Battle of Curtatone & Montanara (29 May 1848) First Italian War of Independence

the battle of curtatone , montanara, during tuscan , neapolitan volunteers bravely defended italian formation. painting pietro senna.

on 25 may 1848 @ verona, thurn s forces reached radetzky s forces , reunited army left city 2 days later. plan outflank piedmontese army south, raise siege of pescheria, , obtain decisive victory. charles albert s army marshalled against him, along both banks of river mincio, pescheria mantua. radetzky decided begin manouevre out of mantua, near curtatone , montanara - weak point in piedmontese lines. @ location, there 5,400 troops, including tuscan , neapolitans, made of volunteers , members of 2nd battalion of 10th abruzzo regiment, had not yet received news of ferdinand s withdrawal war.

the austrian army left verona on morning of 27 may contingent of 45,000 men in 3 columns, commanded eugen wratislaw von mitrowitz (1st corps), konstantin d aspre (it) (2nd corps) , gustav wocher (reserve). army reached mantua next day. alarmed, piedmontese general staff arranged concentration of forces @ goito. on 29 may @ 1pm, austrians crossed mincio in number of columns. 1 of these headed governolo (15 km southeast of mantua on mincio) face parmans , modenese. 2 columns attacked nearby settlements of curtatone , montanara, , fourth column attacked nearby village of san silvestro in order outflank tuscans , neapoltians south.

the 3 columns converging on curtatone, montanara , san silvestro contained 20,000 soldiers in , 52 cannons. curtatone defended 2,500 men under piedmontese colonel campia, montanara 2,300 under luccan colonel giuseppe giovannetti (it). rest of men in reserve positions. attack luanched austrians @ curtatone around 10:30. rebuffed, attack renewed artillery fire, , rebuffed again. @ montanara, there fierce fighting , front line of defenders not broken until around 2pm. after 2pm, attack renewed @ curtatone too; defenders remained firm in centre collapsed @ sides , after 4pm, general cesare de laugier de bellecour (it), commander of tuscan division, ordered retreat, marked end of battle.

the tuscans , neapolitans had suffered 166 dead, 518 wounded, , 1,178 captured. austrians had suffered 95 dead, 516 wounded , 178 deserters. despite being defeated, battle had given piedmontese command time bring in reinforcements south , prepare planned austrian attack on goito, few kilometres away.