “to the left” of the Vigna di Madama Reale. Its purpose was to cover the Valentino area. At the same time, a substantial battery of thirty guns — therefore one more than the number given in the Ragguaglio — was positioned during the night at the foot of the Cavoretto hill. Its purpose was to bombard the French and prevent them from approaching the River Po and cutting the supply routes to the besieged city.

The French were forced to flee in disorder and suffered losses. Meanwhile, several infantry battalions were ordered to encamp at the foot of the hill, in order to protect it along the sector extending from the Valentino towards Moncalieri, thereby covering the lower slopes of the Cavoretto hill. Observation posts were also established along the entire course of the River Po, while additional artillery pieces were placed at “several points”, once again with the purpose of preventing the French from approaching the river.

On 24 May, the French attempted to advance towards the Chapel of the Pilone — a church which still exists today. To keep them at a distance, another battery of twenty-six guns of various calibres was deployed. Some of the guns were positioned on the lower ground at the foot of the Cavoretto hill, while the remainder were placed on the slope of the hill itself.

Once again, the bombardment kept the French at bay and destroyed a French dragoon regiment. Taking advantage of the rising mist, however, the surviving French troops managed to disengage and withdraw towards a farmstead known as Cascina del Fiume.

On 25 May, the Duke ordered three further batteries, each consisting of four guns, to be positioned around the hill. This new batteries opened fire on the French troops engaged in constructing their lines of countervallation. The bombardment was so intense that the source describes it as a veritable “hail of cannonballs.” Under the fire of the Savoyard artillery, the French work parties and supporting troops were forced temporarily to abandon their works and withdraw as far as the road to Pinerolo.

These details make it possible to redraw the map, showing the precise deployment of the Piedmontese artillery.

Cavoretto Map 1: Artillery deployement & range 23.5.1706

Cavoretto Map 2: Artillery deployement & range 24.5.1706

Cavoretto Map 3: Artillery deployement & range 24.5.1706

The situation continued for some time. On 17 June, Victor Amadeus II, Duke of Savoy, left the city of Turin in order to continue conducting the war from outside its walls.

Meanwhile, further French forces were massing around Turin. Of particular importance was the detachment commanded by General d’Estaing, which was advancing from Chieri—already captured without any resistance—towards Moncalieri, and therefore approaching from the side of the hills behind Cavoretto. This force consisted of 5,000 cavalrymen and fifteen infantry battalions, together with a substantial artillery train. Its arrival would almost certainly have resulted in the capture of the Cavoretto redoubt.

The Ragguaglio confirms that, when the French troops—including the main body under the Duke de La Feuillade—arrived on 19 June, they occupied Moncalieri, on the outskirts of Turin, and immediately afterwards the Castle of Cavoretto, which had already been abandoned several days earlier. The same had occurred with the defensive works on the Colle dei Camaldolesi, now known as the Eremo, which were likewise occupied by the French.

Map of the French lines of attack on the hillside - June 1706

In essence, the Piedmontese commanders chose not to commit themselves to battle over an isolated outlying position such as Cavoretto. Instead, they withdrew both the troops and the artillery within the defensive perimeter of the city and the hill sector

Below is a view of the Turin hills today. The considerable distance between Fort of Cappuccini, and  Cavoretto Castle, is quite evident: almost two and a half kilometres, or more precisely 2,430 metres.

In red, the first line of circunvallation of the French heading towards the Pilonetto. In colours the zone where the batteries were arrayed 23-25 May 1706

Here below the same map with the lines of the firing of the batteries

Below, I have attempted to reconstruct the original bastions of Cavoretto Castle. Although it is well known that, in 1729, the Counts Balbo sold part of the fief and the title of “Lords of Cavoretto” to the Marquises of Ormea for 41,000 lire, and that Carlo Vincenzo d’Ormea, minister to Victor Amadeus II of Savoy, subsequently demolished the walls of the old castle in order to build a new residence—whose bastions can still be seen today within Parco Europa—it is equally reasonable to conclude that he removed only the masonry above ground. The underlying bastioned foundations should therefore be regarded as the original structures, already in existence in 1706.

Map of the former Castle/redoubt of Cavoretto

However, by examining a (absoloutly unique though partial) contemporary map dating from the first half of the XVIII century, it has been possible to reconstruct the original layout of the Cavoretto redoubt, at least in its uppermost section. The map hereunder is a personal reconstruction under copyright.

Map of the former "Castello di Cavoretto"

Recustrucion of the Castle and inner Redoubt of Cavoretto

To illustrate the soundness of this interpretation—particularly regarding the preservation of the castle’s original outer walls, corresponding to the redoubt and marked in red—the wall is shown here as viewed from the outside. There can be little doubt that it was originally a defensive military structure rather than a garden wall.

View of the Walls of the Redoubt of Cavoretto

Details

TURIN 1706 - MY PERSONAL SOURCES

 It may often be wondered where I obtain all the information that I publish on my blog concerning the Siege and Battle of Turin of 1706. Unlike the rest of Italy, Piedmont has a distinctly military tradition—indeed, it was once known as the “Prussia of Italy.” Until quite recently, and this was true in my own case as well, respectable families traditionally encouraged their sons to perform military service and, whenever possible, to become officers.

It is largely thanks to this deeply rooted tradition that the memory of those epic events of the spring and summer of 1706 has been preserved. Unfortunately, no commemorative works could be published in 1806, since Piedmont was then part of the French Empire. Nevertheless, many studies were written around 2006 to mark the three-hundredth anniversary of the battle, while a considerable number of works published for the bicentenary in 1906 can still be found today on second-hand bookstalls in Turin and the surrounding area.

Over time, almost without realising it, I found that I had become a compulsive collector of material on this subject. I have purchased virtually everything published in 2006 and continue to seek out as much material as possible from 1906—and, whenever possible, from even earlier periods.

In this post, I will begin by presenting some of the books in my collection. Later, however, I will be pleased to examine them individually and discuss their contents in greater detail. Naturally, I will be able to provide a more extensive treatment of the older works and reproduce more material from them, since they are no longer protected by copyright under Italian law. For the more recent publications, by contrast, I will necessarily have to limit myself to brief reviews. Here, then, is a quick overview of the books currently in my possession.

SIEGE OF TURIN 1706. FRENCH REGIMENT CAMBRESIS

 From 12 February 1702, the regiment was commanded by François-Louis d’Hautefort, Comte de Marqueyssac, and from 11 January 1708 until 13 May 1732 by Jérôme-Augustin de Boisset, Marquis d’Arville. During the War of the Spanish Succession, the regiment saw extensive service. In 1701, it joined the Army of Italy. On 1 February 1702, it took part in the defence of Cremona when the Allies attempted to storm the city, an action in which its colonel, the Marquis de Presles, was killed. Later that year, on 15 August, the regiment fought at the Battle of Luzzara as part of the Reserve. In 1703, it participated in the expedition into South Tyrol. The following year, it was engaged in the sieges of Vercelli, Ivrea, and Verrua. At the beginning of 1705, it contributed to the capture of Verrua, and on 16 August it fought at the Battle of Cassano. In 1706, the regiment took part in both the siege and the Battle of Turin. From 1707 to 1710, it served with the Army of Dauphiné, before being transferred in 1711 to the Army of Flanders. On 24 July 1712, it fought at the Battle of Denain; in August and September of the same year, it took part in the Siege of Douai, and later also contributed to the capture of Le Quesnoy and Bouchain.

Regiment Cambrésis

Drapeau d'Ordonnance

Drapeau Colonel

SIEGE OF TURIN 1706. FRENCH REGIMENT GASSION

 This regiment represents another attempt to reconstruct the uniform of a unit for which precise sources are lacking, except for its ordonnance flag, which already provides a considerable amount of useful information.

Drapeau d'Ordonnance

The regiment was raised on 12 January 1702 by Jean, Marquis de Gassion, who remained its colonel until 16 February 1709, when command passed to the Comte de Beaujeu. The latter retained ownership of the regiment until its disbandment in 1714.

At the beginning of the War of the Spanish Succession, the regiment was employed in garrison duties in several fortified places in Roussillon. In 1704, it was transferred to the Cévennes, where it joined the royal troops engaged in suppressing the Camisard rebellion.

The following year, the regiment was sent to the Italian front and took part in the Siege of Nice. In 1706, it served before Turin and participated in the long siege of the Savoyard capital. On 7 September, it was also involved in the disastrous Battle of Turin. During the subsequent French retreat, the regiment reportedly distinguished itself while withdrawing towards Pinerolo. 

In 1708, the regiment was transferred to the Army of Flanders. On 11 July, it fought at the Battle of Oudenarde and, later that same year, took part in the Combat of Leffinge.

This was therefore one of the first regiments raised in 1702, as early as January. In many respects, it represented a form of tribute offered by the noble families of France to the King’s cause. In this particular case, that contribution came from the Gassion family, which had maintained a long and distinguished military tradition over the previous sixty years.

It is precisely thanks to this tradition that it has been possible to reconstruct the colour of the regiment’s linings, which were most probably greyish white, by starting from a genuine and historically grounded point of reference. This reconstruction also rests on the broader consideration that tradition played an essential role in both military and aristocratic circles, with customs, colours and symbols often being passed down from one generation to the next.

In fact, the proprietor of the regiment was Jean III Marquis de Gassion, who was appointed a Knight of the Order of the Holy Spirit on 2 June 1743. He served as a musketeer and brigadier in the King’s armies, later becoming Governor of Dax, colonel of the Navarre Regiment, and commander of the regiment bearing his own name.

Gassion was the son of Pierre de Gassion, a procureur at the Parliament of Pau, who died in 1707, and the great-nephew of Marshal Jean de Gassion (1609–1647). His mother, Madeleine de Colbert (1655–1755), was a distant cousin of Jean-Baptiste Colbert, Louis XIV’s famous finance minister. In 1714, Gassion also purchased the estate of Alluyes from François Gilbert Colbert, Marquis de Saint-Pouange and Chabanais.

It is precisely this descent from Marshal Jean II de Gassion that provides a useful uniformological connection. Indeed, a portrait of the Marshal still survives, showing a yellow uniform—the family livery—with  red facings.

Detail of the red facing

The drummer’s livery follows the colours of the flag and of the portrait mentioned above.

Regiment Gassion - Drummer

Drapeau Colonel

BATTLE OF TURIN 1706. (GHOST) FRENCH REGIMENT: SIOUGEAT

 Here we have a fine example of a “ghost regiment”. Why a ghost? Because this regiment appears to be entirely absent not only from the order of battle for Turin in 1706, but also from the records of the siege itself. Nor is that all: there is no mention of it in Flags and Uniforms of the French Infantry under Louis XIV, 1666–1714 by Robert Hall and Giancarlo Boeri. A complete ghost, then.

Drapeau d'Ordonnance

And yet the regiment certainly existed and even took part in the Battle of Turin. It is in fact mentioned on the Kronoskaf website, although without any particular emphasis. It was one of the first regiments raised in January 1702, considerably earlier than the main waves of new formations created in May and then September of that year. This would seem to reflect a certain degree of promptness and initiative on the part of its commanding officer.

In particular, the regiment was raised on 7 January 1702 by Jean de Layser, Marquis de Siougeat, who remained its commander throughout its entire existence. In 1704, it was sent to the Army of Italy, where it took part in the sieges of Vercelli, Ivrea and Verrua.

Two years later, the regiment was employed in the Siege of Turin. On 8 September 1706, it fought in the Battle of Turin and was completely annihilated. Jean de Layser, Marquis de Siougeat, had commanded the regiment from the day of its formation until its destruction in the battle.

The losses were so severe that the regiment effectively ceased to exist and was never raised again.

Very little information survives about this regiment, to the point that it seems almost to have vanished from the historical record. Yet it took part in some of the most important battles and sieges fought in Piedmont during the campaigns of 1704 and 1705, before being completely destroyed at the Battle of Turin in 1706.

What is particularly remarkable is that the regiment is scarcely mentioned even in contemporary and later accounts of the battle, including some of the most detailed narratives. Despite the severity of its losses and the fact that its destruction brought its brief existence to an end, its role has remained almost entirely overlooked.

It is therefore time to restore this forgotten regiment to its rightful place in the history of the campaign and to give due recognition to the men who served and died in its ranks.

The difficulty in reconstructing the regiment’s uniform therefore stems from the almost complete absence of surviving sources. However, research suggests that the Royal Armoury of Turin may preserve a black drapeau d’ordonnance attributed to the Régiment de Siougeat.

This would be entirely plausible. Since the regiment was destroyed at the Battle of Turin, its colours may well have been captured during the fighting and subsequently preserved in the Savoyard collections. Such a flag could therefore provide one of the very few surviving clues to the regiment’s appearance and identity.

How was this reconstruction of the flag arrived at? It is interesting to note that the source refers to a “black flag” for this regiment. In addition, the coat of arms of the Colonel-Proprietor’s family was itself almost entirely black, crossed by a yellow or gold diagonal bend.

By combining these two elements, the flag has been reconstructed with a predominantly black field crossed by yellow bands, intended as a reminder of the family arms. Other possible combinations of yellow and black could have been adopted, but they would risk being confused with the flags of other regiments.

Coat of Arms of the Family Layser de Siougeat

For the colonel’s colour, the usual design was naturally retained.

Drapeau Colonel

The principal issue that remains is the colour of the facings. Here, however, the reconstruction can be based on a reasonably solid process of historical deduction. There had already been an earlier regiment bearing the same name, the Régiment de Siougeat, which existed from 1695 to 1698.

This first regiment was created on 6 December 1695 and formally constituted on 23 December from the Espiffaudière battalion of the Régiment de la Reine, for Jean de Layser, Marquis de Siougeat. During the War of the League of Augsburg, it served with the Army of the Meuse and was eventually disbanded on 18 November 1698.

Two distinct elements immediately stand out. Both the first regiment, raised during the War of the League of Augsburg, and the second, created during the War of the Spanish Succession, were formed by the same man: Jean de Layser, Marquis de Siougeat.

It therefore seems highly likely that, for reasons of prestige and continuity, he retained the same facing colour for the later regiment. He may well have continued to rely on the same suppliers and could even have possessed stocks of cloth and other materials left over from the earlier unit. The first reasonable assumption is therefore that the two regiments wore the same facings.

There is, however, a further and even more significant point. Following the logic of military tradition and historical continuity, the origins of the first Régiment de Siougeat are particularly revealing. It had been created as an offshoot of the Régiment de la Reine: an entire battalion, effectively the full strength of the new regiment, was detached from La Reine and transformed into an independent corps. In modern terms, it was almost a military “spin-off” of the parent regiment.

Regiment Siougeat

It may therefore be assumed that the newly formed regiment initially retained the uniform traditions of the Régiment de La Reine, including red facings, a blue waistcoat and red stockings. Since the new corps had been created directly from one of La Reine’s battalions, it would have been natural for it to preserve at least the principal features of the parent unit.

The blue waistcoat and red stockings may, however, have been abandoned, or at least gradually replaced, for reasons of cost and practicality. By contrast, the cut and arrangement of the pockets were probably retained. After all, these may still have been the same uniforms, or uniforms made to the same pattern, only a few years later. It is even possible that veterans of the first Régiment de Siougeat, who later helped to form the second regiment, continued to use or preserve items from their earlier service.

The buttons would likewise have followed the pattern of the Régiment de La Reine and were therefore most probably of white metal, giving an overall silver appearance.

At this point, the question of the drummer naturally arises. In the Régiment de La Reine, the drummer wore a red livery. Clearly, however, it would have been impossible for a mere marquis to appropriate the Queen’s own livery. He must therefore have adopted his own household colours instead, most probably with a black ground — or rather a very dark grey in practical rendering — and yellow facings.

Regiment Siougeat - Drummer

Regiment Siougeat - Officer

A further problem concerns the position occupied by this “ghost regiment” during the Battle of Turin. I believe that its absence from the orders of battle for both the siege and the battle can largely be explained by the very limited number of men it was able to field.

As a privately raised regiment, rather than a Royal regiment, it would have found it far more difficult to replace its losses. Its effective strength at Turin was therefore probably no more than about 30 per cent of its original establishment, especially considering that it had already taken part in all the major sieges of the 1704 campaigns and surely also the 1705 campaigns, operations that had inevitably proved extremely costly in manpower.

It is therefore possible—indeed highly likely—that the regiment took part in the battle with no more than approximately 150 to 180 men (max 200 men) , which would explain why it was not listed separately among the participating units.

Although its precise position within the French deployment is theoretically unknown, it can nevertheless be reconstructed with a reasonable degree of confidence. The statement that the regiment was destroyed “during the battle” clearly indicates that it was actively engaged.

For the sake of clarity, the battlefield may be divided into four principal sectors: the area of the main battlefield itself, Zone 1; the area between the Dora Riparia and the Po, identified as Zone 2; the area south of Turin - Valentino as Zone 3; the hill sector, Zone 4; and the rear defensive deployment, Zone 5.

Zones 2, 3 and 4 can probably be excluded, since neither witnessed particularly intense fighting during the battle in those areas. Zone 1 may also be ruled out, as the regiment does not appear in the surviving order of battle for the principal French line.

The most plausible location is therefore the rear defensive position Zone 5. In fact, several (unknown) units were stationed there to hold fortified farmhouses and other strongpoints. These positions were later subjected to direct attacks, both by Prince Eugene’s troops after they had broken through the main French line and by forces advancing from the Turin garrison.

Given that the unit was completely annihilated, it may reasonably be assumed that it had been assigned to the defence of a fortified farmhouse located relatively close both to the city of Turin and to the main French defensive line.