Nazario Sauro
Encyclopedia
Nazario Sauro was an Austrian
-born Italian
irredentist
and sailor.
(today Koper, Slovenia
), he took to sailing from a very young age, and became the captain
of a cargo ship
when he was only 20. Later, in 1910, Sauro became an employee of the shipping company Zuttiati, connecting ports in Istria
and Dalmatia
to San Giorgio di Nogaro
and Cervignano del Friuli
.
After 1866 -when Venice and the Veneto
region were united to Italy- in all Istria
there was full support for the irredentism: Tino Gavardo, Pio Riego Gambini and Nazario Sauro were the most renowned between those who promoted the Istrian unification to the Kingdom of Italy
. Many of them enrolled voluntarily in the Italian Army
during World War I against the Austrian Empire. Some were captured and hanged by the Austrians.
When World War I
erupted, Sauro's Italian irredentism
made him capture an Austrian vessel which he then sailed to Venice
, joining other refugees who had gathered in the city and were pressuring Italy to join the conflict on the Entente
side. When Italy did join the effort in 1915, he was a volunteer in the Italian Navy
, and assigned to a torpedo
unit, accomplishing over 60 missions over a period of 14 months. In June 1916, he was promoted Sub-Lieutenant
on the Giacinto Pullino submarine
, and awarded a Silver Medal
.
On July 30 of that year, Sauro's ship was sent over to carry out a sabotage
in the Hungarian
port of Fiume (now Rijeka
in Croatia), but it crashed into a rock in the Kvarner Gulf
. The crew was intercepted by the Austro-Hungarian destroyer
Satellit, and imprisoned. Sauro was recognized and placed on trial for his previous act of treason, and, after facing a military tribunal
in Pola
(now Pula
in Croatia) was sentenced to death
and hanged.
He is remembered as a hero of Italy. Two ships of the Italian Navy
were named in his honour:
His son Italo Sauro later became an influential Fascist official.
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
-born Italian
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
irredentist
Italia irredenta
Italian irredentism was an Italian Irredentist movement that aimed at the unification of all ethnically Italian peoples....
and sailor.
Life
Born in Capodistria, in what was then the Austrian LittoralAustrian Littoral
The Austrian Littoral was established as a crown land of the Austrian Empire in 1849. In 1861 it was divided into the three crown lands of the Imperial Free City of Trieste and its suburbs, the Margraviate of Istria, and the Princely County of Gorizia and Gradisca, which each had separate...
(today Koper, Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
), he took to sailing from a very young age, and became the captain
Captain (nautical)
A sea captain is a licensed mariner in ultimate command of the vessel. The captain is responsible for its safe and efficient operation, including cargo operations, navigation, crew management and ensuring that the vessel complies with local and international laws, as well as company and flag...
of a cargo ship
Cargo ship
A cargo ship or freighter is any sort of ship or vessel that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year; they handle the bulk of international trade...
when he was only 20. Later, in 1910, Sauro became an employee of the shipping company Zuttiati, connecting ports in Istria
Istria
Istria , formerly Histria , is the largest peninsula in the Adriatic Sea. The peninsula is located at the head of the Adriatic between the Gulf of Trieste and the Bay of Kvarner...
and Dalmatia
Dalmatia
Dalmatia is a historical region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It stretches from the island of Rab in the northwest to the Bay of Kotor in the southeast. The hinterland, the Dalmatian Zagora, ranges from fifty kilometers in width in the north to just a few kilometers in the south....
to San Giorgio di Nogaro
San Giorgio di Nogaro
San Giorgio di Nogaro is a comune in the Province of Udine in the Italian region Friuli-Venezia Giulia, located about 50 km northwest of Trieste and about 25 km south of Udine...
and Cervignano del Friuli
Cervignano del Friuli
Cervignano del Friuli is a comune in the province of Udine, Italy. the most important town of Bassa Friulana. It lies at about 12 km from the Laguna di Grado and at about 18 km from the Adriatic Sea; from the point of view of viability, its position is peculiar since it lies at the...
.
After 1866 -when Venice and 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...
region were united to Italy- in all Istria
Istria
Istria , formerly Histria , is the largest peninsula in the Adriatic Sea. The peninsula is located at the head of the Adriatic between the Gulf of Trieste and the Bay of Kvarner...
there was full support for the irredentism: Tino Gavardo, Pio Riego Gambini and Nazario Sauro were the most renowned between those who promoted the Istrian unification to the Kingdom of Italy
Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946)
The Kingdom of Italy was a state forged in 1861 by the unification of Italy under the influence of the Kingdom of Sardinia, which was its legal predecessor state...
. Many of them enrolled voluntarily in the Italian Army
Italian Army
The Italian Army is the ground defence force of the Italian Armed Forces. It is all-volunteer force of active-duty personnel, numbering 108,355 in 2010. Its best-known combat vehicles are the Dardo infantry fighting vehicle, the Centauro tank destroyer and the Ariete tank, and among its aircraft...
during World War I against the Austrian Empire. Some were captured and hanged by the Austrians.
When World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
erupted, Sauro's Italian irredentism
Irredentism
Irredentism is any position advocating annexation of territories administered by another state on the grounds of common ethnicity or prior historical possession, actual or alleged. Some of these movements are also called pan-nationalist movements. It is a feature of identity politics and cultural...
made him capture an Austrian vessel which he then sailed to Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
, joining other refugees who had gathered in the city and were pressuring Italy to join the conflict on the Entente
Triple Entente
The Triple Entente was the name given to the alliance among Britain, France and Russia after the signing of the Anglo-Russian Entente in 1907....
side. When Italy did join the effort in 1915, he was a volunteer in the Italian Navy
Regia Marina
The Regia Marina dates from the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861 after Italian unification...
, and assigned to a torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
unit, accomplishing over 60 missions over a period of 14 months. In June 1916, he was promoted Sub-Lieutenant
Sub-Lieutenant
Sub-lieutenant is a military rank. It is normally a junior officer rank.In many navies, a sub-lieutenant is a naval commissioned or subordinate officer, ranking below a lieutenant. In the Royal Navy the rank of sub-lieutenant is equivalent to the rank of lieutenant in the British Army and of...
on the Giacinto Pullino submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
, and awarded a Silver Medal
Silver Medal of Military Valor
The Silver Medal of Military Valor is an Italian medal for gallantry.Italian medals for valor were first instituted by Victor Amadeus III of Sardinia on May 21, 1793, with a gold medal, and, below it, a silver medal...
.
On July 30 of that year, Sauro's ship was sent over to carry out a sabotage
Sabotage
Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening another entity through subversion, obstruction, disruption, or destruction. In a workplace setting, sabotage is the conscious withdrawal of efficiency generally directed at causing some change in workplace conditions. One who engages in sabotage is...
in the Hungarian
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...
port of Fiume (now Rijeka
Rijeka
Rijeka is the principal seaport and the third largest city in Croatia . It is located on Kvarner Bay, an inlet of the Adriatic Sea and has a population of 128,735 inhabitants...
in Croatia), but it crashed into a rock in the Kvarner Gulf
Kvarner Gulf
The Kvarner Gulf ); sometimes also Kvarner Bay, in Italian Quarnaro or Carnaro) is a bay in the northern Adriatic Sea, located between the Istrian peninsula and the northern Croatian seacoast....
. The crew was intercepted by the Austro-Hungarian destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
Satellit, and imprisoned. Sauro was recognized and placed on trial for his previous act of treason, and, after facing a military tribunal
Military tribunal
A military tribunal is a kind of military court designed to try members of enemy forces during wartime, operating outside the scope of conventional criminal and civil proceedings. The judges are military officers and fulfill the role of jurors...
in Pola
Pola
Pola may refer to:In places:*Pola, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, in south Poland*Pola, Oriental Mindoro, a municipality in the Philippines*Pola de Allande, a town and a parish in Allande, a municipality within the province of Asturias, in northern Spain...
(now Pula
Pula
Pula is the largest city in Istria County, Croatia, situated at the southern tip of the Istria peninsula, with a population of 62,080 .Like the rest of the region, it is known for its mild climate, smooth sea, and unspoiled nature. The city has a long tradition of winemaking, fishing,...
in Croatia) was sentenced to death
Capital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
and hanged.
He is remembered as a hero of Italy. Two ships of the Italian Navy
Italian Navy
Italian Navy may refer to:* Pre-unitarian navies of the Italian states* Regia Marina, the Royal Navy of the Kingdom of Italy * Italian Navy , the navy of the Italian Republic...
were named in his honour:
- The destroyer Nazario SauroSauro class destroyerThe Sauro Class were a group of destroyers built for the Italian Navy in the late 1920s. They were based in the Red Sea Italian colony of Eritrea and all fought in World War II being sunk during the East African Campaign in 1941....
, built in 1926 and sunk in 1941 - The submarine Nazario SauroSauro class submarineThe Nazario Sauro class are submarines operated by the Italian Navy. All boats were built by Fincantieri in Monfalcone. There are three sub groups built in four batches:* Nazario Sauro class :...
, built in 1980 and recently taken out of service
His son Italo Sauro later became an influential Fascist official.
See also
- Italia irredentaItalia irredentaItalian irredentism was an Italian Irredentist movement that aimed at the unification of all ethnically Italian peoples....
- Istrian ItaliansIstrian ItaliansIstrian Italians are the ethnic group in the northern Adriatic region of Istria, related to the Italian people of Italy. Historically they are descendants from the original Latinized population of Roman Istria, from the Venetian-speaking settlers who came to Istria during the Republic of Venice,...
- Risorgimento
- Italian irredentism in Dalmatia
- Italian irredentism in Istria
- Maria Pasquinelli