The first attack on Vicenza failed, as you know, since the Madonna del Monte, which dominates the entire city, had not been reached by our troops.4
I Corps’ Attack5
First to approach Durando’s positions was the advance guard of Brigade Culoz, four companies of IR Latour, and two companies of II/Oguliner Grenzer, under the command of Colonel Hahne. The foremost outposts were a platoon of Oguliner, commanded by Oberlieutenant Jović, accompanied by the pioneer detachments of IR’s Latour and Reisinger, Oberlieutenant Böh, and Lieutenant Darenberg, respectively. These troops soon made contact with the enemy.
The first warning of the assault was fire of the Papal sentinels at Castel Rambaldo, almost three kilometres south of the Madonna del Monte, who were attacked here. These sentinels on the southern portion of the line withdrew in good order on their supports. The blockhouse of Bellavista was manned by a detachment of Vicenza and Paduan Civic Guards, who raised a red warning flag. This position was held until about 05:00, when a salvo of rockets scattered the defenders, who then retreated to a position at Bericocoli, where they had artillery support. The first cannon-fire was heard over Monte Berico at around 06:30.6
The defenders were then given a respite in the form of an order to Culoz, from Marshal Radetzky, not to push any further forward until the other brigades had come up. At the same time, the Marshal took the opportunity to reinforce him with the excellent 10th Feld-Jäger Battalion, 12 Pounder Battery Nr. 1, Rocket Battery Nr. 5, two howitzers, and II/IR Hohenlohe. Culoz used the unwelcome lull to bring up and redeploy his force. At this time, Captain Ravioli, in the city, was given a dispatch to deliver: “It is 9AM; there is a lull. Colonel D’Azeglio writes a note with a pencil to the Commander in Chief, and chooses me to carry it. We take advantage of this quiet lull to reorder the defences: the Foreign battalion moves to the place where it is ordered as a reserve. The 3rd Legion moves to take a place on the right of the hills.”7
About 08:00, upon receiving reports that all of the columns had reached their assigned jump-off positions, the Marshal had mounted his horse, and moved forward to a height opposite Monte Berico, then issuing the order for a general attack on the city. From this point, he could view most of the battlefield. The advance on the city began at about 10:00, both preceded and accompanied by a heavy bombardment.
The emplaced guns at Bericocoli were engaged by 12 Pounder Battery Nr. 1, Oberlieutenant Schneider, the action gradually escalating into a heavy cannonade with all the batteries on both sides, in a semi-circle around the south and east of the city. The fighting around Bericocoli was protracted, partly because the protagonists were separated by a ravine-like valley.
The Storming of the Villa Rotonda by IR Prohaska, June 10th 1848 (Adam Brothers)
East of the Berici Hills, however, the brigades of Clam-Gallas and Wohlgemuth slowly advanced along the banks of the Bacchiglione River, Clam on the west bank, and Wohlgemuth on the east. Count Clam received orders to storm the magnificent Palladian Villa Rotonda, immediately to his front, on the west bank of the river. This landmark was defended by the Major Ceccarini’s Roman University Battalion, and Captain Mosti’s Bersaglieri of the Po. Ceccarini’s 1st, 2nd, and 4th Companies occupied the Rotonda itself.
The attack began at around 15:00. While the Rotonda was bombarded by howitzers and rockets, Colonel Baron Reischach deployed his IR Prohaska into two columns. Six companies, under Captain Trost would advance directly along the road bordering the Bacchiglione, whilst Reischach himself, with four companies, supported by three companies of Gradiscaner Grenzer, assaulted the building. Trost duly attacked and carried the barricaded road, while the Colonel, joined by two bored cavalry officers who had nothing to do, forced his way into the Rotonda, receiving a severe wound in the process. The building was captured, along with some 50 prisoners. While this was happening, across the river, Wohlgemuth who was keeping pace with Clam, crossed the railway embankment, flanking Monte Berico.8
As these events occurred, at Bericocoli, the cannonade had continued. About the same time as the attack on the Villa Rotonda took place, a Papal counterattack took was launched there. Colonel D’Azeglio, concerned at the situation at Monte Berico, on his own intiative, despatched three companies of the Reserve, two of the I/2nd Foreign Regiment and one of II/1st under Captain Stockalper to Bericocoli, to retrieve the situation. Stockalper expressed his view that the move was ill advised, but was sent on his way. Once on the heights, he quickly deployed his men, and led them across the ravine. As they came forward, they were met by canister from Oberlieutenant Schneider’s battery, and rockets. They were then countercharged by Colonel Kopal’s 10th Feld-Jäger Battalion, and thrust back into the ravine.
As Stockalper was chased back up to the heights on the other side by Kopal, I and II/ IR Reisinger and the two IR Latour companies joined the assault. The Austrian infantry rapidly came upon the Papal gun positions. The artillerymen were able to limber and escape with five of the six guns, greatly assisted by the Swiss and 3rd Roman Legion infantry, contesting the ground as they also pulled back. One gun of the Vicenza Artillery was overrun. About this time, II/3rd Legion’s commander, Major Vincenzo Gentiloni was killed. At some time during this fighting, a drummer in IR Reisinger proved his mettle:
At a critical stage of the fight as some skirmishers had advanced too far forward, the drummer of the 12th Company, Wenzl Kutik, (the commander of the company was Captain Karl Gerbert von Horna) was given the order by an officer of a different unit to beat the tattoo. The army did not carry signal horns then; the required signals were given by the drummers and the tattoo was the signal for withdrawal.
“Sir! In the Reisingers, we only know the assault signal!” Kutik replied courageously but respectfully; and beating the assault signal with one hand and drawing the sabre with the other, he headed the advance of the detachment, tired by the struggle of the day, against the enemy. He proved that the strokes of a tambour could also be deadly, as Kutnik struck down two Swiss.9
As the Papal position on the Berici Hills crumbled, Colonel D’Azeglio, who had gone there to see the situation for himself, was wounded in the leg. Durando now committed his last reserve, five companies of Major Weber’s II/1st Foreign Regiment. Two were sent to Monte Berico, and the other three towards the Monte and Lupia Gates, the latter being behind Monte Berico. There was heavy fighting in and around the church of Madonna del Monte, Colonel Kopal having an arm shattered by a musket ball.10 As the fighting here died down, Marshal Radetzky himself appeared, as related by one of his Orderly Officers, Karl Schönfeld:
So, I bore direct witness to this memorable feat of arms. Nothing held the jubilant spirit of the Tenth back, and in the twinkling of an eye, the most key points of the enemy were taken with the bayonet. So quickly was the whole thing over, that at the top of the bell tower, a few Priests – I think seven in number – were caught up in the assault. A short distance away, some jäger were dispatching (men) out of hand. I must confess that we all hoped for an example! ‘Let them run away!’ rang out Radetzky’s command alone, since he was always magnanimous; more so, though, when luck was on his side.11
The Swiss troops, with remnants of the other units now fell back to the long arcaded walk that connects Madonna del Monte with the foot of the hill. This had already been loopholed before the attack on the city on May 24th. Culoz’s troops attacked and cleared the Cloister, finding the existing loopholes as useful as the defenders did, as Clam also attacked it from the other side. Other than stragglers, no Papal troops now remained south of the city. Towards evening, Major-General Culoz deployed a howitzer battery on the heights, and began to shell the inner city.
II Corps’ Attack
While Count Wratislaw’s corps had been fighting south of the city, Baron D’Aspre’s forces approached from the east, coming into contact somewhat later. Colonel Török, with one battalion, three squadrons, and three artillery batteries, all detached from Brigade Friedrich Liechtenstein, preceded Brigade Ferdinand Simbschen, mo
ving towards the city’s Padua Gate. When the orders arrived to do so, the Colonel deployed his artillery, having driven in the enemy vedettes, and commenced firing upon the emplaced enemy guns there. The high crops here, however, greatly restricted direct line of sight, and only the howitzers had any effect. While observing the action here, Colonel Del Grande, commander of the 1st Roman Legion, was killed by a rocket. His command passed to Colonel Galletti. After hours of inconclusive cannonade, at around 19:00, Török personally led 8, 9. and 10/ Kaiser Jäger against the foremost houses of the suburb, under heavy fire from units of 1/I Roman Legion, Major Ercole Morelli. The move came to nothing, as Török, moving through heavy thicket, then encountered a large water-filled ditch, which he could not cross. Darkness put an end to the firing here. Major Morelli was badly wounded in the head, and command passed to Major Agneni.
Further north, the main body of Brigade Liechtenstein advanced through the village of Bertesina about midday. As his vanguard, 8th Feld-Jäger Battalion, Colonel Poschacher, closed on the Scroffa area, the battalion encountered Swiss pickets, driving these into the main defences. The gallant defenders here numbered only some 300 men – two companies of 2nd Foreign Regiment, and some volunteers of the Cadore, with one gun of the Foreign Battery. These nevertheless put up a fierce resistance. As in the south, the height and luxuriance of the crops rendered direct artillery fire ineffective, and only howitzers, and later, four mortars were of any use. These latter weapons were not in place until 16:45, but from that time, under the direction of the Artillery Director, Baron Stwrtnik, threw about one hundred bombs into the city.
Prior to this, Captains Meyer de Chauensee and Weingartner, and the Cadorini had thrown back several assaults from Poschacher’s battalion, and IR Franz Carl, greatly assisted by the deep moat there. An assault by three companies of I/IR Franz Carl, led by the regiment’s commander, Colonel Kavanagh, was likewise repulsed, and Kavanagh killed. Brigade Gyulai’s six pounder battery had been brought forward to support Liechtenstein, but was, of course subject to the same issue of line of sight, and its fire was equally ineffective. Colonel Galletti, who succeeded Colonel Del Grande in commanding the 1st Legion, in his official report, described the action at both the Padua Gate, and the Scroffa Quarter:
The Defence of Vicenza, June 10th 1848 (Cenni)
To the right of the first barricade (of the Padua Quarter), another was erected with casks and barrels by the company’s soldiers, new to this job; this to stop the enemy from easily moving around their flank. This was a good idea; as soon as the Mount couldn’t protect that area with its gun, the enemy tried to push there to get to our rear, but they were subjected to so much musket fire at that weak barricade, that they had to fall back leaving many casualties on the ground. I moved from this to the left barricade, defended by the 3rd and 6th companies, as I realised that the enemy was now trying this side. I arrived just as the two brave companies, commanded by Captains Melagricci and Sansoni, had gone over the barricade and, first firing from the roofs, and then charging with the bayonet had inflicted grevious casualties on an enemy battalion, killing their Colonel and many officers, returning with much booty. I praised and encouraged these soldiers to continue their efforts. In the meanwhile, Captain Calandrelli’s gun inflicted losses on his side too; I asked him for a howitzer to support the first barricade, against which the enemy’s effort persisted, notwithstanding our strong fire, and that of the Swiss gun, supplementing the unutilised one from Vicenza. The soldiers mixed with the Swiss and deployed in skirmish order; the combat was desperate.12
The last Austrian brigade to enter the fray was that of Prince Taxis, approaching from the northeast, through the villages of Ospitaletto and Anconetta, against the Santa Lucia suburb and gate. The defenders here were the Basso Reno Battalion, Major Rossi, and one Swiss company, with three guns, just over 700 men. As the head of Taxis’ column neared the churchyard north of the road, outside the Santa Lucia Gate, the Italian guns opened fire. Prince Taxis deployed 11 and 12/IR Kaiser in skirmish order, and moved the forward, placing 9 and 10/IR Kaiser in the churchyard and nearby houses, as a flank guard.
The brigade battery, Foot Artillery Battery Nr. 4, being unable to subdue the Italian artillery, 12 Pounder Battery Nr. 2, Captain Baron Stein, was brought into action. With this support, 7/IR Kaiser, Captain Hartung, was able to seize a position in some buildings. Against determined resistance, the foothold was maintained, and a detachment of pioneers from IR Haugwitz, linked the captured buildings. Colonel Count Pergen, leading II/IR Haugwitz also entered the action, and had horse shot from under him. Two barricades, manned by the Swiss company, were assaulted, but remained in the hands of the defenders. Prince Taxis himself was shot and mortally wounded during the fighting, temporary command of the brigade falling to Colonel Post, of IR Kaiser.
Post, to secure his right flank form any incursion, ordered four companies of II/ Warasdiner St. George Grenzer, sent forward from Brigade Gyulai, to that position. In the meanwhile, Brigade Taxis extended its presence around the north of the city, coming into conflict with the Papal troops deployed in the area of the S. Bartolomeo Gate. There were now no unengaged Papal troops.
The Capitulation
With Monte Berico in enemy hands, no defence of the city was possible. Durando summoned a well-known officer of the Vicenza Civic Guard, Luigi Parisotto, requesting him to convince the populace of the need to surrender. Parisotto, however, refused to do so, insisting that the general must take the responsibility himself. At this, Durando issued the following proclamation, and sent officers to all points to ensure that hostilities ceased.
Citizens of Vicenza!
The capitulation has become inevitable; honour allows it, humanity demands it. The safety of the city will be granted.
I cannot ask of you anything which would be against the Nation, towards which we have fulfilled our obligations.
Vicenza, June 10th, 1848, at 7:00 PM
General Durando”13
In many places there was great anger at this news, with refusals to comply with the orders. All of this, though, was utterly unrealistic, and gradually, order was restored. Durando obtained generous terms from Marshal Radetzky. The Papal forces were allowed to take all arms and equipment, and retire south of the River Po, on condition that they not take the field against the Imperial Army for a period of three months.
Papal casualties were heavy. Out of 11,275 combatants, Durando’s troops suffered 293 killed and 1,665 wounded and/or captured, the remainder also either being prisoners, or subject to the capitulation. The casualties were:14
Killed
Badly Wounded
Lightly Wounded/Captured
Staff
2
Carabinieri
1
11
16
Engineers
1
2
3
Italian artillery
5
6
8
Swiss Artillery
7
20
14
Cacciatori
26
6
18
6th Fusilier Bttn.
8
15
21
1st Swiss Regt.
73
151
271
2nd Swiss Regt.
75
237
316
1st Roman Legion
8
25
40
3rd Roman Legion
42
56
89
University Bttn.
1
19
17
Basso Reno Bttn.
5
80
20
Faenza Bttn.
15
30
Venetian units
20
37
72
Bersagliere of the Po
14
16
Roman Artillery
1
3
2
Bolognese Artillery
1
2
Vicenza Artillery
4
7
18
Lieutenant Pimodan praised the Swiss troops, but was unfairly scathing about the others:
All the Swiss were superb fellows: their pride was evident, even in death. A number of them still gripped their muskets in their lifeless hands. The Crociati, however, had shown themselves to be cowards: I only saw two of them amongst the dead. Ours were almost all from the 10th Jäger, the Oguliners, and from the Latour Regiment.15
Austrian losses totalled 822. These were:16
I Corps
Brigade Strassoldo
10th Feld-Jäger Battalion
killed
two officers and 21 men
wounded
five officers and 84 men
missing
six men
Brigade Clam
Gradiskaner Grenzer
wounded
nine men
IR Prohaska
killed
11 men
wounded
two officers and 27 men
missing
1 man
Horse Battery Nr. 3
wounded
two men
Brigade Wohlgemuth
Oguliner Grenzer
Radetzky's Marches Page 27