comunedicurtatone

2. The Martyrs of Belfiore (1851–1855)

Historical Context: Austrian Repression

After the defeat in the First War of Independence, the Austrian Empire tightened its grip on the subjugated Italian territories. Mantua, a strategic fortress of the Quadrilatero, became the scene of harsh repression against patriots who continued to fight clandestinely for independence.

The Conspiracy and the Arrests

Between 1851 and 1852, Austrian authorities uncovered a conspiratorial network involving priests, professionals, intellectuals, and citizens of Mantua and its province. Those arrested were tried by Austrian military tribunals on charges of high treason.

The Executions at Belfiore

In a locality then called Belfiore, near Mantua (at the time part of the Curtatone territory, later incorporated into the municipality of Mantua between the late 19th century and the 1940s, as documented in contemporary records), gallows were erected for executions. Between 1851 and 1855, eleven patriots were executed at various sites in the Mantua area.

Among the Martyrs of Belfiore, the following were hanged at Belfiore: Don Enrico Tazzoli, Angelo Scarsellini, Bernardo de Canal, Giovanni Zambelli, and Carlo Poma on 7 December 1852; Tito Speri, Carlo Montanari, and Don Bartolomeo Grazioli on 3 March 1853; and later Pietro Frattini on 19 March 1853 and Pier Fortunato Calvi (on 4 July 1855 at San Giogio).
Not all patriots were hanged: Don Giovanni Grioli was shot on 5 November 1851, while the death sentences of other patriots were commuted to imprisonment.

Belfiore thus became a symbol of Risorgimento martyrdom.

The Eleven Martyrs

The Martyrs of Belfiore were:
  • Don Giovanni Grioli – Priest, the first to be executed
  • Don Enrico Tazzoli – Priest and intellectual, central figure of the conspiracy
  • Angelo Scarsellini – Patriot
  • Bernardo de Canal – Venetian nobleman
  • Carlo Poma – Doctor and patriot
  • Giovanni Zambelli – Patriot
  • Don Bartolomeo Grazioli – Priest
  • Carlo Montanari – Patriot
  • Tito Speri – One of the most famous figures, symbol of Mantuan patriotism
  • Pietro Frattini – Patriot
  • Pietro Fortunato Calvi – Officer and patriot

Historical Significance

The martyrdom at Belfiore played a crucial role in shaping Italian national identity. These men, facing death with dignity and courage, embodied the values of the Risorgimento: personal sacrifice for collective freedom, resistance to foreign tyranny, and faith in the ideals of justice and independence.

Territorial Note

It is important to emphasize that Belfiore, at the time of the executions, was part of the territory of Curtatone. Only later, between the late 19th century and the 1940s, did this area come under the administrative jurisdiction of the Municipality of Mantua. This historical detail further strengthens the connection between the three sites of our route, all originally within Curtatone’s territory.

The Risorgimento History and the Territory of Curtatone

The Risorgimento History and the Territory of Curtatone
The history of the Italian Risorgimento runs deep in the territory of Curtatone, and Levata preserves one of its most delicate and precious threads.
It was in this hamlet that parish priest Luigi Martini lived—a quiet yet pivotal figure during those dramatic years. He offered spiritual comfort to the Martyrs of Belfiore in the final moments of their lives, accompanying them with dignity and courage toward their ultimate sacrifice.
Luigi Martini, author of the renowned Confortatorio di Mantova, was not only a priest: he was a steady and compassionate presence beside men who were about to die for an ideal greater than themselves.

Today, his remains rest in the cemetery of Levata, in a tomb belonging to the Municipality.
A simple place, yet filled with memory, it continues to safeguard the deep bond between Curtatone and the values of the Italian Risorgimento.

Credit
"I Colori della memoria – Curtatone: Ieri e oggi" edited by Gabriella Annaloro, Annalisa Balestreri, Costantino Cipolla, Ezio Gatti (Franco Angeli, 2010)