AGEROLA AND THE NEAPOLITAN REPUBLIC OF 1799

This and one of the beautifulr pages of the history of Agerola, page that deserves of being told in its particular and being framed in the events that were carried out in the Reign of Naples in 1798 and in 1799.

In the agerolesi events we pick the sign of the popular awakening and a systematic recovery of the primary values of the man. In order to comprise fully the facts we go to examine the situation that I characterize the life of Agerola in the decade that the French Revolution and the proclamation of the Neapolitan Republic elapsed between.

In the decade 1789/1799 Agerola it was debated in problems of remarkable gravita: illiteracy almost total, lack than inner and external roads for the traffic on wheel, agriculture in breathlessness for withdraws cultivation methods to you, difficulty of smercio of the products, land economy of the defense from the small bourgeoisie, power centralized in the hands of the families of the local sovereign state one, unjust taxes applies to you in vessatorio way, waste of money public, agricultural world badly defended against overbearing pregifts and caprai, usury, farm labour badly paid, unhealthy rooms.

 

Although, pulled, still the industry of the silk, salata of meat the suina, the production of fruit, the silvicola activity and that limekiln. It gasps you of freedom and the ideals of legalities supported and diffuse from the great French revolt pian slowly conquered the agerolese class cultured, which I begin to being more careful to the innovationes, than by now they were in the air and that they would have carried to great political sconvolgimenti. In order to begin we under investigation take the facts that happened in the Reign in 1798, when Ferdinand IV crossed with its army the borders of the Papal territory in order to hunt the French from Rome. The crash ended with the Neapolitan unravelled one, for which the Borbone after little days it had to withdraw then on Gaeta and on Naples.

 

In city it found a disastrous situation in hand to the several factions who political conspiracy and met for the roads. 20 December 1798 the Lazzari manifested in favor of the king, while the inneggiavano Giacobini to the French. By now the city was in disorder and the uncontrollable province. Ferdinando IV, fearing for the own safety, same day 20, I dominate to its vicario of the Reign conte the Francisco Pignatelli and it was embarked on English ships, gia in port, for the Sicily.

He I preoccupy myself also to put in but and gold reservoirs and other beautiful ones of the family. The city, abandoned to if same, churches to the Pignatelli a temporary government of the city and the creation of one city military service for the defense of Naples. The conte, it not only was sordo to every demand, but it quite made to destroy the Neapolitan fleet alIa I found. Meantime the Neapolitan patriots joined in motion to Rome to the French troops towards Capua and Naples.

To Naples the people by now had the situation in fist, for which he deprived of authority the Pignatelli and he organized a temporary Government of the City. But the situation fell ulteriorly when French general Championnet expected 2.500.000 ducati amount agreed upon in the signed armistice to Sparanise. The Lazzaroni was armed in order to support the monarchy and in order to attack the castles of Naples, then they were turned against the Giacobini that had favorite the income of the French in city.

21 January 1799 the patriots, the noble ones, the bourgeois and many men of culture, after to be Elmo enters to you in Castel S., he was proclaimed the Neapolitan Republic. 25 January the French completed the occupation of Naples. Ferdinando IV, from the Sicily, I dominate to Ruffo cardinal its vicario of the Reign to the place of conte the Pignatelli. In the public squares of the common ones of the Reign, to the news of the events, I leave the Tree of the Freedom, like symbol of the new republican order.

The communal authorities of Agerola planted the Tree in the Campora fraction, probably in piazzetta contiguous to the church of S. the Martino Vescovo, then addressed to the Govern to Naples for being exempt to you from the tax maintenance of the troops. They motivated the demand with the fact to have been first to recognize France like avenger of the freedom. The Tree was planted with great solennità alIa presence of mayor don Tommaso Avitabile, which sent to general Championnet the personages whom they had I churn against the supporters of the Republic. Don Tommaso ordered the disarmament of the regalisti threatening them of execution and destruction of their houses. Moreover he assured the people that the king more would not be returned on the throne of Napoli.A the erection of the Tree assisted anche' don Gaetano De Martino, Elect of the people, which I communicate the Temporary Government to have contributed to the local democratization. The De Martino invited people to hunt the hat in passing in front of the Tree, because it was a symbol to adore. An Elect other our of the People, the clergyman don Melchiorre d'Acampora, I attend to the erection of the Tree.

Also it gave for sure the popular democratization and manifested its dissent on the action undertaken from Ruffo cardinal, than with an army of popolani he had invaded the decided Calabria to free Naples and to give back it to Ferdinand IV. The attitude of then the governor of Agerola, dottor Peter de Ruggieri, but we know that don Tommaso, don Gaetano and don Melchiorre was not emprisons you to the return of Ferdinand to Naples, because they enjoyed the indult 30 May 1800.

Everywhere raised the Tree while and it was manifested. But soon humors changed in the comparisons of the French. To contrast them, to February, it was the English fleet that disembarkation on the spiagge of Castellammare, without the protection of the edge batteries, five hundred soldiers.

Since the first crashs were dead men, hurt and destructions of varied kind. To the Castellammare end it fell in the hands of the Borbonici. The French then attacked Gragnano “To that romore the terrazzani of the near countries and the inhabitants of mounts” they ran in aid of the attacked cities. Borbonici and English shortly were puttinges in route, but to Gragnano they burst numerous fires. And beyond all the paste dead men and factories were available the destroyed. He was himself in a situation of enormous confusion for which many gragnanesi they escaped towards mountains of the Lattari. To the disturbing coming from news from Gragnano, the Agerolesi, with a gesture of great altruism and generosity, made pressure on the University so that aid to the Gragnanesi was carried.

In the historical public sitting of ours they talk of the 28 you open them 1799 then mayor don Tommaso Avitabile communicated to the magnificent reggimentari, elect of the people, and to the 34 city taken part others more it arrives to you than to have been demanded more citizens to offer aid to the City of Gragnano, that it was fighting with the seducente Republic. I invite immediately was collected from the present ones, from which only voice was answered to arm people in ajuto with said City of Gragnano. The volunteers were armed and send to you in the places of the combats, but news is not had on their employment and their fate. Sure and that the crashs for the roads, the gragnanesi were so bloody sanguinary to cause dead and wounded hundreds of between the parts. Agerola, while, came garrisoned sanfediste troops made to flow on order of the bishop of Policastro resident to Salerno. June the Neapolitan Republic reached its epilogue. The Sanfedisti of Ruffo cardinal went occupying Naples and to July Ferdinand IV di Borbone returned in the partenopea city. After this return they were taken place sold and hasty escapes from the understood one them.

Which thing changed for the Agerolesi after many events? Agerola, lived sometimes in a context of feudalità and other times “sub dominion regis”, that is outside of the power of the feudatario, but always in tormented position between the resentment of who comes held from part of the important moments decisions and the illusion of being able to manage just the destiny, with the end of the '700 it hoped of living just the provincialism in various way and with encouraging perspectives. After the French and English crashs of Gragnano and pillages in the zone, than what people thought? The French had disappointed, English had aggravated the situation in order to drive away the French, the Borbonici resumed their role. One hoped that, finished sold they borboniche, the king could risollevare the conditions of the people who a lot had suffered for the sour conflict as soon as finished. But vary familiar problems of Ferdinand di Borbone, perhaps, they distracted its attention from the needs and the popular expectations. And the situation I do not improve when the French, return to Naples to work of Napoleone Bonaparte to you, had like new king Giuseppe Bonaparte, brother of the great emperor (ventennio French). The agedness problems of Agerola came inherit to you from XIX the century.