Angelo Emo
Angelo Emo | |
---|---|
La Valletta, Hospitaller Malta | |
Buried | San Biagio, Venice (since 1817) |
Allegiance | Republic of Venice |
Service/ | Venetian navy |
Years of service | 1752–1792 |
Rank | Capitano Straordinario delle Navi, Provveditore Generale da Mar |
Battles/wars | Venetian bombardments of the Beylik of Tunis |
Angelo Emo (3 January 1731 – 1 March 1792) was a Venetian noble, administrator, and admiral. He is notable for his reforms of the Venetian navy and his naval campaigns, being regarded as the last great admiral of the Venetian Republic.
The scion of a distinguished family, Emo received an excellent education, and began his naval career as a cadet in 1752. He was quickly recognized for his ability and given his first command of a
In 1775, he proposed naval reforms based on the practices of the
Biography
Early life
Angelo Emo was born in Venice in January 1731; the exact date is usually given as 3 January,
Emo was of mediocre stature, slight build and pale complexion, and stood out for his wide forehead, thick eyebrows, and large eyes.
By law, the traditional Venetian cursus honorum for a young nobleman began with a four-year service in the Venetian navy.[16] Emo entered service in 1751 or 175, becoming a Nobile di Nave (gentleman cadet).[8][17] In 1752, he went on his first sea voyage, escorting the Venetian trade convoy to Smyrna.[5] The voyage proved adventurous: his ship, the large frigate San Vincenzo,[18] went up in flames and sank at the anchorage at Govino Bay in Corfu, on 11 May.[19] Emo proved a quick learner in naval matters, and his first commander remarked on his promise as a naval officer.[5] His rise was rapid, and in January 1755 he was promoted to captain (Governatore di Nave) of a first-rate[a] ship,[18] the 74-gun ship of the line Sant'Ignazio.[17][21]
During the 18th century, the Venetian maritime trade, that had once dominated the Mediterranean, was in decline. The wealthy patricians preferred reliable investments in their estates in the
Ships being constructed at the
In 1758, Emo assumed command of the 74-gun first-rate San Carlo Borromeo, then the newest ship of the line of the Venetian fleet, and lead ship of its class.[33] In this command, Emo tested a new mast configuration—rather than made out of single tree-trunks, they were composed from different pieces of wood—inspired by English models.[21][34] Emo gave a display of the new mast's abilities while carrying the new Provveditore Generale da Mar, Francesco Grimani, to his seat at Corfu: faced with strong northeastern wind, instead of reefing or reducing his sails, Emo ordered full sails set to test and demonstrate the new masts, until Grimani ordered him to reduce sail.[35][36]
Expedition to Portugal
As part of these attempts, in 1758 Emo was charged to lead an expedition to Lisbon, in order to await the arrival and cover the return of six Venetian merchantmen from London and protect them from anticipated Barbary pirate attacks. He was given a squadron of three ships, comprising the San Carlo Borromeo, the second-rate (also designated a 'large frigate') San Vincenzo Ferrer of 58 guns, and the 28-gun frigate Costanza, all of them fairly newly built ships.[17][21][37] Emo's squadron left Corfu on 27 September 1758. Three days later, it reached Malta, where it gathered intelligence on the Barbary pirates, and in vain tried to find a competent pilot who knew the Atlantic waters up to Lisbon.[38]
Emo set sail westward in mid-October. Contrary winds delayed the voyage near
At Cape da Roca, a hard easterly wind forced the towing vessels to abandon the effort. The San Carlo was left to drift rudderless for several days, while the crew tried to
The crew by this time had been reduced by accident, illness and fatigue from 590 to some 130 men.
At Lisbon, where Emo's struggle with the elements and misfortune had been followed with great interest, he was received by King Joseph I with the honours due to an ambassador.[44] Taking charge of the Venetian merchant ships from London, he returned home via Genoa and Naples with little incident, reaching Corfu in mid-July 1759.[44][45] Over the course of the voyage, the San Carlo had no fewer than 250 dead, while the San Vincenzo suffered 90 dead and the Costanza four. 76 more crewmen (from an original total crew of 1236 for the entire squadron) deserted.[45] Emo's conduct during the voyage gave proof of his seamanship and command skills,[46] earning acclaim from the government on his return to Venice in August.[8] Nevertheless, Emo's decision to press on without qualified pilots, while possibly taken under the impression of the urgency of his mission, led to recriminations by some contemporaries and historians.[47][48] Officially, the near-disaster was attributed to bad design on the San Carlo, which underwent refits and modifications as a result, but ended up sinking with all hands during another tempest in 1768.[49][50]
Civilian offices and rise to high command
Following Venetian tradition, a military appointment was followed by a civilian one.
In 1763 Emo finally returned to the navy, being elected to the higher command rank of Patron delle Navi (rear admiral of the sailing fleet) and charged with anti-piracy operations in the Adriatic Sea.[8][53] The election was not smooth, however: in the first election, the post was given to Alvise da Riva instead, and only when the latter resigned after finding conditions at sea too severe, was Emo elected to replace him.[54] The reasons for the initial rebuff, which temporarily threw Emo into despair, are unclear. Da Riva may have enjoyed more political support, which he mobilized to gain the post, as a naval command could be a springboard for higher office. At the same time, Emo's cousin, Giacomo Nani, was Capitano delle Navi, full admiral of the sailing fleet at the same time, and concerns may have existed about concentrating control of the navy in the hands of a single clan.[55] Instead of directly proceeding to join the fleet at Corfu by sea, however, Emo travelled overland through Italy, visiting Florence, Rome, and Naples, where he was received by King Charles VII, before embarking at Otranto.[54][56] During the next sixteen months of his tenure, Emo dedicated himself to escorting merchant vessels against pirate attacks. His main achievement was the recovery of two Venetian vessels and their entire cargo from the Dulcignoti, an achievement celebrated in the osella minted in that year (1765).[56][57] In the same year Emo was promoted to Almirante (vice admiral of the sailing fleet).[53]
In contrast to the sustained anti-piracy efforts in the Adriatic, in the 1760s Venice opted for a different policy against the Barbary states. Accords were concluded with Algiers and Tunis in 1763,
Russo-Turkish War
When the Russian fleet under
Emo's fleet suffered heavy losses when it was caught in a storm near Cape Matapan on 19 December 1771: half his squadron, the 74-gun Corriera and the 28-gun frigate Tolleranza, foundered off Elos, the former with almost all hands. Emo's own flagship, the 74-gun Ercole, only survived by cutting her masts. Emo himself was swept into the sea during the manoeuvre and was rescued with difficulty by his crew.[53][65] Distraught over what he perceived as a personal failure, Emo offered to donate his private fortune to make up for the losses.[66]
Emo's naval command expired in 1772. He entered the
Emo was named to a seven-member commission to examine reforms for the Venetian navy in March 1775.[67] Although the parlous state of the Venetian navy was well known and had been a subject of debate and reform proposals for decades, nothing had been achieved.[68] Emo authored the commission's report, the Scrittura sul sistemare la marina da guerra in cui eravi il cav. Emo e dettata dal cav. Emo stesso.[67] The report recommended reforms on the model of the British Royal Navy, but although the commission numbered some influential senators, again its proposals failed to be taken up.[69]
In 1776–1778, again in the post of Savio alle Acque, Emo was responsible for several maintenance works around the Lagoon, on the Brenta River, the Terraglio road, and the canal of Cava.[8]
Demonstration off Tripoli
Emo again received a naval command on 18 July 1778, being elected Capitano delle Navi, with the heavy frigate
In 1779, as a
During the January 1782 visit of the
In 1782–1784 Emo served as one of the three extraordinary inquisitors on the Venetian Arsenal (Inquisitore Straordinario all'Arsenale).
On 6 March 1784 Emo was elected as Capitano Straordinario delle Navi (commander-in-chief of the sailing fleet) of a naval expedition against the Beylik of Tunis.[8] The warlike new Bey, Hammuda ibn Ali, had become embroiled in a quarrel with the Republic that quickly escalated to warfare. When a Venetian ship laden with goods from Tunis was burned by the authorities in Malta due to it being infected with the plague, the Bey asked for an enormous compensation, and when the Venetian admiral Andrea Querini tried to negotiate, he was assaulted by a riot staged by the Bey.[74] On 21 June, Emo sailed from Venice on a slow voyage to Corfu, where he was joined by more ships. His fleet comprised a few ships of the line, including Emo's flagship, the 64-gun Fama , a few xebecs, two bomb vessels, and a galiot. The fleet sailed for Tunis on 12 August.[78][79]
Emo's squadron anchored at Cape Carthage, five miles from the city of Tunis, on 1 September.[6][79] The Tunisian fleet, geared towards piracy against merchantmen, did not sail to oppose the Venetians, who were able to infiltrate the harbour of La Goulette during the night of the 3rd/4th and retake a Neapolitan merchant ship just captured by the pirates.[79][80] After replenishing water and supplies in Sardinia,[79] Emo sailed for Sousse, which he bombarded on 5–7 and 12 October,[79] before the autumn storms forced him to return to winter in Trapani in Sicily and Malta.[80][81]
Emo returned to the Tunisian shore in April 1785, anchoring at La Goulette. Negotiations with the Bey of Tunis failed, and Emo sailed back to Malta and Sicily.[80][82] The Venetian fleet again bombarded Sousse intermittently (21 July 27 and 31 July – 4 August) due to the bad weather, but with meagre results. Sfax followed (15–17 August), before the fleet retired to Trapani again.[82] After receiving reinforcements from Venice that raised his fleet to five first-rate ships of the line, one light frigate, two xebecs, one galiot, and the two bomb-vessels, Emo returned to La Goulette.[82] It was here that Emo employed floating batteries of his own invention: large floats made of empty barrels, fortified with wet sandbags, and equipped with 40-pound guns and mortars.[80][83] Along with the bomb-vessels, this gave the Venetians the ability to hit the settlements behind the sea walls during the nights of 3, 5, and 10 October.[80][84] As the Bey remained obdurate, Emo dismantled his rafts and returned to Trapani.[84]
As the Bey continued to insist on his previous demands, Emo returned to the Tunisian coast in early 1786,[80] attacking Sfax (on 6, 18, and 22 March 30 April and 4 May).[8][85] The Tunisians had prepared for his arrival, repairing their walls and installing heavy guns, leading to intense artillery duels between the city and the fleet. Emo too had appreciated the effect of his floating batteries, and had built more of them, with still heavier mortars; in nightly operations they were led up to the sea walls, and bombarded the city's interior with such devastating effect that the inhabitants of Sfax pleaded with the Bey to resume negotiations, to little effect.[85][86] The Venetian fleet retired to Malta, where the news that Emo had been elected Procurator of Saint Mark on 28 May reached the fleet, an event that was celebrated for three days and nights.[8][87] With the Bey still refusing to negotiate, Emo attacked Bizerte from 30 July to 10 August, and then, from 26 September to 6 October, Sousse, which now was left almost entirely in ruins.[88][87]
These operations not only caused great damage and casualties in these cities, but also confined the Tunisian pirate fleet to its harbours.[8][6] They also made Emo famous throughout Europe, where the images of his firework-like night bombardments kindled the imagination.[87] Nevertheless, they failed to achieve their principal objective, namely to force the Bey of Tunis to the negotiating table.[87][89] Venice, like the other European naval powers, preferred to reach an agreement with the pirates, including the annual payments, than engage in long, and far more expensive, military campaigns that would be required to thoroughly deal with the pirate threat.[90] Thus Emo's requests of a 10,000-man expeditionary force with which to assault and capture the city of Tunis, were rejected by the Venetian Senate.[91]
Final years and death
In early 1787 the Senate recalled Emo with the bulk of his fleet, leaving only a small squadron under the Patron delle Navi
In late 1790, the Senate named Emo Provveditore Generale da Mar, but did not entrust him with leading the fleet against the Tunisian coast. With the French Revolution under way in Europe, the Senate was loath to become embroiled in a prolonged conflict, and preferred peace. The Senate feared that Emo's aggressive nature would hamper these efforts, and instead placed Condulmer, promoted to Capitano delle Navi, in charge of the naval blockade and peace negotiations.[95] In 1791, the Venetian government decided on a final show of force, reuniting the fleet of Emo with the squadron of Condulmer. The combined fleet demonstrated off the Tunisian coast from late August until returning to Malta in December.[93] Hospitalized after a lung infection, Emo died at La Valetta, Malta on 1 March 1792.[96] The story circulated that he had died from a bilious attack after learning that a peace, mostly disadvantageous to Venice, had been concluded with Tunis without his being consulted.[97]
Celebrated as a great naval hero, his body was embalmed and carried to Venice on board his flagship, the Fama.[8][97] The sculptor Antonio Canova was charged with erecting a monument to Emo. Completed in 1794, it is in the second armoury of the Venetian Arsenal. Canova was honoured by the Republic with a medal for this monument, the last such medal issued by the Republic before its end.[98] His funeral took place at St Mark's on 17 April, and he was buried at the church of Santa Maria dei Servi.[8] A funerary monument was erected over his tomb by Canova's teacher, Giovanni Ferrari, initially at Santa Maria dei Servi, then moved to San Martino, and finally, from 1817, to San Biagio.[99]
Legacy
Following the death of his older brother, Alvise Emo, in 1790, Angelo Emo's death also meant the end of the San Simeon Piccolo branch of the Emo family.[98]
Already at the time of Emo's death, his loss was seen as a heavy blow and symptom of the Republic's decline.
His sudden death also led to rumours that he had been poisoned.[98] Dandolo insisted that this was the case, and identified his deputy Condulmer, ambitious not only to succeed him, but also to conclude a peace treaty with the Barbary states, as the culprit. This has been convincingly disproved by modern historian Alvise Zorzi.[8]
Two
Footnotes
- ^ According to Venetian nomenclature, largely for prestige reasons, as these were the heaviest vessels in the Venetian fleet. By contemporary British practice these ships would be considered third-rates, and second-rates according to French practice.[20]
References
- ^ a b c Ercole 2022, p. 8.
- ^ von Wurzbach 1858, pp. 35–36.
- ^ Moro 2012, p. 21.
- ^ Moro 2012, pp. 21, 22.
- ^ a b c d e f Eickhoff 2008, p. 197.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i von Wurzbach 1858, p. 36.
- ^ Moro 2012, pp. 19–21.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab Preto 1993.
- ^ Moro 2012, pp. 21–22.
- ^ Moro 2012, p. 22.
- ^ Ercole 2022, p. 7.
- ^ a b Sanfelice di Monteforte 2011, p. 111.
- ^ Moro 2012, pp. 24–25.
- ^ Moro 2012, pp. 25–26.
- ^ Moro 2012, p. 25.
- ^ Moro 2012, p. 26.
- ^ a b c d Anderson 1946, p. 50.
- ^ a b Moro 2012, p. 27.
- ^ Ercole 2022, p. 10.
- ^ Candiani 2009, pp. 286–287.
- ^ a b c d Eickhoff 2008, p. 198.
- ^ Eickhoff 2008, pp. 195–196.
- ^ Eickhoff 2008, pp. 197–198.
- ^ Eickhoff 2008, pp. 196–197.
- ^ Nani Mocenigo 1935, pp. 351–352.
- ^ Moro 2012, pp. 37–40.
- ^ Nani Mocenigo 1935, pp. 355–356.
- ^ Moro 2012, pp. 46–48.
- ^ Nani Mocenigo 1935, p. 353.
- ^ Moro 2012, pp. 41–43.
- ^ Ercole 2022, p. 16.
- ^ Moro 2012, pp. 27–28.
- ^ Ercole 2022, p. 14 (esp. note 7).
- ^ Ercole 2022, p. 14 (esp. note 8).
- ^ Ercole 2022, p. 15.
- ^ Moro 2012, pp. 28–29.
- ^ Ercole 2022, pp. 16, 17 (notes 14 & 15).
- ^ Anderson 1946, pp. 50–51.
- ^ a b Anderson 1946, p. 51.
- ^ Anderson 1946, pp. 51–52.
- ^ a b Anderson 1946, p. 52.
- ^ Anderson 1946, pp. 52–53.
- ^ a b c d Anderson 1946, p. 53.
- ^ a b c d Eickhoff 2008, p. 199.
- ^ a b Anderson 1946, p. 54.
- ^ Anderson 1952, pp. 308–309.
- ^ Ercole 2022, p. 17 (note 16).
- ^ Moro 2012, pp. 30–32.
- ^ Ercole 2022, pp. 14 (note 7), 18.
- ^ Moro 2012, p. 34.
- ^ a b Ercole 2022, p. 19.
- ^ Moro 2012, pp. 34–35.
- ^ a b c d e f Anderson 1952, p. 309.
- ^ a b Ercole 2022, p. 29.
- ^ Ercole 2022, p. 29 (note 23).
- ^ a b Moro 2012, p. 36.
- ^ Ercole 2022, p. 30.
- ^ Moro 2012, pp. 50–52, 56.
- ^ Moro 2012, pp. 54–56.
- ^ a b c Eickhoff 2008, p. 200.
- ^ Moro 2012, pp. 56–57.
- ^ a b c Moro 2012, p. 57.
- ^ a b Eickhoff 2008, pp. 200, 240.
- ^ Eickhoff 2008, p. 240.
- ^ Eickhoff 2008, pp. 200–201.
- ^ a b Eickhoff 2008, p. 201.
- ^ a b Zampieri 2011, p. 123.
- ^ Sanfelice di Monteforte 2011, pp. 114–117.
- ^ Sanfelice di Monteforte 2011, pp. 117–118.
- ^ Eickhoff 2008, p. 246.
- ^ Eickhoff 2008, p. 248.
- ^ Moro 2012, p. 76.
- ^ Eickhoff 2008, p. 308.
- ^ a b c d Eickhoff 2008, p. 309.
- ^ Moro 2012, p. 75.
- ^ Moro 2012, pp. 48, 75.
- ^ Moro 2012, pp. 48–49, 75–76.
- ^ Nani Mocenigo 1935, p. 358.
- ^ a b c d e Anderson 1952, p. 310.
- ^ a b c d e f Eickhoff 2008, p. 310.
- ^ Anderson 1952, pp. 310–311.
- ^ a b c Anderson 1952, p. 311.
- ^ Anderson 1952, pp. 311–312.
- ^ a b Anderson 1952, p. 312.
- ^ a b Anderson 1952, pp. 312–313.
- ^ Eickhoff 2008, pp. 310–311.
- ^ a b c d Eickhoff 2008, p. 311.
- ^ Anderson 1952, pp. 313–314.
- ^ a b c Anderson 1952, p. 314.
- ^ Eickhoff 2008, pp. 311–312.
- ^ Nani Mocenigo 1935, p. 359.
- ^ Anderson 1952, p. 315.
- ^ a b Anderson 1952, p. 316.
- ^ Arbel 2013, pp. 202–203.
- ^ Nani Mocenigo 1935, pp. 359–360.
- ^ Eickhoff 2008, p. 312.
- ^ a b c Nani Mocenigo 1935, p. 360.
- ^ a b c von Wurzbach 1858, p. 37.
- ^ von Wurzbach 1858, pp. 37–38.
Bibliography
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- Eickhoff, Ekkehard (2008). Venedig, spätes Feuerwerk. Glanz und Untergang der Republik, 1700–1797 [Venice's Late Firework. Splendor and Downfall of the Republic, 1700–1797] (in German) (3rd ed.). Stuttgart: Klett-Cotta. ISBN 978-3-608-94145-6.
- Ercole, Guido (2022). Angelo Emo e Jacopo Nani. I due ammiragli che cercarono di salvare Venezia [Angelo Emo and Jacopo Nani. The Two Admirals Who Tried to Save Venice] (in Italian). Trento: Gruppo Modellistico Trentino. ISBN 978-88-98631-20-9.
- Nani Mocenigo, Mario (1935). Storia della marina veneziana: da Lepanto alla caduta della Repubblica [History of the Venetian Navy: from Lepanto to the Fall of the Republic] (in Italian). Rome: Tipo lit. Ministero della Marina – Uff. Gabinetto.
- Preto, Paolo (1993). "EMO, Angelo". ISBN 978-8-81200032-6.
- Moro, Federico (2012). Angelo Emo, eroe o traditore? La rivoluzione fallita dell'ultimo dei veneziani [Angelo Emo, Hero or Traitor? The Failed Revolution of the Last of the Venetians] (in Italian). Venice: Studio Lt2. ISBN 978-88-88028-90-3.
- Sanfelice di Monteforte, Ferdinando (2011). "Angelo Emo, l'ultimo ammiraglio della Serenissima" (PDF). Le armi di San Marco: Atti del Convegno di Venezia e Verona, 29–30 settembre 2011. La potenza militare veneziana dalla Serenissima al Risorgimento (in Italian). Società Italiana di Storia Militare. pp. 111–122.
- von Wurzbach, Constantin (1858).) . Biographisches Lexikon des Kaiserthums Oesterreich. Vol. 4. Vienna. pp. 35–38.
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: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link - Zampieri, Francesco (2011). "Angelo Emo e la riforma della marina veneziana" (PDF). Le armi di San Marco: Atti del Convegno di Venezia e Verona, 29–30 settembre 2011. La potenza militare veneziana dalla Serenissima al Risorgimento (in Italian). Società Italiana di Storia Militare. pp. 123–154.
Further reading
- Giornale storico del viaggio in Africa della Veneta Squadra, comandata dall'eccell. kavaliere, e procurator di San Marco, il signor Angelo Emo [Historical Journal of the Voyage to Africa of the Venetian Squadron, Commanded by the Excell. Knight, and Procurator of Saint Mark, the Lord Angelo Emo] (in Italian). Venice: Giambatista Novelli. 1787.