Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
BOURBON DECLINE & NATIONALIST
FERVOUR
Despite the Parthenopean Republic's failure, French forces marched again into Naples in
1806. The royal family once more fled to Sicily, and in 1808 Joachim Murat, Napoleon's
brother-in-law, became king of Naples. Despite his abolishment of feudalism and kick-
starting of local industry, Murat could do no right in the eyes of the royalist masses.
With Murat finally ousted in 1815, Ferdinand returned to claim his throne. But the
French Revolution had stirred up too many ideas for a return to the age of absolutism, and
the ruthless Carbonari society forced Ferdinand to grant the city a constitution in 1820. A
year later, however, it was abandoned as Ferdinand called in Austrian troops.
Pressured by rising rebellion across Europe, Ferdinand reintroduced a constitution in
1848, only to dissolve the parliament altogether. He was as blind to the changing times as
his equally obstinate son, who succeeded him in 1859.
More popular was nationalist fighter Gi-
useppe Garibaldi, whose goal was a united Italy.
Buoyed by the victory of Piedmontese rebels
against the Austrian army, he set sail for Sicily
in May 1860 with a volunteer army of 1000 Red
Shirts. Although Ferdinand's 25,000-strong
Neapolitan army was waiting in Sicily, the
Bourbons' repression of liberalism was begin-
ning to cost it goodwill. With an army that had
swelled to 5000 men, Garibaldi defeated the half-hearted Bourbon forces, declaring himself
dictator in the name of King Vittorio Emanuele II.
In a case of too little too late, Ferdinand's son and successor, Francesco II, agreed to a
constitution in June 1860 but Garibaldi had crossed over to the Italian mainland and was
Naples bound. True to tradition, Francesco fled the city, taking refuge with 4000 loyalists
behind the River Volturno, north of Naples. On 7 September Garibaldi marched unopposed
into Naples, welcomed as a hero.
A series of last-ditch attacks on the rebels by Bourbon loyalists were defeated at the
Battle of Volturno and on 21 October the city voted overwhelmingly to join a united Italy
under the Savoy monarchy.
A seasoned royal city, Naples was a serious contender for capital of Italy. But when
Rome was wrested from the French in 1870, the newly formed Italian parliament trans-
ferred from its temporary home in Florence to the Eternal City. From being the grand capit-
Between 1876 and 1913, 11.1 million Italians
left their homeland in search of a better life in
the New World. Of these, at least 4 million are
believed to have been from Naples and the
surrounding area. By 1927, 20% of the Italian
population had emigrated.
