THE TYROLEAN REVOLT, 1809 SEVEROLI (Filippo, 1762 or 1767-1822, General of Division in the Napoleonic Italian Army, Count of Hannover, 1809)

Autograph Letter Signed to the "Commander in Chief of the Troops in Tyrol", Louis BARAGUEY d'HILLIERS (1764-1813, Colonel-General of Dragoons, 1804, Count of the Empire, 1808, Governor of Tyrol, 1809), at Bozen (Bolzano), in French with translation, saying that "the demolition of the 'chiusa' [barrier] at Mühlbach is going ahead extremely slowly, in spite of the great number of peasants employed there, to speed up the work they are asking for 40 pounds of powder" which "it is impossible to find" locally, and asking "Your Excellency to send it to me if your Excellency deems it appropriate", 1 side 4to., address on conjugate leaf, Brixen [Bressinone], 14th December

Severoli, an ardent Jacobin, embraced service with Napoleon in the Italian campaign of 1797 and thereafter. In 1809 his Italian division was in Austria and Hungary, under Baraguey d'Hilliers. Here they are under orders to pacify Tyrol, which Napoleon had given to Bavaria, its northern neighbour, in 1805 after Austerlitz. In April 1809 Austria, seeing France pressed in the Peninsula, renewed the war by invading Bavaria, and the Tyrolese, led by Andreas Hofer famously rose in revolt, supported by Franz I. However, Franz I's support fell away when, following Wagram, he was forced to make peace with Napoleon. At the time of this letter the French had recently (23rd November) occupied Hofer's valley, and Hofer, who in the summer had taken and retaken Innsbruck three times, was in a mountain hut. A price was on his head, and early in 1810 he was betrayed and shot.
Severoli was the first Italian to have French generals serving under him, and the only Italian whose name is on the Arc de Triomphe.
Baraguey d'Hilliers had many postings, and no one under the Revolution and Empire was so often cashiered, arrested, imprisoned, tried and acquitted. He was in the Italian campaign of 1797 that led to the fall of Venice, of which he was made governor. From 1806 to 1809 he was again based in northern Italy, joining with the Army of Germany to defeat Franz I.
Brixen lies high, south of the Alps, on the great route linking Germany and Italy over the Brenner. A few miles north east, at Mühlbach, (Rio di Pusteria), the Mühlbacher Klause (Chiusa di Rio Pusteria) guards the entrance to another great route, which branches to the head of the Adriatic. Barrier and defensive castle span the narrow valley, marking the boundary between Tyrol and the ancient county of Görz (Gorizia). Travellers were funnelled through the gate house into the courtyard where they paid toll.. The original was built by Meinhard II of Tyrol (c. 1238-1296, IV of Görz). The present remarkable structure (its shell restored in 1978) was built in 1460 by Sigismund, Duke of Austria, (1427-1496, 'the Spendthrift') when regent of Tyrol, 1446-1490.

Item Date:  1809

Stock No:  55537      £500

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