Treaty of Tolentino
Encyclopedia
The Treaty of Tolentino was signed after nine months of negotiations between France
and the Papal States
on February 19, 1797. It was part of the events following the invasion of Italy
in the early stages of the French Revolutionary Wars
. Thwarted attempts to free Austrians at the Battle of Mantua, and Arcola Bridge in the Battle of Rivoli, Napoleon had no more enemies in northern Italy and was able to devote himself to the Papal States, led to the signing of the cessation of hostilities by 9,000 French soldiers took to the Romagna region in February 1797.The signatories were the French Directory
's ambassador to the Holy see, François Cacault, and General Bonaparte, and four representatives of Pius VI
's Curia. Fifteen million lire
were added to the indemnity of 21 millions exacted at the precedent armistice signed at Bologna
. In addition, the papal city of Avignon
and its territory, the Comtat Venaissin
, which had been occupied by French forces at an early stage of the Revolution, were formally ceded to France. The confiscation of artistic treasures from the Vatican
was formalized; over a hundred paintings and other works of art were to go to the Louvre
in Paris
. The French commissioners reserved the right to enter any building, public, religious or private, to make their assessment of what was to be included. This part of the treaty was extended to apply to all of Italy in 1798. In Paris there is the statue of Giunio Bruto in bronze. The main Bruto's works are now located in vatican gardens in Rome.
Some questioned tere arghe legitimacy of such plunder. Among the fiercest supporters there was Quatremère de Quincy
who in 1796 wrote a pamphlet, Letters in Miranda, in which he claimed the strong relationship between the work of art to the place in which it was intended. Quatremues that eradicating the context in which the work was created is irreparably impair its legibility.
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 the Papal States
Papal States
The Papal State, State of the Church, or Pontifical States were among the major historical states of Italy from roughly the 6th century until the Italian peninsula was unified in 1861 by the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia .The Papal States comprised territories under...
on February 19, 1797. It was part of the events following the invasion of Italy
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...
in the early stages of the French Revolutionary Wars
French Revolutionary Wars
The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of major conflicts, from 1792 until 1802, fought between the French Revolutionary government and several European states...
. Thwarted attempts to free Austrians at the Battle of Mantua, and Arcola Bridge in the Battle of Rivoli, Napoleon had no more enemies in northern Italy and was able to devote himself to the Papal States, led to the signing of the cessation of hostilities by 9,000 French soldiers took to the Romagna region in February 1797.The signatories were the French Directory
French Directory
The Directory was a body of five Directors that held executive power in France following the Convention and preceding the Consulate...
's ambassador to the Holy see, François Cacault, and General Bonaparte, and four representatives of Pius VI
Pope Pius VI
Pope Pius VI , born Count Giovanni Angelo Braschi, was Pope from 1775 to 1799.-Early years:Braschi was born in Cesena...
's Curia. Fifteen million lire
Lire
Lire is a French literary magazine covering both French and foreign literature. It was founded in 1975 by Jean-Louis Servan-Schreiber and Bernard Pivot.-External links:*...
were added to the indemnity of 21 millions exacted at the precedent armistice signed at Bologna
Bologna
Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,...
. In addition, the papal city of Avignon
Avignon
Avignon is a French commune in southeastern France in the départment of the Vaucluse bordered by the left bank of the Rhône river. Of the 94,787 inhabitants of the city on 1 January 2010, 12 000 live in the ancient town centre surrounded by its medieval ramparts.Often referred to as the...
and its territory, the Comtat Venaissin
Comtat Venaissin
The Comtat Venaissin, often called the Comtat for short , is the former name of the region around the city of Avignon in what is now the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of France. It comprised roughly the area between the Rhône, the Durance and Mont Ventoux, with a small exclave located to the...
, which had been occupied by French forces at an early stage of the Revolution, were formally ceded to France. The confiscation of artistic treasures from the Vatican
Vatican City
Vatican City , or Vatican City State, in Italian officially Stato della Città del Vaticano , which translates literally as State of the City of the Vatican, is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome, Italy. It has an area of...
was formalized; over a hundred paintings and other works of art were to go to the Louvre
Louvre
The Musée du Louvre – in English, the Louvre Museum or simply the Louvre – is one of the world's largest museums, the most visited art museum in the world and a historic monument. A central landmark of Paris, it is located on the Right Bank of the Seine in the 1st arrondissement...
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...
. The French commissioners reserved the right to enter any building, public, religious or private, to make their assessment of what was to be included. This part of the treaty was extended to apply to all of Italy in 1798. In Paris there is the statue of Giunio Bruto in bronze. The main Bruto's works are now located in vatican gardens in Rome.
Clauses
The war indemnity passed 21 to 36 million lire, the Pope also had to surrender the city of Avignon, with its territory, and the Comtat Venaissin, formerly occupied by French forces. With the treaty, the Pope had to give works of art, including over one hundred paintings and statues were brought to Paris. The French reserve the right to enter all buildings (public, private or religious) to steal the works, this part of the treaty was extended with the treaties of 1798 in the Italian territory. Other conditions imposed on compensation for the family of the journalist Hugh de Basseville, killed by the crowd for having disgraced the Roman Pope, and consent to the stationing of French troops in Ancona until the end of the war. [2]Some questioned tere arghe legitimacy of such plunder. Among the fiercest supporters there was Quatremère de Quincy
Quatremère de Quincy
Antoine-Chrysostome Quatremère de Quincy was a French armchair archaeologist and architectural theorist, a Freemason, and an effective arts administrator and influential writer on art....
who in 1796 wrote a pamphlet, Letters in Miranda, in which he claimed the strong relationship between the work of art to the place in which it was intended. Quatremues that eradicating the context in which the work was created is irreparably impair its legibility.