Annibale Santorre di Rossi de Pomarolo, Count of Santarosa
Encyclopedia
Santorre Annibale De Rossi di Pomerolo, Count of Santa Rosa (November 18, 1783, Savigliano
– May 8, 1825) was an Italian
insurgent and leader in the revival (Risorgimento) of Italy.
, near Cuneo
and then part of the Kingdom of Sardinia
, the son of a general officer in the Sardinian (Piedmontese) army who was killed at the battle of Mondovì
in 1796. The family had been recently ennobled and was not rich. Santarosa entered the service of Napoleon
during the annexation of Piedmont to France
, and was sub-prefect of La Spezia
from 1812 to 1814. He remained, however, loyal in sentiment to the house of Savoy
, and, after the restoration of the king of Sardinia in 1814, he continued in the public service.
During the brief campaign of the Sardinian army on the south-eastern frontier of France in 1815 he served as captain of grenadiers, and was afterwards employed in the ministry of war. The revolutionary and imperial epoch had seen a great development of Italian patriotism, and Santarosa was aggrieved by the great extension given to the Austria
n power in Italy in 1815, which reduced his own country to a position of inferiority. The revolutionary outbreak of 1820, which extended from Spain
to Naples
, seemed to afford the patriots an opportunity to secure the independence of Italy.
When in 1821 the Austrian army was moved south to coerce the Neapolitans, Santarosa entered into a conspiracy to obtain the intervention of the Piedmontese in favor of the Neapolitans by an attack on the Austrian lines of communication. The conspirators endeavoured to obtain the co-operation of the prince of Carignano, afterwards King Charles Albert, who was known to share their patriotic aspirations.
On March 6, 1821 Santarosa and three associates had an interview with the prince, and on March 10 they carried out the military pronunciamiento which proclaimed the Spanish constitution. The movement had no real popular support, and very soon collapsed. During the brief predominance of his party Santarosa showed great decision of character. He was arrested and would have died on the scaffold if sympathisers had not rescued him. He fled to France, and lived for a time in Paris
under the name of Conti. Here be wrote in French and published in 1822 his La Revolution Piemontaise, which attracted the notice of Victor Cousin
, by whom he was aided and concealed.
The French government discovered his hiding-place, and he was imprisoned and expelled from Paris. After a short stay first at Alençon
and then in Bourges
, he passed over to England
, where he found refuge in London
with the poet Ugo Foscolo
, and made a few English friends. He went to Nottingham
, in the hope of being able to support himself by teaching French and Italian. The miseries of exile rather than any hope of advantage led him to accompany his countryman Giacinto Collegno
to Greece
in November 1824. The Italians were ill-treated by the Greeks and were not well looked on by the Philhellene committees, who thought that their presence would offend the powers. Santarosa was killed, apparently because he was too miserable and desperate to care to save his life, when the Egypt
ian troops attacked the island of Sphacteria
, near Navarino
, on May 8, 1825.
Savigliano
Savigliano is a comune of Piedmont, northern Italy, in the Province of Cuneo, c. 50 kilometers south of Turin by rail....
– May 8, 1825) was an Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
insurgent and leader in the revival (Risorgimento) of Italy.
Biography
He was born at SaviglianoSavigliano
Savigliano is a comune of Piedmont, northern Italy, in the Province of Cuneo, c. 50 kilometers south of Turin by rail....
, near Cuneo
Cuneo
Cuneo is a city and comune in Piedmont, Northern Italy, the capital of the province of Cuneo, the third largest of Italy’s provinces by area...
and then part of the Kingdom of Sardinia
Kingdom of Sardinia
The Kingdom of Sardinia consisted of the island of Sardinia first as a part of the Crown of Aragon and subsequently the Spanish Empire , and second as a part of the composite state of the House of Savoy . Its capital was originally Cagliari, in the south of the island, and later Turin, on the...
, the son of a general officer in the Sardinian (Piedmontese) army who was killed at the battle of Mondovì
Battle of Mondovi
The Battle of Mondovì was fought on 21 April 1796 between the French army of Napoleon Bonaparte and the army of the Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont led by Michelangelo Alessandro Colli-Marchi. The French victory meant that they had put the Ligurian Alps behind them, while the plains of Piedmont lay...
in 1796. The family had been recently ennobled and was not rich. Santarosa entered the service of Napoleon
Napoleon I of France
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
during the annexation of Piedmont to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, and was sub-prefect of La Spezia
La Spezia
La Spezia , at the head of the Gulf of La Spezia in the Liguria region of northern Italy, is the capital city of the province of La Spezia. Located between Genoa and Pisa on the Ligurian Sea, it is one of the main Italian military and commercial harbours and hosts one of Italy's biggest military...
from 1812 to 1814. He remained, however, loyal in sentiment to the house of Savoy
House of Savoy
The House of Savoy was formed in the early 11th century in the historical Savoy region. Through gradual expansion, it grew from ruling a small county in that region to eventually rule the Kingdom of Italy from 1861 until the end of World War II, king of Croatia and King of Armenia...
, and, after the restoration of the king of Sardinia in 1814, he continued in the public service.
During the brief campaign of the Sardinian army on the south-eastern frontier of France in 1815 he served as captain of grenadiers, and was afterwards employed in the ministry of war. The revolutionary and imperial epoch had seen a great development of Italian patriotism, and Santarosa was aggrieved by the great extension given to the Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n power in Italy in 1815, which reduced his own country to a position of inferiority. The revolutionary outbreak of 1820, which extended from Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
to Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
, seemed to afford the patriots an opportunity to secure the independence of Italy.
When in 1821 the Austrian army was moved south to coerce the Neapolitans, Santarosa entered into a conspiracy to obtain the intervention of the Piedmontese in favor of the Neapolitans by an attack on the Austrian lines of communication. The conspirators endeavoured to obtain the co-operation of the prince of Carignano, afterwards King Charles Albert, who was known to share their patriotic aspirations.
On March 6, 1821 Santarosa and three associates had an interview with the prince, and on March 10 they carried out the military pronunciamiento which proclaimed the Spanish constitution. The movement had no real popular support, and very soon collapsed. During the brief predominance of his party Santarosa showed great decision of character. He was arrested and would have died on the scaffold if sympathisers had not rescued him. He fled to France, and lived for a time in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
under the name of Conti. Here be wrote in French and published in 1822 his La Revolution Piemontaise, which attracted the notice of Victor Cousin
Victor Cousin
Victor Cousin was a French philosopher. He was a proponent of Scottish Common Sense Realism and had an important influence on French educational policy.-Early life:...
, by whom he was aided and concealed.
The French government discovered his hiding-place, and he was imprisoned and expelled from Paris. After a short stay first at Alençon
Alençon
Alençon is a commune in Normandy, France, capital of the Orne department. It is situated west of Paris. Alençon belongs to the intercommunality of Alençon .-History:...
and then in Bourges
Bourges
Bourges is a city in central France on the Yèvre river. It is the capital of the department of Cher and also was the capital of the former province of Berry.-History:...
, he passed over to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, where he found refuge in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
with the poet Ugo Foscolo
Ugo Foscolo
Ugo Foscolo , born Niccolò Foscolo, was an Italian writer, revolutionary and poet.-Biography:Foscolo was born on the Ionian island of Zakynthos...
, and made a few English friends. He went to Nottingham
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
, in the hope of being able to support himself by teaching French and Italian. The miseries of exile rather than any hope of advantage led him to accompany his countryman Giacinto Collegno
Giacinto Collegno
Giacinto Provana di Collegno was an Italian patriot of the Risorgimento period, a friend of Giuseppe Garibaldi. Trained as a geologist, he became a Piedmontese politician and in July 1848 he was appointed Minister of War in the Casati government....
to Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
in November 1824. The Italians were ill-treated by the Greeks and were not well looked on by the Philhellene committees, who thought that their presence would offend the powers. Santarosa was killed, apparently because he was too miserable and desperate to care to save his life, when the Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
ian troops attacked the island of Sphacteria
Sphacteria
Sphacteria Sphacteria Sphacteria (Sphacteria (Sphacteria is a small island at the entrance to the bay of Pylos in the Peloponnese, Greece. It was the site of three battles:*the 425 BC Battle of Sphacteria in the Peloponnesian war....
, near Navarino
Navarino
Navarino or Navarin may refer to:*Pylos , a Greek town, on the Ionian Sea**Battle of Navarino, 1827 naval battle off Navarino*Navarino, Wisconsin, a town, United States...
, on May 8, 1825.