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BATTLE OF CURTATONE AND MONTANARA: MONUMENT GUIDE

Curtatone: a territory that has fatto the story

The voltage of the municipality of Curtatone is changed at tempo. The current configuration, approximately 67.47 km2, is the result of various aggregates and territorial cessions in favor of Mantova, the ultimate quality of the project was in 1943.

A very vast area: Origin, the territory of Curtatone superava gli 80 km2, estendendosi da Grazie (Ponte Reverso) almost like the Ponte dei Mulini, inglobando l'intera sponda destra del Lago Superiore e vaste areae oggi mantovane.

Località come Borgo Pradella, Belgioioso, Angeli, Borgochiesanuova, the Cimitero di Borgo Angeli and the area of the Ospedale "Carlo Poma" facevano parte del Comune, which era strettamente legato alla city-fortezza di Mantova.

In the second place, the economy of the era was predominantly agricultural, and the community was rich in the historical center of Buscoldo and Grace, in all the main fractions (Curtatone, Levata, Montanara, Ponteventuno, S. Lorenzo and S. Silvestro) and a number of rural areas.

Ripercorrere i confini e le vicende del passato è fondamentale per comprendere la nostra identità odierna e la distribution delle testimonianze storiche.

May 29, 1848 – Monument Guide

The Battle of Curtatone and Montanara, fought on May 29, 1848 during the First Italian War of Independence, represents a crucial moment in the Risorgimento. The event involved young volunteers, mostly Tuscan university students, and Neapolitan soldiers, who defended the Mantuan territory against attacks by the Austrian troops commanded by Field Marshal Radetzky. Despite being outnumbered and facing superior artillery, the defenders put up a heroic resistance, which remains a symbol of patriotism and sacrifice.

The defensive organization was structured across several strategic points: Corte Spagnola, Palazzo Cavalcabò, San Silvestro, Loghino Sissa, and the Rocca of Montanara. Between 12:00 and 15:00, the Austrian pressure became unbearable, and the volunteers were forced to retreat, suffering heavy losses.

Guide to the Battle Monuments

The monument guide allows visitors to follow the historical path of the main sites of the battle, discovering the defensive positions, the estates involved, and the memorials dedicated to the fallen.

Among the key locations are:

Corte Spagnola, the heart of the resistance, now Montanara’s municipal headquarters, featuring a plaque commemorating the 257 Italian fallen;
Palazzo Cavalcabò and the Parish Church of Montanara, witnesses to the resistance of the Tuscan and Neapolitan volunteers;
Loghino Sissa and Corte Pierina, where aid and medical care were provided to the wounded;
Montanara Ossuary and the Monument to the Fallen, symbols of memory and sacrifice;
Rocca of Montanara and the sorties to Corti Garagna and Angelo Custode, strategic points of defense and military maneuver;
Curtatone Mill, witness to the tragic death of Captain Leopoldo Pilla.

The guide allows citizens to immerse themselves in local history by visiting the sites where young volunteers courageously fought for Italian independence. Each estate, church, and monument tells a story of dedication and sacrifice, offering a unique opportunity to rediscover the value of historical heritage and shared memory.

Following this path means not only remembering the events of 1848 but also understanding the moral legacy left by those who fought for freedom, making the Battle of Curtatone and Montanara a living heritage of the community.

BATTLE OF CURTATONE AND MONTANARA: MONUMENT GUIDE

01 – Defense of Corte Spagnola

Lieutenant Colonel Giuseppe Giovannetti, commander of the Montanara camp, deployed the Neapolitan and Tuscan volunteers at Corte Spagnola. The defensive line extended up to the cemetery, while a contingent protected San Silvestro. Between 12:00 and 15:00, the defenders were overwhelmed by the Austrian troops.

Corte Spagnola, built between the 17th and 18th centuries, was part of a Gonzaga estate used for horse breeding. After belonging to Marquis Zanetti, it passed in the 19th century to Countess Cavalcabò. The estate included service structures such as stables and rustic buildings arranged around a central courtyard, serving as a hub for economic and recreational activities. The name likely comes from its use as lodging for Spanish soldiers during one of the Gonzaga wars. Restored and acquired by the Municipality, since 2004 it has housed Montanara’s municipal offices.

02 – Plaque to Italian Fallen

Inside Corte Spagnola is a marble plaque, created in 1898 for the 50th anniversary of the battle. It lists the names of 257 Italian fallen, arranged in seven columns. The plaque, signed by the Mantuan sculptor Paganini, commemorates the young volunteers who died fighting for Italian independence. Each name inscribes the sacrifice of these “student volunteers” into collective memory, figures of great heroism often forgotten by official history.

03 – Memorial to an Austrian Officer

The memorial honors Anton Schestak, an Austrian officer mortally wounded during the assaults on Corte Spagnola. The Latin inscription commemorates his courage and death on June 29, 1848, at just 29 years old. Curated by his brother Giovanni, it is a rare example of mutual respect between enemies, which still characterized certain phases of 19th-century warfare.

04 – Palazzo Zanetti Cavalcabò

After the collapse of the main defensive positions, the Neapolitan volunteers retreated to Palazzo Cavalcabò, in the center of Montanara, where they resisted Austrian attacks.

The palace, built in the 17th–18th centuries on a pre-existing Gonzaga-era wing, was an elegant building without excess, intended for short noble stays. The portal bears the heraldic emblem of the Zanetti marquises, while side areas show traces of Roman times. The Marchesa Cavalcabò, owner in the mid-18th century, descended from an ancient noble family granted a title by Frederick I in 1158. Here, volunteers mounted heroic resistance until the perimeter walls collapsed.

05 – Parish Church of Montanara

During the battle, an Austrian projectile struck the church’s lateral pilaster, now preserved as a relic. The church, dedicated to Santa Maria Immacolata, has medieval origins but was rebuilt between 1725 and 1739 in Lombard Baroque style, with a walnut portal from 1863 and large canvases attributed to Schivenoglia, Borgani, and Arioli.

The parish priest, Don G. Terenzi, was unjustly arrested, suspected of passing information to the Austrians, but Emperor Franz Joseph contributed to the restoration in memory of the fallen soldiers.

06 – Loghino Sissa

The loghino, equipped with stables, farm buildings and a portico, housed the Tuscan-Neapolitan volunteers. During the battle, the perimeter wall offered temporary protection, but it was unable to contain the enemy's superiority. Here, doctors took an agricultural cart and used it as a stretcher, treating dozens of wounded people who were taken to the improvised hospital at Corte Pierina, a few hundred metres away.

07 – Corte Pierina

Surgeon Dr. Barellat, authorized by Captain Guerri, served as a military doctor. Recognizing his role, the Austrians left both doctors and patients unharmed. Major Beraudo was also hospitalized here and died later in Mantua. The estate, formerly belonging to the Bernardelli family and renamed in memory of a prematurely deceased relative in the following century, still preserves the original 18th-century portal.

08 – Montanara Ossuary

The ossuary was erected where Italian cannons were placed and fallen soldiers buried. Initially a wooden and canvas sarcophagus, it was replaced in 1870 by a crypt with a Verona stone obelisk. The bones of the Tuscan and Neapolitan fallen were transferred to the crypt, making it a true commemorative ossuary. The structure includes a stepped base, a white marble pedestal with decorative bas-reliefs, spheres, and a marble cross, with the inscription:
“To the dead for the independence of Italy in the battle of May 29, 1848.”

09 – La Santa and Loghino Ricevitoria

The Italian post at La Santa served to protect the flank of the Tuscan-Neapolitan forces. However, the maneuver was a tactical error: the Austrians flanked the position and captured numerous volunteers. Loghino Ricevitoria, built between the 18th and 19th centuries, was used as a customs post between the Kingdom of Italy and the Austrian Empire from 1859 to 1866. The La Santa area consists of several rural estates with documented history dating back to the Middle Ages.

10 – Rocca of Montanara and Final Defense

At the Rocca on the Osone River, volunteers made a last stand against Prince Carlo of Schwarzenberg. The Rocca, part of the Serraglio defensive system, was strategic for controlling water flows. Some volunteers managed to escape toward Castellucchio. The Rocca is mentioned on 1691 maps and preserves historical inscriptions, including the pilgrimage of Pope Pius II to the Sanctuary of the Grazie (1459).

11 – Italian Sortie at Corti Garagna and Angelo Custode

General De Laugier sent a unit to surprise the Austrian flank. The Tuscan volunteers, entrenched in the estates, temporarily halted the enemy advance. Corte Garagna, dating to the 18th century, belonged to Countess Caterina Zucchi Barozzi, while Corte Angelo Custode was church property, surrounded by fertile fields.

12 – University Battalion Intervention

The University Battalion, stationed at the Grazie and composed of 280 Tuscan students and professors, intervened along the Osone River and the mill. The scene of the battle was horrific: ammunition carts exploded, ambulances transported the wounded through flames, while gunner Elbano Gasperi, burned, continued to fire naked. The Aldriga and Rocca estates were key points in this action.

13 – Monument to the Battle’s Fallen

The monument, designed by Florentine architect Giuseppe Poggi and inaugurated in 1870, commemorates the student volunteers. The monumental area was later expanded with an ossuary and 27 commemorative plaques, making the site a true memory park, symbolically collecting the fallen from 1848 up to the colonial wars of 1935–36.

14 – Death of Leopoldo Pilla and the Mill

Captain Leopoldo Pilla, a university professor, was fatally wounded near the Curtatone mill, which served the local districts. Transported near the Osone River bridge, his body was never recovered. The mill, of medieval origin, passed through various noble properties and witnessed the area’s economic and military activity.

This monument guide allows visitors to follow the historical path of the Battle of Curtatone and Montanara, exploring key Italian resistance sites—from defensive positions to estates and commemorative monuments—immersing themselves in the history and sacrifice of the volunteers who fought for Italian independence.