Achille Cantoni
Achille Cantoni
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Personal details | |
Born | 1835 Forlì, Italy |
Died | Mentana, Italy | 3 November 1867
Achille Cantoni (1835 – 3 November 1867) was an
Personal life
Achille Cantoni was born in Forlì, Italy, in 1835.[4] Although Cantoni was a real volunteer during the Italian Risorgimento, little else is known of his origins. Much of what is known about him comes from Giuseppe Garibaldi's novel, Cantoni il volontario, a work of historical fiction. According to the novel, Cantoni had a lover who fought alongside him as a volunteer named Ida.[4] Cantoni and Ida were 15 and 14 years old, respectively, when they met.[5]
Wars of Italian Unification
Achille Cantoni was only 15 years old when joined as a volunteer with the patriotic forces of Italy, or the
What makes Cantoni significant is his defense and rescue of one of the most important figures of the
Cantoni il volontario
On November 3, 1867, Cantoni followed the Italian volunteers under the command of Giuseppe Garibaldi into the Battle of Mentana against the French. The battle was an ill-fated disaster for the Italians.[7] Along with many other volunteers, Cantoni was killed in action.[1]
Giuseppe Garibaldi so greatly admired Cantoni and his efforts that, following Cantoni's death, he wrote the novel Cantoni il volontario, published in Milan in 1870,[3] in honor of the man who saved his life. Rather than an exact retelling of his life and accomplishments, Garibaldi instead used Cantoni as a character in a fictionalized tale of his heroism. Though the novel is fictional, the figure of Cantoni is set against real occurrences during the Risorgimento.[7] Set in 1848-1849,[9] the book tells of Cantoni's bravery and dedication through many battles and events. Garibaldi highly romanticizes Cantoni as a heroic figure.[2] He also addresses Cantoni's lover, Ida, who fought alongside him as a volunteer herself.[1] Cantoni eventually dies at the end of the novel, nobly defending the honor of his country.[7]
However, the novel's focus is not entirely on Cantoni. Garibaldi used the novel to publicize his opinions and ideas on politics and religion. For instance, he writes about his idea of the ideal Italian volunteer. Volunteers were more than just citizens willing to fight for their country, but rather became heralded icons of the nation. They fought for Italy by their own choice and put their country before anything else as their main priority. The Italian people greatly admired these volunteers, as did Garibaldi.
References
- ^ a b c d e Bugani, Flavia. Achille Cantoni E Gli Altri. Forlì: Cartacanta, 2010.
- ^ a b c Iannuzzi, Giulia. "Cantoni Il Volontario. Garibaldi Romanziere E I Generi Popolari." Cantoni Il Volontario. Garibaldi Romanziere E I Generi Popolari. Accessed March 23, 2015.
- ^ a b c Patriarca, Silvana, and Lucy Riall. The Risorgimento Revisited: Nationalism and Culture in Nineteenth-century Italy. Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan, 2012.
- ^ a b Garibaldi, Giuseppe. Cantoni Il Volontario. Milan, 1870.
- ^ Gundle, Stephen. "The 'Bella Italiana' and the 'English Rose'" In Performing National Identity: Anglo-Italian Cultural Transactions, edited by Manfred Pfister and Ralf Hertel, 145-46. Vol. 14. Internationale Forschungen Zur Allgemeinen Und Vergleichende. Rodopi, 2008.
- ^ Coppa, Frank J. The Origins of the Italian Wars of Independence. London: Longman, 1992.
- ^ a b c d e Riall, Lucy. Garibaldi: Invention of a Hero. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2007.
- ^ Brentari, Ottone. Il Secondo Battaglione Bersaglierei Volontari Di Garibaldi Nella Campagna Del 1866. D.G. Agnelli, 1908.
- ^ Field, Ron, and Peter Dennis. Garibaldi: Leadership, Strategy, Conflict. Oxford: Osprey Pub., 2011.