Pietro Micca
Encyclopedia
Pietro Micca was a Savoyard soldier who became a national hero for his sacrifice in the defence of Turin (1706) against the French troops.
(Piedmont
) near the town of Biella
. His mother was Anna Martinazzo, of Riabella.
In his home village, he worked as a bricklayer
. Micca was enlisted into the Savoy army
as a sapper
, with the rank of a private soldier
.
were placed in strategic places around the network of mines.
On the night of August 29-30 1706, a party of French grenadiers crept into a large trench
, which had been the site of a failed assault on the citadel. The Piemontese had lit bonfires in the trench to burn dead bodies, and this meant that the French grenadiers were not observed. The French grenadiers attacked a small number of Savoyard soldiers at the base of the trench, who were guarding an entrance to the Savoyard mines. The French grenadiers killed them and entered the upper level of the mines.
On hearing the French attack, Micca and a comrade barred a door at the top of the steps leading down to the lower level of the mines. As the French grenadiers attempted to break down the door, Micca sent away his comrade, lit a very short fuse
and placed it in two barrels of gunpowder
behind the door. The gunpowder exploded as the French grenadiers broke down the door, killing and injuring most of them. Micca was severely injured in the explosion
and died due to his injuries and poisonous carbon dioxide
gas, which had been released by the exploding gunpowder.
Had the French grenadiers reached the lower level of the mines, they could have entered the heart of the citadel and the city itself. Micca's sacrifice prevented this, and the French assault was repulsed with heavy losses.
A few days later, the steps where Micca had exploded the bomb were quickly bricked over. Micca's body was buried in a mass grave
.
Micca's heroism has been the subject of poems, plays and romances. But, according to Count Giuseppe Solaro della Margherita, the commander of the Turin garrison at the time, it was through a miscalculation of the pace of the fuse, and not by deliberate intent, that he sacrificed his life.
As well as the Museo Civico Pietro Micca, a central street in Turin
was named after him, and a statue erected in his honour. His home town was renamed from Andorno to Andorno Micca
.
Early Life
Micca was born at AndornoAndorno Micca
Andorno Micca is a comune in the Province of Biella in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 70 km northeast of Turin and about 4 km northwest of Biella...
(Piedmont
Piedmont
Piedmont is one of the 20 regions of Italy. It has an area of 25,402 square kilometres and a population of about 4.4 million. The capital of Piedmont is Turin. The main local language is Piedmontese. Occitan is also spoken by a minority in the Occitan Valleys situated in the Provinces of...
) near the town of Biella
Biella
Biella is a town and comune in the northern Italian region of Piemonte, the capital of the province of the same name, with some 45,800 inhabitants as of 2009. It is located about 80 km northeast of Turin and about 80 km west-northwest of Milan.It lies in the foothills of the Alps,...
. His mother was Anna Martinazzo, of Riabella.
In his home village, he worked as a bricklayer
Bricklayer
A bricklayer or mason is a craftsman who lays bricks to construct brickwork. The term also refers to personnel who use blocks to construct blockwork walls and other forms of masonry. In British and Australian English, a bricklayer is colloquially known as a "brickie".The training of a trade in...
. Micca was enlisted into the Savoy army
Duchy of Savoy
From 1416 to 1847, the House of Savoy ruled the eponymous Duchy of Savoy . The Duchy was a state in the northern part of the Italian Peninsula, with some territories that are now in France. It was a continuation of the County of Savoy...
as a sapper
Sapper
A sapper, pioneer or combat engineer is a combatant soldier who performs a wide variety of combat engineering duties, typically including, but not limited to, bridge-building, laying or clearing minefields, demolitions, field defences, general construction and building, as well as road and airfield...
, with the rank of a private soldier
Private (rank)
A Private is a soldier of the lowest military rank .In modern military parlance, 'Private' is shortened to 'Pte' in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries and to 'Pvt.' in the United States.Notably both Sir Fitzroy MacLean and Enoch Powell are examples of, rare, rapid career...
.
Military action and death
During the siege of Turin, Micca was employed as a tunneller and bricklayer in the military mines, which ran under the citadel. The mines were designed to detect Franco-Spanish attempts to dig under the citadel and to neutralize them by blowing them up. For this purpose, barrels of gunpowderGunpowder
Gunpowder, also known since in the late 19th century as black powder, was the first chemical explosive and the only one known until the mid 1800s. It is a mixture of sulfur, charcoal, and potassium nitrate - with the sulfur and charcoal acting as fuels, while the saltpeter works as an oxidizer...
were placed in strategic places around the network of mines.
On the night of August 29-30 1706, a party of French grenadiers crept into a large trench
Trench warfare
Trench warfare is a form of occupied fighting lines, consisting largely of trenches, in which troops are largely immune to the enemy's small arms fire and are substantially sheltered from artillery...
, which had been the site of a failed assault on the citadel. The Piemontese had lit bonfires in the trench to burn dead bodies, and this meant that the French grenadiers were not observed. The French grenadiers attacked a small number of Savoyard soldiers at the base of the trench, who were guarding an entrance to the Savoyard mines. The French grenadiers killed them and entered the upper level of the mines.
On hearing the French attack, Micca and a comrade barred a door at the top of the steps leading down to the lower level of the mines. As the French grenadiers attempted to break down the door, Micca sent away his comrade, lit a very short fuse
Fuse (explosives)
In an explosive, pyrotechnic device or military munition, a fuse is the part of the device that initiates function. In common usage, the word fuse is used indiscriminately...
and placed it in two barrels of gunpowder
Gunpowder
Gunpowder, also known since in the late 19th century as black powder, was the first chemical explosive and the only one known until the mid 1800s. It is a mixture of sulfur, charcoal, and potassium nitrate - with the sulfur and charcoal acting as fuels, while the saltpeter works as an oxidizer...
behind the door. The gunpowder exploded as the French grenadiers broke down the door, killing and injuring most of them. Micca was severely injured in the explosion
Explosion
An explosion is a rapid increase in volume and release of energy in an extreme manner, usually with the generation of high temperatures and the release of gases. An explosion creates a shock wave. If the shock wave is a supersonic detonation, then the source of the blast is called a "high explosive"...
and died due to his injuries and poisonous carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide is a naturally occurring chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms covalently bonded to a single carbon atom...
gas, which had been released by the exploding gunpowder.
Had the French grenadiers reached the lower level of the mines, they could have entered the heart of the citadel and the city itself. Micca's sacrifice prevented this, and the French assault was repulsed with heavy losses.
A few days later, the steps where Micca had exploded the bomb were quickly bricked over. Micca's body was buried in a mass grave
Mass grave
A mass grave is a grave containing multiple number of human corpses, which may or may not be identified prior to burial. There is no strict definition of the minimum number of bodies required to constitute a mass grave, although the United Nations defines a mass grave as a burial site which...
.
Memorial and archaeology
In 1958, Captain (later General) Guido Amoretti discovered the bricked-up 'Pietro Micca steps' and these form the centre-piece of the network of military mines, which can be visited at the Museo Civico Pietro Micca (the Civic Museum of Pietro Micca and the siege of Turin). The remnants of the attackers' grenades, knives and other personal equipment were discovered, and are displayed at the museum.Micca's heroism has been the subject of poems, plays and romances. But, according to Count Giuseppe Solaro della Margherita, the commander of the Turin garrison at the time, it was through a miscalculation of the pace of the fuse, and not by deliberate intent, that he sacrificed his life.
As well as the Museo Civico Pietro Micca, a central street in Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
was named after him, and a statue erected in his honour. His home town was renamed from Andorno to Andorno Micca
Andorno Micca
Andorno Micca is a comune in the Province of Biella in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 70 km northeast of Turin and about 4 km northwest of Biella...
.