The Strategypage is a comprehensive summary of military news and affairs.
October 15, 2024

CIC 481

Past Issues
CIC 480
CIC 479
CIC 478
CIC 477
CIC 476
CIC 475
CIC 474
CIC 473
CIC 472
CIC 471
CIC 470
CIC 469
CIC 468
CIC 467
CIC 466
CIC 465
CIC 464
CIC 463
CIC 462
CIC 461
CIC 460
CIC 459
CIC 458
CIC 457
CIC 456
CIC 455
CIC 454
CIC 453
CIC 452
CIC 451
CIC 450
CIC 449
CIC 448
CIC 447
CIC 446
CIC 445
CIC 444
CIC 443
CIC 442
CIC 441
CIC 440
CIC 439
CIC 438
CIC 437
CIC 436
CIC 435
CIC 434
CIC 433
CIC 432
CIC 431
CIC 430
CIC 429
CIC 428
CIC 427
CIC 426
CIC 425
CIC 424
CIC 423
CIC 422
CIC 421
CIC 420
CIC 419
CIC 418
CIC 417
CIC 416
CIC 415
CIC 414
CIC 413
CIC 412
CIC 411
CIC 410
CIC 409
CIC 408
CIC 407
CIC 406
CIC 405
CIC 404
CIC 403
CIC 402
CIC 401
CIC 400
CIC 399
CIC 398
CIC 397
CIC 396
CIC 395
CIC 394
CIC 393
CIC 392
CIC 391
CIC 390
CIC 389
CIC 388
CIC 387
CIC 386
CIC 385
CIC 384
CIC 383
CIC 382
CIC 381
CIC 380
CIC 379
CIC 378
CIC 377
CIC 375
CIC 374
CIC 373
CIC 372
CIC 371
CIC 370
CIC 369
CIC 368
CIC 367
CIC 366
CIC 365
CIC 364
CIC 363
CIC 362
CIC 361
CIC 360
CIC 359
CIC 358
CIC 357
CIC 356
CIC 355
CIC 354
CIC 353
CIC 352
CIC 351
CIC 350
CIC 349
CIC 348
CIC 347
CIC 346
CIC 345
CIC 344
CIC 343
CIC 342
CIC 341
CIC 340
CIC 339
CIC 338
CIC 337
CIC 336
CIC 335
CIC 334
CIC 333
CIC 332
CIC 331
CIC 330
CIC 329
CIC 328
CIC 327
CIC 326
CIC 325
CIC 324
CIC 323
CIC 322
CIC 321
CIC 320
CIC 319
CIC 318
CIC 317
CIC 316
CIC 315
CIC 314
CIC 313
CIC 312
CIC 311
CIC 310
CIC 309
CIC 308
CIC 307
CIC 306
CIC 305
CIC 304
CIC 303
CIC 302
CIC 301
CIC 300
CIC 299
CIC 298
CIC 297
CIC 296
CIC 295
CIC 294
CIC 293
CIC 292
CIC 291
CIC 290
CIC 289
CIC 288
CIC 287
CIC 286
CIC 285
CIC 284
CIC 283
CIC 282
CIC 281
CIC 280
CIC 279
CIC 278
CIC 277
CIC 276
CIC 275
CIC 274
CIC 273
CIC 272
CIC 271
CIC 270
CIC 269
CIC 268
CIC 267
CIC 266
CIC 265
CIC 264
CIC 263
CIC 262
CIC 261
CIC 260
CIC 259
CIC 258
CIC 257
CIC 256
CIC 255
CIC 254
CIC 253
CIC 252
CIC 251
CIC 250
CIC 249
CIC 248
CIC 247
CIC 246
CIC 245
CIC 244
CIC 243
CIC 242
CIC 241
CIC 240
CIC 239
CIC 238
CIC 237
CIC 236
CIC 235
CIC 234
CIC 233
CIC 232
CIC 231
CIC 230
CIC 229
CIC 228
CIC 227
CIC 226
CIC 225
CIC 224
CIC 223
CIC 222
CIC 221
CIC 220
CIC 219
CIC 218
CIC 217
CIC 216
CIC 215
CIC 214
CIC 213
CIC 212
CIC 211
CIC 210
CIC 209
CIC 208
CIC 207
CIC 206
CIC 205
CIC 204
CIC 203
CIC 202
CIC 201
CIC 200
CIC 199
CIC 198
CIC 197
CIC 196
CIC 195
CIC 194
CIC 193
CIC 192
CIC 191
CIC 190
CIC 189
CIC 188
CIC 187
CIC 186
CIC 185
CIC 184
CIC 183
CIC 182
CIC 181
CIC 180
CIC 179
CIC 178
CIC 177
CIC 176
CIC 175
CIC 174
CIC 173
CIC 172
CIC 171
CIC 170
CIC 169
CIC 168
CIC 167
CIC 166
CIC 165
CIC 164
CIC 163
CIC 162
CIC 161
CIC 160
CIC 159
CIC 158
CIC 157
CIC 156
CIC 155
CIC 154
CIC 153
CIC 152
CIC 151
CIC 150
CIC 149
CIC 148
CIC 147
CIC 146
CIC 145
CIC 144
CIC 143
CIC 142
CIC 141
CIC 140
CIC 139
CIC 138
CIC 137
CIC 136
CIC 135
CIC 134
CIC 133
CIC 132
CIC 131
CIC 130
CIC 129
CIC 128
CIC 127
CIC 126
CIC 125
CIC 124
CIC 123
CIC 122
CIC 121
CIC 120
CIC 119
CIC 118
CIC 117
CIC 116
CIC 115
CIC 114
CIC 113
CIC 112
CIC 111
CIC 110
CIC 109
CIC 108
CIC 107
CIC 106
CIC 105
CIC 104
CIC 103
CIC 102
CIC 101
CIC 100
CIC 99
CIC 98
CIC 97
CIC 96
CIC 95
CIC 94
CIC 93
CIC 92
CIC 91
CIC 90
CIC 89
CIC 88
CIC 87
CIC 86
CIC 85
CIC 84
CIC 83
CIC 82
CIC 81
CIC 80
CIC 79
CIC 78
CIC 77
CIC 76
CIC 75
CIC 74
CIC 73
CIC 72
CIC 71
CIC 70
CIC 69
CIC 68
CIC 67
CIC 66
CIC 65
CIC 64
CIC 63
CIC 62
CIC 61
CIC 60
CIC 59
CIC 58
CIC 57
CIC 56
CIC 55
CIC 54
CIC 53
CIC 52
CIC 51
CIC 50
CIC 49
CIC 48
CIC 47
CIC 46
CIC 45
CIC 44
CIC 43
CIC 42
CIC 41
CIC 40
CIC 39
CIC 38
CIC 37
CIC 36
CIC 35
CIC 34
CIC 33
CIC 32
CIC 31
CIC 30
CIC 29
CIC 28
CIC 27
CIC 26
CIC 25
CIC 24
CIC 23
CIC 22
CIC 21
CIC 20
CIC 19
CIC 18
CIC 17
CIC 16
CIC 15
CIC 14
CIC 13
CIC 12
CIC 11
CIC 10
CIC 9
CIC 8
CIC 7
CIC 6
CIC 5
CIC 4
CIC 3
CIC 2
CIC 1

Briefing - Marco Sciarra, Gentleman Bandit

The Auruncian Mountains, an range encompassing some hundreds of square miles roughly between Rome and Naples, had from Medieval times until quite recently had considerable notoriety for rural banditry. Mentioning the two largest towns in the region, one eighteenth century traveler charged, "I hear that a large part of the population of Fondi and Itri are thieves, highway robbers, and have assisted in robberies and assassinations," while another traveler implied that murder was a daily occurrence. Of course, rural banditry was a common feature in much of the world in earlier times. One has but to think of Shakespeare's Two Gentlemen of Verona, in which Valentine encounters a gang of bandits with amusing results, not to mention Dick Turpin, the famed English highwayman who seems to feature prominently in numerous romance novels. Now, bandits usually are just that, brigands out to make a fast buck. But sometimes they are "bandit heroes," men resisting oppressive rulers, such as England's legendary Robin Hood. Such a one was Marco Sciarra, who attained such fame that he features notably in Stendhal's 1839 short novel L'abbesse de Castro.

From about 1583 through the mid-1590s, Sciarra, "a most daring robber, and captain of a numerous troop of banditti," made his headquarters near Itri, a well fortified town perched on a mountain top on the Appian War, slightly more than half way between Rome and Naples. At the head of a band that at times numbered as many as 1,500 men, including 600 on horseback, Sciarra dominated the bandit business across the waist of Italy, from sea to sea, between the Volturno River and the Papal States, an area in which he was reputedly "practically monarch . . . and more powerful there than His Holiness the Pope or His Majesty of Spain," not even fearing to raid to the gates of Rome itself. So serious were Sciarra's depredations that in 1591 the Spanish Crown � which ruled Naples � authorized a nobleman, Carlo Spinelli, to raise an army of 4,000 men in order to hunt the bandit down. For a time it looked like Spinelli might run Sciarra down. But Sciarra defeated a portion of Spinelli's column, and then fled into the Papal States. Spinelli declared "victory," and disbanded his army. But Sciarra was soon back in business at the old stand. Sciarra had the most style of any of the brigands.

In April of 1592, the great poet Torquato Tasso was journeying with a small party from Naples to Rome. On the 26th Tasso and his party had reached Mola di Gaeta, a small town on the coast, about eight miles south of Itri. There they stopped, because, as Tasso wrote on the 28th,

We are here at Mola, detained by the dread of Marco di Sciarra, who is in the neighborhood with a great number of ruffians. Yesterday, we are told, they killed many persons of the country; others they took prisoners . . . . "

The following day, Tasso added,

The other night, this whole country resounded with cries, with the screams of women, when the bandits assaulted Castellone. I wished to go forward, and stain with blood the sword that you gave me, but I was restrained by my companions.

Sciarra, 48 at the time, soon learned that Tasso was at Mola di Gaeta, afraid to proceed further for fear of being robbed. The bandit chieftain immediately placed himself and his men at Tasso's service, escorting the poet and his two companions through the mountains and across the Pontine Marshes to the border of the Papa States; esthetically inclined bandits protecting the great artist from their less sensitive co-criminals. After this incident, both poet and bandit each resumed his profession. Tasso, of course, went on to become one of Italy's greatest poets, while Sciarra remained a very busy bandit.

During 1592 alone, aside from his adventure with Tasso, Sciarra and his merry men plundered and destroyed the town of Gioia dei Marsi, in the Abruzzi, raided Torre dei Feboni, looted the Church of the Holy Sacrament in Foggia, sacked the Church of the Annunciation in Nora, and raided Lucera. He wasn't always so successful, of course; that same year, just a few days before his encounter with Tasso, on the night of April 23-24, he tried to sack Cerreto Laziale; a few miles north of the Pontine Marshes. Tradition has it that as his men were sneaking up on the town under cover of darkness, they startled a cat, which began howling, thus alerting the defenders. Still, we're talking about five successful raids out of six tries � a rate of "operations" equivalent to one major raid every two months, not to mention casual highway robberies.

Shortly afterwards, the Spanish Crown and the Pope both authorized military action against Sciarra, Perhaps it was because he was tired of playing cat-and-mouse with Papal and Neapolitan troops, or perhaps because the hectic pace of his depredations was tiring, in 1594 Sciarra decided to enlist as a mercenary in Venetian service, and was shortly, commanding his merry men in the Ushok War, against pirates in Dalmatia.

Interestingly, the folks whom Sciarra formerly "terrorized" today make a tidy profit off his memory. He is usually numbered among the "illustrious citizens" of Itri, while the people of Monte Padula, in the Abruzzi, stage an historical re-enactment of a raid by his men on the night of August 19-20, and those of Cerreto Laziale annually celebrate April 24th with a special liturgy, procession, and fireworks, to commemorate their delivery from his depredations, all, of course, in the interests of historical commemoration, not to mention tourist dollars.

Previous

© 1998 - 2024 StrategyWorld.com. All rights Reserved.
StrategyWorld.com, StrategyPage.com, FYEO, For Your Eyes Only and Al Nofi's CIC are all trademarks of StrategyWorld.com
Privacy Policy