Historical Essay on the Neapolitan Revolution of 1799

367 Pages·2014·1.715 MB·English

by  Vincenzo Cuoco, B Haddock, F Sabetti (eds.)

Historical Essay on the
Neapolitan Revolution of 1799
THE LORENZO DA PONTE ITALIAN LIBRARY
General Editors
Luigi Ballerini and Massimo Ciavolella
University of California at Los Angeles
Honorary Chairs
Mr Joseph Del Raso Esq
Ambassador Gianfranco Facco Bonetti
Honorable Anthony J. Scirica
Advisory Board
Remo Bodei, Università di Pisa
Lina Bolzoni, Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa
Francesco Bruni, Università di Venezia
Cesare De Michelis, Università di Padova
Giorgio Ficara, Università di Torino
Giuseppe Mazzotta, Yale University
Gilberto Pizzamiglio, Università di Venezia
Margaret Rosenthal, University of Southern California
John Scott, University of Western Australia
Elissa Weaver, University of Chicago
Vincenzo Cuoco
Historical Essay
on the Neapolitan
Revolution of 1799
Edited and Introduced by
Bruce Haddock and Filippo Sabetti
Translated by David Gibbons
UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO PRESS
Toronto Buffalo London
© University of Toronto Press 2014
Toronto Buffalo London
www.utppublishing.com
Printed in the U.S.A.
ISBN 978-1-4426-4945-3 (cloth)

Printed on acid-free,100% post-consumer recycled paper
with vegetable-based inks.
The Lorenzo Da Ponte Italian Library
__________________________________________________________________
Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication
Cuoco, Vincenzo, 1770–1823
[Saggio storico sulla rivoluzione napoletana del 1799. English]
Historical essay on the Neapolitan Revolution of 1799 / Vincenzo
Cuoco ; edited and introduced by Bruce Haddock and Filippo Sabetti ;
translated by David Gibbons.
(The Lorenzo Da Ponte Italian library)
Translation of: Saggio storico sulla rivoluzione napoletana del 1799.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-4426-4945-3 (bound)
1. Parthenopean Republic. 2. Naples (Kingdom) – History – 1735–1816.
I. Sabetti, Filippo, editor II. Haddock, Bruce, 1948–, editor III. Gibbons,
David, 1969–, translator IV. Title. V. Title: Saggio storico sulla rivoluzione
napoletana del 1799. English VI. Series: Lorenzo Da Ponte Italian library
DG848.38.C8513 2014 945.707 C 2014-904294-9
_____________________________________________________________________
This book has been published under the aegis and with fi nancial assistance of
Fondazione Cassamarca, Treviso; the National Italian-American Foundation;
Ministero degli Affari Esteri, Direzione Generale per la Promozione e la
Cooperazione Culturale; Ministero degli Affari Esteri, Direzione Generale per
i Beni e le Attività Culturali, Direzione Generale per i Beni Librari e gli Istituti
Culturali, Servizio per la Promozione del Libro e della Lettura.
University of Toronto Press acknowledges the fi nancial assistance to its
publishing program of the Canada Council for the Arts and the
Ontario Arts Council, an agency of the Government of Ontario.

University of Toronto Press acknowledges the fi nancial support of the
Government of Canada through the Canada Book Fund for its
publishing activities.
Contents
Acknowledgments ix
Introduction: Vincenzo Cuoco and the Nature of
Revolution and Constitutionalism xi
bruce haddock and filippo sabetti
Principal Events in Vincenzo Cuoco’s Life xxxvii
Translator’s Note: The Words and Structures of Cuoco’s Revolution x xxix
david gibbons
Maps l–li
Historical Essay on the Neapolitan Revolution of 1799 1
Author’s Preface to the Second Edition (1806) 3
Letter by the Author to N.Q. 11
I Introduction 14
II Europe after 1793 17
III Italy until the Peace of Campo Formio 20
IV Naples – The Queen 24
V State of the Kingdom – Humiliation of the Nation 29
VI State Inquisition 31
VII Causes and Effects of Persecution 39
VIII Public Administration 45
IX Finances 55
X Trade 60
XI War 64
vi Contents
XII War (cont.) 69
XIII The King’s Flight 74
XIV Anarchy in Naples and the Arrival of the French 77
XV Why Did Naples Not Become a Republic after
the King’s Flight? 84
XVI State of the Neapolitan Nation 88
XVII Ideas of Patriots 95
XVIII The French Revolution 98
XIX How Many Ideas Did the Nation Have? 104
XX Project of an Interim Government 111
XXI Principles That Were Followed 114
XXII Accusation against Rotondo: The Censure
Commission 118
XXIII Laws – Fideicommissa 122
XXIV Feudal Law 125
XXV Religion 131
XXVI The Troops 135
XXVII The National Guard 138
XXVIII Taxes 141
XXIX Commissioner Faipoult 143
XXX Provinces – Formation of the Departments 145
XXXI The Organization of the Provinces 147
XXXII The Expedition against the Insurgents in Apulia 151
XXXIII Schipani’s Expedition 156
XXXIV The Organization of the Provinces (cont.) 159
XXXV Lack of Communication 162
XXXVI Police 164
XXXVII Procida – Expedition to Cuma – Navy 166
XXXVIII Ideas of Terrorism 168
XXXIX The New Constitutional Government 171
XL Patriotic Salons 173
XLI Constitution – Other Laws 178
Contents vii
XLII Abolition of Head Tax and of Duties on Flour and Fish 181
XLIII The French Are Recalled 185
XLIV Ettore Carafa Recalled from Apulia 189
XLV Cardinal Ruffo 192
XLVI The Minister of War 195
XLVII Defeat at Marigliano 197
XLVIII Surrender 199
XLIX Persecution of the Republicans 203
L Some of the Patriots 216
LI Conclusion 223
Appendix I: Fragments of Letters by Vincenzo Cuoco
Addressed to Vincenzio Russo 226
Appendix II: List of Patriots Who Died on the Scaffold 273
Bibliography 281
Index 292
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Acknowledgments
We wish to thank Professors Luigi Ballerini and Massimo Ciavolella for
including this volume in the series Lorenzo Da Ponte Italian Library.
We thank the two anonymous readers for the thoroughness of their
responses to our project. We have responded to their comments, incor-
porated their suggestions and added, in some instances, our own evolv-
ing reflections stimulated by the two readers. Translation is not an easy
art, and we appreciate the good and patient work to this effect by David
Gibbons and the careful scrutiny of the translation by the readers. The
result is a better book.
Filippo Sabetti wishes to acknowledge the support of the Social Science
and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC 410–2011–0698)
for research over the years in the Neapolitan section of the Biblioteca
Nazionale “Vittorio Emanuele III” di Napoli and in Biblioteca Provin-
ciale di Foggia “La Magna Capitanata.” It is a pleasure to record with
thanks the countless librarians and archivists there who offered guidance
and assistance. Filippo Sabetti likes to remember the warm welcome to
Naples of Professor Giovanni Vitolo who gave generously of his long
experience and practical insight. I owe a special debt to John Marino
who introduced me to the international network of scholars working
on Naples, and to Antonino De Francesco, Giuseppe Galasso, Antonio
Gargano, Jack Goldstone, Alfi o Mastropaolo, Paul Rahe, and Anna Maria
Rao for generously responding to calls for help. In Montreal, I was able
to draw on the research assistance of then McGill students Eric Merkley,
Cristina Ruscio, and Mohamed Sesay.
Bruce Haddock thanks Filippo Sabetti for the initial invitation to be
involved in this project. The collaboration has been a thoroughly posi-
tive experience, deepening understanding and suggesting fruitful lines
of enquiry. Bruce Haddock is, as ever, mindful that without the support
of his wife, Sheila, and wider family, he would hardly be able to engage
in sustained work of this kind.