Reporting of Federici Studies Center
Il 18 September marks the anniversary of the battle fought in 1860 between Loreto and Castelfidardo, which saw the papal army and the Sardinian army pitted against each other, now Italian. We remember the pontifical heroes who sacrificed themselves for the papal cause with moving quotes taken from Mons' four-volume work. Alberto Canestrari: “The soul of Pius IX as it revealed itself and was understood by the Saints” (Marino, Santa Lucia typography, 1966). Mons. Canestri drew the information from the book of the Marquis Anatole de Ségur: “The Martyrs of Castelfidardo” (Paris 1861).
THE DEAD IN THE FIELD.
In Castelfidardo and Loreto, a requiem mass is celebrated for the fallen of both sides. The dead on the two fronts are temporarily buried at the site of the clash.
Pontiffs. Dead 7 officials, 81 soldiers, for a total of 88 fallen collected in the field. “The bodies of those brave men (to the pope) he died (Cialdini) confused together in a large pit..." (O’Clery 1893: 2165-218).
The list of the Fallen: according to the Count de Colleville when the Italians entered Rome, took possession of the Quirinale, they analyzed the pontifical archives. In these circumstances, some documents were lost in transshipments. Furthermore, everything that was favorable to the Papal States was destroyed. Among these lost and destroyed papers there should be the list of the Fallen of Castelfidardo, the list of the wounded and that of the rewards proposed by La Moricière. (Tale of Colleville, A crime of the Second Empire,1910. pp.176-177).
“So here are the only names we can mention exactly: George DE PIMODAN general (France), Mizael DE PAS, George D’HELIAND (Anjou), Alfred DE LA BARRE DE NANTEUIL (Paris), Leopold DE LIPPE (Belgium), ALFEGE DU BEAUDRIEZ corporal (Paris), Gaston DU PLEISSIS DE GRENEDAN (Brittany), FLORENT THIERRY DU FOUGERAY, GEORGE MIIONNET, FELIX OF MONTRAVEL (Dauphiné), RAOUL DU MANOIR, NOEL BERNARD – Joseph BLANC sergeant (Lyon), EDME DE MONTAIGNAC (Berry), LANFRANC DE BECCARY sergent (Lorraine), ALPHONSE MENARD (Bordeaux), ROGATIEN PICON (Brittany), PAUL DE PARCEVAUX Second Lieutenant (Brittany), LANASCOL HYACINTH (Brittany), ARTHUR DE CHALUS (Brittany), LOUIS JOSEPH GUERIN (Brittany), GUELTON captain (Belgium), GUILLAUME-EDOUARD CARVELT (Belgium), EDGAR DE GUER (Paris), ALFRED DE LIMMENGH (Belgium), PAUL SANCET (Vendée). There are many others unfortunately! but if the complete list does not exist in the Vatican, if she is no longer found at the Italian War Ministry, it is written in the sky, be sure of it, in gold letters. The name of Castelfidardo shines in fiery characters and these admirable heroes stand very close to Christ, the purest, the noblest and holiest that can be found in the Christian martyrology (Count of Colleville, op.cit. pp.176-177)».
Gaston count of Plessis of Grenedan (Brittany). On the evening of the disaster, a group of Gastone's companions were taken prisoner, was crossing the battlefield and one of them pointed to a corpse with a punctured temple. "There's poor de Plessis there," he exclaimed.. (dead south field). La Guèronnière's devious book “The Pope and the Congress” was as generous as others, aroused the indignation of the thirty-two-year-old Count Gastone who had taken over the government of the family upon his father's death. He goes to Paris to conclude a marriage, he meets Breton friends like him and decides to crusade under the command of Cathelineau. Avoid the emotion of saying goodbye to your mother. (Baskets pp.145,146)
George D’Heliand (Anjou). The morning of the battle, first wounded in the leg he drags himself forward until a ball hits him square in the head. (dead south field). Giorgio. only son of the noble widow of Hénliand descended from a family of crusaders, at eighteen he left with his cousin Zaccaria. His mother had only agreed to it because he had moved to defend the Pope, not for legitimist reasons or human glories: she had hugged him, holding back her emotion and had already written «We had our children from God, we must give them back to God!”. Upon hearing the dire news, the mother exclaims «Blessed be the holy Name of the Lord! It consoles me to remember that I educated my son well! “ (Baskets pp.143,144).
Florent -Thierry du Fougeray di Bauge. At midday of the fight he was already lying over a pit pierced by three balls, one by one arm, two to other parts of the body" (dead south field). «He forcefully broke away from my embrace when he left to run to Rome while I wanted to hold him back», said the Archbishop of Rennes in the funeral eulogy of the thirty-year-old noble Florent-Thierry. (Canestrari p. 146)
Alfege du Beaudiez (Paris) Corporal. He fell from a gunshot, he shook hands with a companion while whispering: “You will tell my parents that I die a good Christian, and that I offer my life to God for the triumph of truth on earth". (dead south field). One of his brothers was able to return to his homeland and console his family. At the age of twenty he left and almost jokingly said: «I am happy to give an arm and a leg to the Holy Father! » And another time, alluding to his passion for drawing: «If the Lord leaves my right hand I will be happy! ». «And if God asked you for a greater sacrifice?» «I would offer it to him wholeheartedly ». Before leaving as a soldier he had always had such a horror of blood that he had never given in to hunting and shooting a rifle! ( Canestrari p.145).
Leopold de Lippe (Belgium). Hit by a ball in the head towards the end of that day in which sacrifice was victory, another friend now recognized him without speaking, agonizing. (dead south field). “Do you think that if I die to defend the Church I will be a Martyr?” Leopoldo asked his spiritual father who was about to leave at the age of twenty-three, for Rome. To the affirmative answer, a flash of joy never forgotten by the priest, shone in his gaze. "I have only one ambition to die on the battlefield", he then wrote to his mother. On the day of the action he said to his friend du Bourg: «I wish to die today. Accept my will; if you stay you will write to my mother". ( Canestrari p.144).
Felice-Gabriele Fleury de Tardy of Montravel (Dauphiné). While on his knees he was reloading his rifle, he was hit on the left eye by a ball that went through his head. (dead south field). One of the first to climb the hill occupied by the enemy was the noble Felice-Gabriele. Descendant of crusaders and heir to the virtues of his father the Viscount, it had been ignited in the fervor that de Cathelineau had spread to organize a select body of knights of St. Peter, as we have seen, with crusader insignia. He was born in 1831. (Canestrari pp.146,147)
George Miyonnet (Angers), seminarian / Papal Zouave. After the seven or eight champions of the most epic resistance of the day in the farmhouse were forced to surrender to save the wounded gathered there from the flames, the enraged enemies, against all laws they began to fire some gunshots face to face. One of the victims was Giorgio di soli 17 very young among fighters. (dead south field) He had felt the vocation to the priesthood and was about to follow it when thinking that at that moment the Church among young people needed soldiers in an army more than in the seminary, he had come to Rome and waited until later, if it pleased God, his consecration to the struggles for the conquest of souls. (Canestrari p.146).
“He was educated at the College of Saint Paul of Maulevrier. The Italian events change Giorgio's intention to become a priest. Matura instead of leaving for Rome and placing himself in the Franco-Belgian Battalion and if he is one of the last to arrive there, this happens because he had to wait for his father's assent who granted it to him after having tested his son on that resolution.
“Angers 29 October 1860. My dearest Abbate (Superior of the College of Maulevrier ). I am sure that you would like to know what Giorgio has achieved since you educated me, to give an account of it to the young people among whom he lived. You hit the nail on the head when you wrote to me two years ago: your Giorgio is from the heart; he will become a man. He proved this on the battlefield of Castelfidardo and at the cost of himself. But part of his glory is due to you, dear Abbate, because you educated him. George was faithful to the promise made on Ascension Day, in which, after communicating, he read a letter that came to me from Paris, where it was said: If your child, showed up two months ago, he persists in wanting to leave for Rome, be here in two days. The communion he took in the morning had made him adamant in his resolution. I'll leave, he told me I never pretend to command others, but to make myself a good Roman soldier and to know how to die, if needed, for a holy cause. His physical strength went hand in hand with the energy of his soul and his eighteen-year-old legs did not weaken under the weight of the backpack, of weapons and all his baggage.
In the bayonet impetus he behaved like a master and in the house of Castelfidardo he fought like the others as valiant. What has become of him since that time? We don't know anything. He still lives in struggle with the sufferings that form the disgrace of the Piedmontese? If so, let God pray, my dear Abbot, from his ancient fellow disciples so that he wants to give it back to us.
And perhaps in heaven to enjoy the reward of his sacrifice? … If so , dear Abbate, enter into my fortune by uniting your tears with that of his mother, of his sisters, and his little brother. Augusto Miyonnet”
And George actually dies on the day of the battle and this is what his companions said:
“He was locked up with them in the house on the farm and fought with them like a good soldier until the end.. When to save the wounded already in danger of being burned alive by the fire, those young heroes were forced to capitulate, Giorgio Miyonnet was still standing in the first row. Meanwhile they capitulated, the fire stopped, the doors of the house opened and the Piedmontese broke in. But at that moment many of those wretches were certainly intoxicated by the dust, furious at the long resistance of the pontificals, I point out that we are there, no longer faced with enemies but with prisoners of war, they fired a dozen gun shots at point blank range which fortunately did not cause many victims. But a ball more wicked than the others hurt the young Miyonnet, for he was seen falling by his companions, and when shortly thereafter they were able to recognize each other they did not find him among the wounded. There is therefore no doubt that this noble young man died murdered at the door of that house, immortal theater of glory for papal zouaves and that his death, more even than that of his companions, as a consequence of a hateful violation of the law of nations and the laws of military honor. His body remained buried under the smoking ruins of the house, or he was thrown into the mass grave, where the Piedmontese piled up the bodies of their victims? we don't know, and it doesn't matter. What comes back to know, and which by faith is known for certain, yes, his soul flew to heaven crowned with bliss or glory, in the consortium of all those martyrs, who from the origin of the world knew how to die for a holy cause like him, for the cause of justice and truth".
Georges Guelton (Belgium) Zouave captain 2 comp. Bullet to the head and one to the arm. (dead south field)
Alfred de La Barre di Nanteuil (Paris) Towards the end of the fight 18, he was found lying on the ground, arms open, torn by four bullets and two bayonet blows.( dead south field). After receiving Easter communion, twenty-year-old Alfredo reveals to his parents his intention to leave to defend the Pope. He was devoted to San Lorenzo, he aspired and foresaw martyrdom; he wrote to his uncle: «If we fall on the battlefield, our corpses will be the pedestal of the restoration of law». (Canestrari p.144) .
Guillaume-Edouard Carvelt (Belgium). Edgar de Guer (Paris). Alfred de Limmengh (Belgium). Paul Sancet (Vendée), buried in the Verano cemetery, in Rome
Official Louis Enry de La Valles. Nato a Chanier (Department of Charente Inferieure Diocese de la Rochette) il 14 December 1832, enlisted in the papal army and died at the battle of Castelfidardo II 18 September 1860. (dead south field)
Raoul de Manoir. A bullet to the forehead had put him to sleep in the sleep of death and sent him to the Glory of the Martyrs. (dead south field). The twenty-year-old Raoul who before leaving, to a friend who asked him if he was aware of the danger he was exposing himself to, he replied with real foreboding: « I realized it well since I hear a voice inside telling me loudly: “You will never return”. (Canestrari pp.146,147)
