PAPAL ARMY - 1708 WAR OF COMACCHIO DURING WSS - THE FALCONIERI REGIMENT

 

PAPAL ARMY - 1708 WAR OF COMACCHIO DURING WSS - THE MEDICI REGIMENT

PERSONAL FORWORD

I know I really should not let myself get distracted from my existing projects, but that is simply the way I am. A comment left on TMP in response to one of my posts sparked my curiosity about an aspect of the War of the Spanish Succession that was completely unfamiliar to me: the War of Comacchio between the Empire and the Papal States.

In 1708, the latter hastily assembled a sizeable army in response to the Imperial threat, and this is something I would now like to investigate in greater detail. I intend to begin with the Medici Regiment, which played a prominent role during the Siege of Bondeno.

HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION

Papal territories had already been subjected to Imperial occupation during the campaigns of 1706 and 1707. In those districts which Vienna regarded as forming part of the Holy Roman Empire, the Imperial authorities imposed war contributions upon the local population. The Papacy responded by resorting to ecclesiastical sanctions against Imperial commanders and officials, thereby further aggravating an already tense political situation.

Rinaldo d’Este, Duke of Modena, had aligned himself with the Emperor during the War of the Spanish Succession, and his territories had consequently suffered considerably from French military operations. Against this background, he advanced claims to both the Duchy of Ferrara and the County of Comacchio, territories which were under Papal rule. In support of these claims, the Duke produced documentary evidence intended to demonstrate that the two territories properly belonged to the Empire rather than to the Papal States. His arguments were received favourably at the Imperial court in Vienna.

On 24 May 1708, the Emperor authorised General Claude Alexandre de Bonneval to occupy Comacchio. Imperial troops entered the territory and immediately began strengthening its defences. Among the works carried out was the construction of a tower bearing an inscription expressly intended to affirm and legitimise the Imperial claim over the area. What had previously been a diplomatic and jurisdictional dispute was thus transformed into an open political and military confrontation.

It was within this wider context that the operations around Bondeno took place in 1708. During the War of the Spanish Succession, Austrian Imperial forces moved into the Ferrarese territory, occupying and investing the area around Bondeno. The military operations had significant consequences for the locality: existing defensive works were damaged or destroyed, while the strategic value and defensive organisation of the district were subsequently reassessed. The events at Bondeno should therefore not be viewed as an isolated episode, but rather as part of the broader Imperial pressure exerted upon the northern territories of the Papal States during the conflict.

The Siege of Bondeno

Around the middle of October, Field Marshal-Lieutenant Königsegg moved against Bondeno, possession of which would have secured the Imperial lines of communication with Finale Emilia. Bondeno had been fortified by Cardinal Casoni against the advice of General Marsili, who would have preferred to evacuate the place, arguing that it would fall almost immediately. Instead, it held out for eleven days, from 17 to 28 October 1708, making the Siege of Bondeno the most important engagement of the entire conflict.

The position was naturally strong, being protected by two waterways: on one side the Panaro, flowing down from the Modenese mountains, and on the other a ditch known as the Scolo di Burana. The latter collected water from the marshlands around Mirandola and channelled it into the Panaro through a sluice set into a thick wall, around which stood substantial wooden palisades.

Bondeno was garrisoned by nine companies of the Medici Regiment, (and here I show this regiment) several companies of the Marsili Grenadier Regiment under Sergeant-Major O’Connor, and detachments from the Bentivoglio, Aurelii, Spada and Bonaccorsi Regiments. The militia consisted of companies from Bondeno, Stellata, Ficarolo and other places. Six guns, together with twelve bombardiers and a lieutenant, came from Ferrara, while another four guns came from Stellata.

1708 Papal Army. Regiment Medici

Altogether, the defenders numbered about 2,500 men: approximately 1,600 regular soldiers, 700 of whom had only recently arrived, and 800 men of the Ferrarese militia. They were commanded by Colonel Francesco Maria Medici of Camerino, who had been sent from Ferrara more than a month earlier and had already taken measures to improve the defences of the locality.

The Imperial attack began on 17 October. Owing to the determined resistance of the defenders, what had initially been an assault soon developed into a formal siege. The exact strength of Königsegg’s forces is not specified, but since he commanded the infantry that had landed at Felonica, together with the cuirassier regiments Hautois, Roccavione and Visconti, his force must have amounted to at least 5,000 men, supported by two mortars and twelve guns.

The final assault took place before dawn on 28 October and the Imperialist occupied the Town

1708 Papal Army. Regiment Medici - Drummer

BATTLE OF TURIN 1706 - FRENCH REGIMENT ROYAL - VAISSEAUX

Royal des Vaisseaux Drapeau Colonel

 

Royal desVaisseaux - Sergeant

SIEGE OF TURIN 1706 - THE TURIN'S MILITIA: PART 3 THE COLOURS

If reconstructing the uniforms of Turin’s Urban Militia required considerable research, there is far less uncertainty regarding the colours carried by each battalion. The colours of Turin’s Urban Militia are, in fact, still essentially represented by the official flag of the City of Turin today. Their clearest and most useful historical representation is once again found in Genta’s drawing.

From this drawing, it has been possible to reconstruct the colours, including the original bulls depicted on them.

The motto reads AUXILIUM MEUM A DOMINO, meaning “My help comes from the Lord.” After the victory at the Battle of Turin, the year 1706 was added, embroidered in the outer corner of the fourth quarter (here below).

Militia's Drapeau after 1706

SIEGE OF TURIN 1706 - THE TURIN'S MILITIA: PART 2 ORGANIZATION

 As regards the organisation of Turin’s Urban Militia, the archives likewise preserve a wealth of detailed information, allowing us to reconstruct and clarify the thoroughly military structure of these units.

The Urban Militia was composed of all citizens residing in Turin, without distinction or exemption on grounds of nobility or social standing. Members of the nobility and other notable citizens were therefore subject to service as well, although some individuals belonging to these categories were subsequently exempted upon specific request, in exchange for providing an able-bodied servant in their place. All men between the ages of sixteen and sixty who were physically capable of serving were liable for militia duty.

The Urban Militia was divided into eight battalions, each consisting of eight companies. The companies were organised, as far as possible, by grouping together citizens belonging to similar social or professional categories—such as lawyers, notaries, nobles and other comparable groups—according to the numbers available.

Each battalion had: 

1 Colonel  

1 Lieutenant-Colonel 

1 Major 

1 Adjutant-Major 

8 Captains

8 Lieutenants

8 Ensigns (officers who, however, did not actually carry a flag)

2 Furieri, referred to as Sergeant-Majors.

32 Sergeants (4 per company)

32 Corporal (4 per company)

1 Colour

2 Drummers 

The city was divided into eight districts, each of which formed one battalion. This territorial organisation ensured that, when the militia was called to assemble, the individual companies could first muster within their own districts and then proceed directly to take up their assigned guard duties.

It should be assumed that the sergeants and corporals are included within the category of those liable for service. Accordingly, the figure of 4,318 also includes 512 NCOs. In any case, quite apart from the number of men theoretically available for service, the companies, for various reasons, remained at around 50 to 60 men each, giving an effective strength of approximately 450 men per battalion, and thus a total of about 3,600 militiamen.

All militiamen were supplied with muskets by the City Armoury, and checks were carried out to ensure that each man had been properly armed. Military reviews were held on a regular basis, involving formal parades, inspections—presumably including checks of uniforms—and training exercises. The effectiveness of this organisation and training is also suggested by the military results achieved by the militia during the siege.

SIEGE OF TURIN 1706 - THE TURIN'S MILITIA: PART 1 THE UNIFORMS

 In preparation for compiling an order of battle of the troops assigned to the defence of the City of Turin, I have begun carrying out some particularly interesting research into the city’s urban militia. These units constituted an important support for the regular troops, since they performed mainly guard duties—thereby allowing the regular soldiers to rest—as well as a range of other service tasks.

As usual, when dealing with Piedmont, the Duchy of Savoy, and its army, the surviving sources are remarkably precise and detailed. The same is true of Turin’s urban militia: by bringing together the extensive documentation I have gathered from several different sources, it has been possible to arrive at a fairly precise reconstruction of both their uniforms and their flags.

There is an illustration in the 1765 Genta manuscript depicting the Turin Militia of 1706 in a red coat decorated with yellow. Guido Amoretti (thethe foremost scholar of the events aboutthe Siege of Turin)cautions, however, that this image cannot be applied literally to the uniform worn in 1706 (figure on the right).

Let's see it in details

In fact, Amoretti’s assertion is based on doubts concerning the cut and style of the uniform—which is obviously more modern than one dating from 1706. This view is partly understandable, and I hope Amoretti’s admirers will forgive me for saying so. Genta probably reproduced the correct colours used in 1706, but applied them to a later style of uniform, much as medieval artists depicted Roman or Greek soldiers wearing the armour and clothing of their own time.

Although it is evident that the figure depicted by Genta is an ordinary militiaman rather than an officer, this does not exclude the possibility that the artist used the appearance and equipment of a common soldier to represent the colours worn by the officers of the Urban Militia. The annotation accompanying the figure confirms that the colour scheme shown—namely a red coat with yellow cuffs and yellow trim—referred to the officers and not necessarily to the ordinary militiamen. It is therefore reasonable to conclude that the officers of Turin’s Urban Militia wore red uniforms with yellow cuffs, even though the figure itself is represented in the guise of an ordinary soldier.

The handwritten text does indeed read: “Uniforme delli Officiali della Militia Urbana ma non ij soldati” (“Uniform of the Officers of the Urban Militia, but not of the soldiers”), with an evident Piedmontese usage in which ij corresponds to the Italian dei. It is therefore explicitly stated that the uniform shown was that of the officers. The annotation, contemporary with the painting, may be understood as a correction: the figure was recognised as that of an ordinary militiaman, but the accompanying note clarified that the colours represented belonged to the officers, evidently on the basis of documentary sources or uniforms that were still in existence at the time.

It is therefore possible, for the very first time, to reconstruct the uniform worn by the officers of Turin’s Urban Militia.

Duchy of Savoy/Piedmont - Officer of Turin's Urban Militia 1706

Contrary to what Amoretti maintained at the time, the troops of Turin’s Urban Militia also had a uniform. Turin and Piedmont were, in fact, a veritable war machine, and the citizens courageously rallied to defend the city walls. As regards their uniform, an interesting annotated document has been identified in Pelet:

This list of troops includes a “Torino Regiment”, although no such regiment existed among the forces of the Duke of Savoy, nor does it appear in the list of units assigned to the defence of the city.

Also the amounts of men (consider just Piedmontese troops) matches 7981 vs 9.500

Returning, then, to the uniforms of the Urban Militia, Pelet’s annotation appears particularly significant. Indeed, this is the only unit for which he explicitly records the uniform, presumably because the uniforms of the other regiments were already well known. It is described as grey with red facings ("habillé de blanc et parements pourp(u)rés").

Turin's Urban Militia 
First version

Turin's Urban Militia 
Second version

It should also be borne in mind that Piedmont had a strong tradition of raising militia units—known as Provincial Regiments—which were regularly supplied with uniforms. But there is more. Referring specifically to the Urban Militia, Pelet himself states that “Son Altesse lève à présent sa milice”—that is, “His Highness is now raising his militia.” In other words, His Highness, Victor Amadeus II, had personally undertaken the formation of “his” militia.

This passage is particularly significant, since it shows that the sovereign himself played an active and diligent role in organising these units, presumably also providing them with uniforms or the town of Turin. It is moreover reasonable to suppose that grey coats could easily have been obtained from the well-stocked municipal stores, or recovered from units stationed in the city, particularly from wounded soldiers. Since the officers wore red uniforms, the same red cloth could have been used to make the militia’s cuffs and facings. Concerning the uniforms of the drummers, firstly I believed to be those with the livery of the Duke of Savoy, since this was expressly described as “his militia.” and because all Regiments wore that livery.

Drummer in Duke of Savoy's Livery

However, I was fortunate enough to recover a book—whose pages are literally beginning to fall apart—which deals in great detail with Turin’s Urban Militia and also contains references to both its drummers and its standards.

First of all, it should be noted that the Urban Militia—formed by citizens of Turin—was unpaid unless its men were required to serve outside the city walls, in which case they became part of the Suburban Militia. Alongside these forces there also existed the paid Milizie Paesane, namely regiments raised to support the regular Ordinanza units. The Urban Militia had been established by Victor Amadeus II by decree of 9 February 1703, well before the Duchy of Savoy had even entered into alliance with the Empire.

On 4 October 1703, the Duke summoned the Syndics of Turin to inform them that the Duchy had declared war on France. This came shortly after the loss of some of his best troops on 29 September 1703 at San Sebastiano Po, where they had fallen victim to a French ambush. On that occasion, the Duke formally set out the need to organise an Urban Militia for Turin.

Don Gabriele d’Este was placed in charge of its organisation. On 11 October 1703 he requested that the “Congregation”—that is, the City of Turin—provide drums and drummers, as well as muskets to be taken from the city arsenal, standards, and “other expenses”, a wording which can reasonably be understood as including the clothing of the militia troops themselves.

On 12 October 1703, the Duke appointed Count Piossasco d’Ajrasca colonel of the boroughs of Beinasco and Grugliasco and of the District of Turin. On 11 October, Don Gabriele d’Este also ordered the city to provide one hundred muskets to Count Provana’s battalion, one standard to Count Morozzo’s battalion, and six drums for the units as a whole, since a formal review was to take place on the following Sunday.

Finally, on 21 October, the Duke of Savoy appointed Don Gabriele d’Este, Marquis of Dronero, commander-in-chief of all the militias of the District of Turin and its dependencies.

Taken together, these documents and orders clearly show that the Urban Militia of Turin was far from being a mere collection of civilians carrying muskets. Rather, it consisted of militarised units with a defined chain of command, standards, drummers, weapons and, evidently, uniforms, even if these were probably simpler than those worn by the regular army.

From the above, it is evident that the organisation, assignment and clothing of the drummers of the Urban Militia were the responsibility of the City of Turin. It should be remembered that Turin’s distinctive colours were—and still are today—blue and yellow; for this reason, the officers wore yellow facings on their militia uniforms.

It is therefore equally reasonable to reconstruct the drummers’ uniform as reflecting the colours of Turin: retaining an economical grey as the basic colour, but adopting yellow facings, as worn by the officers, together with blue decorative elements. Also the drum followed the colours of Turin and the distinctive bull. (see further). From all this, here we are with the correct Turin's Militia Drummer

Turin's Urban Militia Drummer 1703 - 1711

SIEGE OF TURIN 1706 - FRENCH REGIMENT LA FARE - SOUSTELLE

The regiment was raised on 7 May 1702 by Charles-Auguste, Comte de La Fare-Soustelle, who remained its colonel until its disbandment on 7 October 1714.

Its first recorded service during the War of the Spanish Succession came in 1703, when it was employed against the Camisard insurgents in the Cévennes. Two years later, in 1705, the regiment took part in the conquest of Savoy.

In the following year, it was sent to Piedmont and participated in the Siege of Turin from May to September 1706. On 7 September, it also fought in the disastrous Battle of Turin, which ended in a crushing defeat for the Franco-Spanish army.

In 1707, the regiment was stationed in Guyenne. From 1708 to 1711, it served with the Army of Dauphiné, remaining deployed on the south-eastern frontier of France.

In 1712, the regiment was transferred to Flanders. On 24 July, it was present at the Battle of Denain, although it was not directly engaged in the fighting. It subsequently took part in the Siege of Douai during August and September, and was later present at the Siege of Le Quesnoy. In October, it also participated in the Siege of Bouchain.

The regiment continued in service until 7 October 1714, when it was finally disbanded. 

Drapeau d'Ordonnance

Regiment La Fare Soustelle.
(NB: the vest of privates was grey/white and not red like NCO and Officers)

Regiment La Fare Soustelle - Officer

For the first time, I am beginning to depict an NCO of this regiment. All the others will be published in the book I intend to write.

Regiment La Fare Soustelle - NCO

Regiment La Fare - Soustelle. Drummer

Drapeau Colonel

Starting with this regiment, and thanks to the discovery of an old map, I have been able to identify its exact position within the siege lines and determine precisely where it was stationed.

After identifying the unit’s exact position on the original 1706 map, I then plotted it onto my own map (below).

Exact position of the Rgt. La Fare Soustelle during the siege

The unit was positioned near the Ospedale Maggiore, which served as the main reception centre for all Franco-Spanish soldiers wounded during the siege. Its proximity to the hospital, together with the small number of men composing the battalion, suggests that it was assigned to protect the hospital and provide services for its patients, at least during the initial phase of the siege.