WAR OF SPANISH SUCCESSION: ARMY OF THE DUCHY OF MANTUA - MILIZIA TROOPS

The Duchy of Mantua-Montferrat also raised local militia units in the Montferrat region, whose members were particularly hostile towards the Piedmontese. These formations were primarily employed for patrol duties and garrison service, engaging in a form of low-intensity warfare. They nevertheless became involved in several incidents of friction with the local population of the Duchy of Savoy, earning a particularly poor reputation among its inhabitants.

A total of 580 men were enlisted and distributed among several garrisons to maintain control of the territory, specifically as follows:

Their deployment was as follows:

- 60 men at Castel'Alfero;

- 60 at Bruzolo, 60 at Vercelli (after its occupation in 1704); 

- 200 at Avigliana (together with detachments from the Montferrat regiments); 

- 100 at Crescentino–Verrua (after Verrua was captured in 1705); 

- 100 at Trino Vercellese.

Their uniform essentially consisted of civilian clothing made of dark woollen cloth, without cuffs or turnbacks, and a hat of the late seventeenth-century style, with its brims not yet turned up into the fully developed tricorne. Instead of the standard haversack issued to the regular Montferrat regiments, they carried a simple cloth sack. Their footwear likewise consisted of sturdy boots of civilian origin, reflecting the fact that these men were primarily urban levies drawn from merchants and the lower artisan and labouring classes, with only limited means to equip themselves at their own expense. To distinguish themselves, they wore a red-and-white cockade, the traditional colours of Montferrat.

WAR OF SPANISH SUCCESSION: ARMY OF THE DUCHY OF MANTUA - REGIMENT (MARCHESE DI) NATTA

 This regiment represented the third regiment raised by the Duchy of Mantua and Monferrato. It took its name from Marquis Giacomo Natta d'Alfiano. Like several other noble families of Monferrato, the Natta family attained noble status through wealth, their earliest ancestors having been prominent bankers in the region.

The ordonnance flag follows the traditional pattern of French regimental colours, while incorporating the colours of Monferrato both in the border and in the central field. These colours also echo those of the coat of arms of the Marquises Natta d'Alfiano, thereby emphasizing both the regiment's territorial identity and its connection with its proprietor.

Ordonnance

The fleurs-de-lis placed in the four corners of the flag are intended as a mark of reverence towards Louis XIV of France. It should be remembered that Marquis Giacomo Natta d'Alfiano originally served as Captain of the Duke's Personal Guards (not to be confused with the Guardes du Duc de Mantoue Regiment) of the Gonzaga-Nevers Duke.

The coat of arms depicted on the flag is an accurate reproduction of the original, which has been faithfully preserved to the present day (see the picture below).

Moreover, it was Louis XIV himself who entrusted the Marquis with the task of raising the Royal-Montferrat Regiment in 1688, the unit that was subsequently reorganised as the Guardes du Duc de Mantoue Regiment. To support this undertaking, the King of France granted the Marquis a special pension of 1,200 doubles per annum.

When the Guardes du Duc de Mantoue Regiment passed under the command of the Duke Gonzaga of Luzzara in 1702, the Marquis raised this new regiment. Like the other regiments of Monferrato, it was disbanded in 1707 following the fall of the Duchy of Mantua.

Like the other Monferrato regiments, it consisted of a single battalion, comprising twelve companies of fusiliers and one company of grenadiers.

The regiment remained under the command of Marquis Giacomo Natta d'Alfiano throughout its existence. His survival beyond 1707 is beyond doubt, as demonstrated by the title page of a book that he himself authored in his later years and published in 1713 (see below).

Colonnella

The uniform followed the standard pattern adopted by the other Mantuan regiments, but was distinguished by its red facings. The wealth and noble status of its proprietor—and consequently his attention to detail and willingness to bear additional expense—may well have enabled this regiment to be equipped with red breeches as well.

The regiment was principally engaged, together with the Beltrambi Regiment, during La Feuillade's campaign in southern Piedmont in 1705. During the summer of 1706, it was deployed in the Luserna Valley, where it was tasked with pursuing Victor Amadeus II, Duke of Savoy, and containing his incursions.

It was subsequently transferred to the garrison of Pinerolo, where it remained until the regiment was disbanded in 1707.

This regiment did not participate in the Battle of Turin, possibly because it was deliberately kept out of action in order to preserve it, in view of its proprietor's close relationship with the King of France.

WAR OF SPANISH SUCCESSION: ARMY OF THE DUCHY OF MANTUA - REGIMENT BELTRAMBI

The second regiment of the Duchy of Mantua that took part in the Siege of Turin and, in a more secondary role, in the Battle of Turin itself (as it was not deployed in the front line but rather assigned to the defence of the lines of contravallation) was the Beltrambi Regiment.

According to the limited uniformological evidence collected so far, this regiment also wore yellow facings, like the more prestigious Regiment des Gardes du Duc de Mantoue, together with a grey coat made of a less expensive cloth than that used by the Guards. The regiment also wore grey breeches, thereby distinguishing itself from the Guards.

The proprietor-colonel belonged to the Beltrambi family, Counts of Castelrocchero, an Astigian-Monferrine noble house from a territory then subject to the Duchy of Mantua.

The partial information concerning their coat of arms was discovered in the heraldic compilation Armoriale delle Famiglie Italiane, although the entry is incomplete. Nevertheless, by applying the established principles of heraldic blazonry, it has been possible to reconstruct the arms. The reconstruction presented here is believed to be the first example ever published on the Internet.

This coat of arms has been incorporated into a flag, with the colours of Monferrato, the cross typical of the French regiments, and the coat of arms of the Beltrambi family. It must be considered that this family - like many others in the Province of Asti -  originated from a lineage of merchants who were later ennobled, as frequently occurred among the Asti nobility (the Roero family being a notable example). Consequently, owning a proprietary regiment represented a source of immense prestige within the Monferrato.

Although this territory was formally subject to the House of Gonzaga, it regarded itself as a genuinely autonomous entity with a strong sense of its own identity and traditions. For this reason, the regimental colour adopts the traditional colours of Monferrato.

Furthermore, the decorative elements featured on the ordonnance flag of the Gardes du Duc de Mantoue Regiment have been deliberately omitted, as it is unlikely that what may be described as a second-line regiment could have afforded flags of such elaborate workmanship. The central shield incorporates several decorative and heraldic motifs characteristic of the Monferrato region during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

The Colonel's like the reverse side of the Guardes but on both sides

Drapeau Colonel 

Regiment Beltrambi

The regiment took part in the Southern Piedmont campaign of 1705–1706. During the summer of 1706, it was employed to counter the incursions of the Duke of Savoy in the Luserna Valley, after which it was transferred to garrison duty, first at Avigliana and subsequently at Pinerolo, where the 1st Company was stationed.

The 2nd Company was detached to garrison the Fort of Bard, where it surrendered to the Imperial forces on 22 September 1706.

The regiment nevertheless took part in the Siege and Battle of Turin, albeit with these two companies absent—the 1st and 2nd Companies—and therefore fielded ten companies of fusiliers and one company of grenadiers. During the battle, it was deployed in the defence of the French lines of contravallation.

WAR OF SPANISH SUCCESSION: ARMY OF THE DUCHY OF MANTUA - REGIMENT GUARDES DU DUC DE MANTOUE (Guardie del Duca di Mantova)

 One of the most obscure aspects of the War of the Spanish Succession is the strength and, above all, the uniforms of the army of the Duchy of Mantua and Monferrato. The Gonzaga-Nevers state consisted of two geographically separated territories: the Duchy of Mantua around the city of Mantua itself and the Duchy of Monferrato, centred on Casale, in what is today southern Piedmont.

The Duchy sided with France, a decision that ultimately proved disastrous. Following the collapse of French power in Northern Italy after the Battle of Turin in 1706, Emperor Joseph I accused Duke Charles IV Gonzaga-Nevers of felony and formally deprived him of his duchy in 1707.

In the western portion of the Gonzaga dominions, the principal city was Casale Monferrato, whose famous citadel — one of the strongest fortresses in Europe and a masterpiece of military engineering— had been demolished in 1695 on the orders of Louis XIV.

The purpose of this post is therefore to examine the armed forces of the Duchy, a task made extremely difficult by the almost complete lack of surviving information on the subject. Nevertheless, I have managed to reconstruct the regiments—each consisting of a single battalion—as well as the militia that formed the Duchy's principal military force.

Moreover, these units took an active part in the war and, of particular interest to me, two of them were present at the Battle of Turin: the Duke's Guards Regiment (Regiment of the Duke of Mantua's Guards) and the Beltrambi Regiment.

By siding with the Kingdoms of France and Spain, the Duchy came under strong French influence from a military standpoint, a fact that was also reflected in its uniforms. The organization, structure, and appearance of the Mantuan troops increasingly followed French military models, making them more akin to contemporary French units than to those of the Imperial Army.

The Duchy's military establishment consisted of three regiments: the Guards du Duque de Mantou (Duke of Mantua's Guards Regiment), the Beltrambi Regiment, and the Natta Regiment, supplemented by militia forces that provided the bulk of its local defensive capabilities. the last two were raised by two noble families of the West part of the Duchy, once in Asti.

Beginning with the first regiment, namely (Reggimento Guardie del Duca in Italian, it should be noted that it originated from the French Royal-Montferrat Regiment. The unit was subsequently transferred to the service of the Duke of Mantua and became known as the Guards of the Duke of Mantua, while retaining much of its French military character, organization, and traditions.

The uniform seems to have been predominantly white rather than grey, a characteristic consistent with the regiment's elite status. The facings, and most likely the breeches, were blue. This colour was significant not only as a traditional emblem of the House of Gonzaga, but also as a reminder of the unit's former position as the Royal-Montferrat Regiment in French service.

Regiment: Guardes du Duc de Mantoue/Guardie del Duca di Mantova

When its proprietor-colonel became Prosper de Gonzague, Marquis of Luzzara, the regiment adopted the title: Régiment des Gardes du Duc de Mantoue or Gardes de Monsieur le Duc de Mantoue. Upon the death or replacement of its proprietor-colonel, the regiment adopted the name: Régiment de Jaucourt de La Vaiserie, in accordance with the French military practice whereby regiments were customarily named after their commanding proprietor-colonel, but in all documents it is still reported as Reggimento Guardie del Duca di Mantova (in Italian or French)

The regiment operated primarily in Northern Italy. It is recorded as having served:

• during the Brescian Campaign, Cremona, 
• Battle of Governolo 1702
• Battle of Luzzara 1702;
• Operations along the Mincio River;
• Siege of Chivasso;
• Battle of Cassano in 1705;
• Siege of Turin;
• Battle of Turin in 1706.

Drapeau Colonel

The Colonel's Colour was white, inherited from the former Royal-Montferrat Regiment, and displayed the coat of arms of the Gonzaga-Nevers dynasty, who held the rank and dignity of Peers of France.

On the reverse side of their colours, the regiments of the Duchy of Mantua, even in the late seventeenth century, simply displayed the eagle of the Gonzaga dynasty on a white field. 

However, it appears rather unlikely that an eagle of this kind was actually displayed, as it was clearly a tribute to the Empire. Other sources instead suggest the presence of the Gonzaga coat of arms, which in this reconstruction has been placed upon the white cross of French derivation, following the pattern of a colonel's colour.

Drapeau Colonel Reverse Side

In the following reconstruction, the Ordonnance Colour follows the traditional pattern of French regimental colours, featuring a white cross at the centre, the colours of the House of Gonzaga in the cantons, and the coat of arms of the Gonzaga of Luzzara—the proprietors of the regiment—displayed in the centre.

Drapeau d'Ordonnance

1706 BATTLE OF TURIN - NEW MAP OF THE FRENCH DEPLOYMENT AND ORDER OF BATTLE

BATTLE OF TURIN 6 SEPTEMBER 1706

THE MAP

It had been a long time since I last dealt with the subject of the Battle of Turin of 1706. But, like all great passions, it eventually comes back.

At present, I am acquiring books published between the late nineteenth and the early twentieth centuries. They are second-hand volumes, but little by little they are helping to reconstruct the details of this battle.

While searching the web, I also noticed that one of the main issues frequently raised by enthusiasts is the lack of a detailed order of battle, particularly for the Bourbon army. This need is all the more evident given that my post concerning the Imperial Order of Battle is, by far, the most visited article I have ever published.

                                                BATTLE OF TURIN 6 SEPTEMBER 1706

THE BIG MAP

FRENCH ORDER OF BATTLE

Details of the French Initial Deployment

Arrivals of French reinfocements will be later represented

ASSAULT ON THE CASTLE OF LUCENTO: FRENCH & IMPERIAL ORDER OF BATTLE

 

FRENCH ORDER OF BATTLE

Infantry - 14 Battalions (5.600 men):

Rgt. Piedmont (3 Battalions)

Rgt. Normandie (3 Battalions)

Rgt. Royal Vaisseaux (3 Battalions)

Rgt. Lyonnais (3 Battalions)

Rgt. Berry (1 Battalion)

Rgt. Beauvosis (1 Battalion)

Dragons (on foot) - 30 Squadrons (3.000 men):

Rgt. Hautefort (3 sqd)

Rgt. Dauphin (3 sqd)

Rgt. Du Heron (3 sqd)

Rgt. Bellarbe (3 sqd)

Rgt. Caylus (4 sqd)

Rgt. Languedoc (3 sqd)

Rgt. Firmacon (3 sqd)

Rgt. Bozelli (2 sqd)

Rgt. Rennes (3 sqd)

Rgt. Belle Isle (3 sqd)

Cavalry

1706 BATTLE OF TURIN: THE ASSAULT ON THE CASTLE OF LUCENTO

 

THE BATTLE AROUND THE CASTLE OF LUCENTO

While at noon the Prussians on the right were forcing the enemy entrenchments, on the left a second assault was launched against the French left wing. The purpose of this action was clear: the attack on Lucento was undertaken solely to keep the French left occupied without being able to force the enemy trench, until such time as the German cavalry succeeded in forcing the entrance; then, overwhelming the French with the superiority of mounted troops, and striking them first in the flank and then in the rear, no further thought would be given to the field camp.

The French had received reinforcements: thirty squadrons of dismounted dragoons had arrived from the Po–Dora Riparia sector, together with two infantry battalions. The two battalions belonged to the Royal des Vaisseaux Regiment, probably the 1st battalion , and to the Lyonnais Regiment, 1st battalion. The other three battalions, two of the Royal des Vaisseaux and two of the Lyonnais, remained on the left bank of the Dora Riparia.The Allied attack was repulsed; the fire coming from the entrenchments was too intense for them to be overrun. Marshal Marsin, who had already had his horse killed beneath him, was on the entrenchments encouraging the soldiers when a musket ball struck him in the thigh, mortally wounding him. Marsin was wounded during the second Allied attack on the left wing, after the Duke of Orléans' action with the Rouvaÿ Brigade, during which the Duke received a wound to the hip, but before he himself was struck in the arm during the third enemy assault. See the Duke of Orléans' letter to the King.

(I added the 3rd Battalion of the Lyonnais Regiment in the left bank of the Dora River)

Marsin, wounded in the thigh, was transported to his headquarters at Cascina La Losa, where he remained a prisoner without speaking. The Duke of Savoy sent him a surgeon, who amputated the gangrenous leg. However, the operation did not improve his condition, and the Marshal of France died on the morning of 8 September 1706.

 

At 12:30 p.m. another attempt was made, which also ended in failure. The assaults launched by Baron Rehbinder and Prince Saxe-Gotha against the entrenchments and the Castle of Lucento were intended to gain time and engage enemy troops, a task in which they were actually doing rather well. However, the attacks were not launched simultaneously; the poor condition of the terrain and the different objectives assigned to them—a powerful fortified structure for Prince Saxe-Gotha and a stretch of entrenchments for Rehbinder—meant that the two Allied commanders coordinated their efforts against the French defensive system rather poorly.

The sturdy walls of Lucento Castle, upon which the defense of the Allied left wing was based, together with the auxiliary defenses erected to protect it, represented a deadly obstacle for any enemy cavalry unit that might have ventured near without the support of infantry. They constituted an impregnable defense for the Allied infantry regiments deployed there. Rehbinder and Saxe-Gotha could do little more than send cavalry against them, which was in fact what was done on the French left. The strength, size, and complexity of Lucento and its associated buildings, together with the size of the garrison, made the castle almost impossible to capture. The defense of Lucento became  a harsh battle. Fought throughout the day by two sizeable formations that had practically no interest in what was happening elsewhere on the battlefield, the struggle for the castle was not decided by a direct enemy offensive action, but rather by the gradual abandonment of the position by its own defenders.

During the third assault on the entrenchments, led by Rehbinder, one of his brigade commanders, Field Marshal Lieutenant Georg Friedrich Freiherr von Kriechbaum, was wounded, but the Allies had nevertheless succeeded in scoring a fortunate hit. A musket ball had struck the left forearm of the Duke of Orléans. It was not a serious wound, but it was sufficient to put him out of action.⁹⁸ The French command was effectively disrupted at that moment.

The news that the Allies had broken through on the right and the pain in his arm persuaded the Duke of Orléans to abandon the battlefield. Considering the battle already lost, he ordered Saint-Frémont to withdraw beyond the Dora Riparia and evacuate Lucento, and then moved away to have his wounds treated. Marsin also withdrew at that moment. Seeing that he no longer had any means of recovering the situation, His Royal Highness, after having Marshal Marsin’s wounds dressed, ordered me, before departing, to gather whatever troops I could and conduct a rearguard action. With me remained only Monsieur le Chevalier de Luxembourg, who was of great assistance in carrying out one of the finest rearguard actions ever witnessed.

Prince Eugene then arrived at the Allied lines. Having seen General Visconti’s cuirassiers already engaged with the enemy, he hastily rode to the right toward the Dora and brought the victorious left wing fresh news. He encouraged his men to launch a new assault, with which they finally overran the remaining enemy entrenchments.

As the French withdrew, the Allies succeeded, at the fourth assault, in carrying the entrenchments. It was about one o’clock in the afternoon, an hour and a half after the first attack. Saint-Frémont now had to manage as efficiently as possible the traffic across the two bridges he intended to use in order to move his troops onto the opposite bank.

On the right bank of the Dora Riparia, Saint-Frémont still had 14 infantry battalions and 52 squadrons. He possessed sufficient forces to offer effective resistance; however, he had to act quickly, since there was no guarantee that the entire Allied army would not soon descend upon his troops.

Shortly after one o’clock, confirming his concerns, the battalions of the Bonneval Brigade and infantry from the Turin garrison began arriving in the area. They attacked the French troops deployed around Cascina Scaravella, where they captured Lieutenant General Philippe de Valois de Villette, Marquis de Murcey.

The French commander accelerated the withdrawal and evacuation operations, determined to leave as little material as possible to the Allies.

“While withdrawing from the slopes of Lucento Castle and from the two bridges over the Dora River, I ordered all the guns that were in the Lucento redoubts to be withdrawn; afterwards I had the two bridges destroyed and arranged my forces for battle, moving closer to the troops that Monsieur de Chamarande had drawn up along an embankment i.e. the right bank of the River Dora.²

The 22 squadrons of cavalry that still had their horses encountered little difficulty in crossing the Dora, as the river was low and fordable. The 30 squadrons of dragoons that had been dismounted, however, lost all of their mounts, though they nevertheless succeeded in reaching the right bank.¹⁰³

The infantry suffered more heavily. Of the 14 battalions present, three failed to disengage and were partly destroyed and partly taken prisoner.

The 2nd Battalion of the Piedmont Regiment, instead of retreating toward the Dora, had remained cut off while still defending the works of Lucento Castle, which in the meantime had been set on fire, together with a battalion of the Normandie Regiment, probably the 3rd.

A battalion of the Royal des Vaisseaux Regiment (probably the 1st), which had been positioned on the left bank of the Dora, had been assigned to the defense of the bridges. Barricaded in Cascina Tana and in the nearby redoubts, it too was eventually captured.

These units succumbed for several reasons. The bridges were crowded with retreating troops, equipment, and artillery. Saint-Frémont had decided to save the artillery stationed at Lucento and in the auxiliary field fortifications. In doing so, he prevented his troops from making use of the bridges and deprived the units assigned to defend the bridgehead of the powerful artillery support that until that moment had proved highly effective in repelling enemy attacks.

The confusion, the retreat, and the congestion at the bridges also dealt a severe psychological blow to those units that had courageously defended Lucento until then. Being forced to abandon to the enemy a territory so bitterly contested made them particularly inclined to surrender.

Furthermore, during this rearguard action it was in fact possible for the three French units to save themselves and cross the bridges in turn. When Saint-Frémont realized that there was no longer any possibility for the three battalions to escape enemy pressure, he destroyed the bridges. At that point the isolated units, cut off from the rest of the army, ceased all resistance that had by then become entirely useless. The Allies, too, were now slowing their efforts against the bridgehead. Orders were given to the infantry of the right wing not to attack Lucento. Although it was already under fire, since the enemy had begun to flee, the troops refrained from doing so.

At 1:30 p.m., the French entrenchments between the Stura and the Dora Riparia were completely in Allied hands.