Giovanni Durando
Encyclopedia
Giovanni Durando was an Italian general and politician.
, in what is now the province of Cuneo
, he entered the Royal Guard corps of the Kingdom of Sardinia
in 1822. In the 1830s, after having been discovered as member of a liberal plot which aimed to extort a constitution from king Charles Felix, he moved first to France
and then to Belgium
, where he enrolled in a foreign corps of Belgian Revolution
. Later he became officer of the constitutionalist army
of Pedro IV of Portugal. In 1835 he became officer of the Hunters of Oporto Regiment. Later, he was Major General of the Papal Army, in command of a Papal division in the Veneto
, where he was not able to fulfil his task of stopping general Nugent
's Austrian forces. In the same year he was appointed as Lieutenant General of the Sardinian/Piedmontese army.
He participated to all the Italian War of Independence (1848–1849, 1859 and 1866) and in the Italian Expedition in the Crimean War
(1855–1856). He was wounded in the Battle of Custoza (1866)
, where he was in command of the I Corps. In 1849 Durando spent a period in Sardinia
where he quenched popular revolts in Sassari
and in Gallura
.
Durando became senator of Sardinia (later, Kingdom of Italy) in 1860. The following year he took part in the suppression of brigandage
in the former Kingdom of the Two Sicilies
. He died at Florence in 1869.
His brother Giacomo
was also a general and senator (and fought with Giovanni in Belgium, Portugal and Spain), while another brother, Giovanni Antonio, was army general.
Biography
Born at MondovìMondovì
Mondovì is a town and comune of Piedmont, northern Italy, located c. 80 km from Turin....
, in what is now the province of Cuneo
Province of Cuneo
ayr is a province in the southwest of the Piedmont region of Italy. To the west it borders on the French region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur ....
, he entered the Royal Guard corps of the Kingdom of Sardinia
Kingdom of Sardinia
The Kingdom of Sardinia consisted of the island of Sardinia first as a part of the Crown of Aragon and subsequently the Spanish Empire , and second as a part of the composite state of the House of Savoy . Its capital was originally Cagliari, in the south of the island, and later Turin, on the...
in 1822. In the 1830s, after having been discovered as member of a liberal plot which aimed to extort a constitution from king Charles Felix, he moved first to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and then to Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, where he enrolled in a foreign corps of Belgian Revolution
Belgian Revolution
The Belgian Revolution was the conflict which led to the secession of the Southern provinces from the United Kingdom of the Netherlands and established an independent Kingdom of Belgium....
. Later he became officer of the constitutionalist army
Portuguese Army
The Portuguese Army is the ground branch of the Portuguese Armed Forces which, in co-operation with other branches of the Portuguese military, is charged with the defence of Portugal...
of Pedro IV of Portugal. In 1835 he became officer of the Hunters of Oporto Regiment. Later, he was Major General of the Papal Army, in command of a Papal division in the Veneto
Veneto
Veneto is one of the 20 regions of Italy. Its population is about 5 million, ranking 5th in Italy.Veneto had been for more than a millennium an independent state, the Republic of Venice, until it was eventually annexed by Italy in 1866 after brief Austrian and French rule...
, where he was not able to fulfil his task of stopping general Nugent
Laval Nugent von Westmeath
Laval Graf Nugent von Westmeath was a soldier of Irish birth who fought in the armies of Austria and the Two Sicilies.-Biography:...
's Austrian forces. In the same year he was appointed as Lieutenant General of the Sardinian/Piedmontese army.
He participated to all the Italian War of Independence (1848–1849, 1859 and 1866) and in the Italian Expedition in the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
(1855–1856). He was wounded in the Battle of Custoza (1866)
Battle of Custoza (1866)
The Battle of Custoza took place on June 24, 1866 during the Third Italian Independence War in the Italian unification process.The Austrian Imperial army with the old Venetian Army, led by Archduke Albert of Habsburg, defeated the Italian army led by Alfonso Ferrero la Marmora and Enrico Cialdini,...
, where he was in command of the I Corps. In 1849 Durando spent a period in Sardinia
Sardinia
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
where he quenched popular revolts in Sassari
Sassari
Sassari is an Italian city. It is the second-largest city of Sardinia in terms of population with about 130,000 inhabitants, or about 300,000 including the greater metropolitan area...
and in Gallura
Gallura
Gallura is a region of northern Sardinia, Italy.The name Gallùra means "area located on high ground".-Geography:...
.
Durando became senator of Sardinia (later, Kingdom of Italy) in 1860. The following year he took part in the suppression of brigandage
Brigandage
Brigandage refers to the life and practice of brigands: highway robbery and plunder, and a brigand is a person who usually lives in a gang and lives by pillage and robbery....
in the former Kingdom of the Two Sicilies
Kingdom of the Two Sicilies
The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, commonly known as the Two Sicilies even before formally coming into being, was the largest and wealthiest of the Italian states before Italian unification...
. He died at Florence in 1869.
His brother Giacomo
Giacomo Durando
Giacomo Durando was an Italian general and statesman. His brother Giovanni was also a general of the Risorgimento and a senator.-Biography:Durando was born at Mondovì, in Piedmont...
was also a general and senator (and fought with Giovanni in Belgium, Portugal and Spain), while another brother, Giovanni Antonio, was army general.
Sources
- http://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/giovanni-durando_%28Dizionario-Biografico%29/"Giovanni Durando" in the Enciclopedia ItalianaEnciclopedia ItalianaThe Enciclopedia Italiana di scienze, lettere ed arti , is an Italian encyclopedia, generally regarded as the most authoritative of that language...
Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani] - Page at Italian Senate website