Ancona Napoleonica
Audioguida
Madonna of the Cathedral
The painting, dating from the 16th century and by an unknown artist, is located in the left transept of the Cathedral of San Ciriaco. Today, it is housed in a marble votive shrine designed by Luigi Vanvitelli. The story of the "miracle of the Cathedral" originated from the events following the Peace of Bologna, which granted the French control over Ancona. The local people flocked to the Cathedral to pray before the sacred image, asking for protection from the imminent threat. On June 26, 1796, some women, kneeling before the altar, began to murmur that the Madonna had moved her eyes. The rumor spread quickly, and a pilgrimage to the Cathedral soon began. On February 11, 1797, Napoleon — who was then staying at Palazzo Trionfi — learned of the alleged miracle. He summoned the two canons of the Cathedral responsible for the maintenance of the altar and accused them of fraud aimed at stirring the people against the French. "The people here are full of fear," Napoleon wrote to Josephine on February 10. The two clergymen denied the charges and managed to convince the General to personally examine the Holy Image. The inspection was scheduled for the evening of the following day, when the painting was brought to Palazzo Trionfi and placed on a table. The General took the canvas, which had been removed from its frame, and stripped it of its pearl crown, allegedly to give it as a dowry to a poor girl. At that moment, the onlookers noticed a momentary agitation on the General’s face. Subsequently, urged by the canons, Napoleon agreed to return the painting to its original location, on the condition that it be covered with a veil, to be removed only on Saturdays during the recitation of the Rosary and, for the entire day, only on major feast days.
The Siege of 1799 and the “War Tourists”
In 1799, the city was under siege for eight months. On one side were Russian, Turkish, and Austrian forces, along with the insurgent army of the "mountain guerrillas" led by Giuseppe La Hoz; inside the walls were 2,500 men composed of French, Cisalpine, and Roman troops. The siege turned into a bloody spectacle for the so-called “war tourists” who gathered on the hills surrounding the capital of the Marche region to witness the bombardments, attacks, and counterattacks. Among them was Count Monaldo Leopardi, father of the poet Giacomo Leopardi, who — as he recounts in his Autobiography — argued with his understandably worried wife over his decision to travel from Recanati to Ancona specifically to watch the events: to “see and be entertained”, following a trend that had turned the battlefield into “a holiday resort for the entire province.” .
The Citadel
The Renaissance fortress is the symbolic site of the French occupation of Ancona and the siege of 1799. Designed by Antonio da Sangallo the Younger, it was built between 1532 and 1538. During the siege, it served as the headquarters of Jean-Charles Monnier, commander of the stronghold and the war council. It was the main bastion of Ancona’s defensive system and the center of the city’s military power. Today, it houses the Secretariat of the Adriatic-Ionian Initiative. In the area adjacent to the southeastern side of the Citadel, a fortified field was also built, which became another battleground during the various sieges of the city and is now the Citadel Park, along with the nearby Lunetta Santo Stefano.
Lunetta Santo Stefano
Built by the French during the year of the siege and later destroyed by the Austrians in 1815, this fortification is still partially visible near the gate of the same name (the tunnel system and the protective outwork over the moat can still be seen). The lunette lost its defensive function in the early decades of the 20th century, when the walls connecting it to the Cardeto were partially demolished. Subsequently, ownership was transferred to the Municipality of Ancona, which still holds it today.
Pietralacroce and Giuseppe la Hoz
The figure that most captures the imagination surrounding the events of the siege is the leader of the insurgents, Giuseppe La Hoz de Ortiz, born in Milan in 1769 and who died in Ancona on September 29, 1799. Initially an Austrian officer, later pro-French, he eventually led the Sanfedist troops of the so-called “mountain guerrillas” against Napoleon. La Hoz was a “man of the sword,” an excellent military leader to whom proto-Risorgimento intentions aimed at unifying the peninsula (though under the banner of the cross) are attributed. He was mortally wounded during a sortie on Monte Pulito by his former Cisalpine comrades and was then taken to his residence, which may correspond to Villa Lollini in Pietralacroce, where he died. The insurgents' leader is buried in the Basilica of Loreto, and the district of Pietralacroce today preserves numerous historical traces, including plaques and fortifications.
Forte Cardeto
Located at the top of Colle Cardeto, the fort played an important role during the 1799 siege, at least in its initial configuration as a “fieldwork with triple enclosure.” In that area operated the Cisalpine (pro-French) units under Domenico Pino. A defense plan for the city based on a fort on Cardeto Hill was submitted to Napoleon, but he did not approve of the proposal. According to the Corsican, the fort should have only one front exposed to attack, while the other sides would be naturally defended by the seaside cliff and the slopes of the hill. Following these directions, the French military engineers prepared the final design, which was built starting in 1809. Later transferred to the Navy, the fort saw the installation of a radar station on its summit after World War II, while the western side was abandoned and sold to the Municipality. Today, a small portion is still used by the Navy, while the main section of the fortified structures is part of the Cardeto Park.
Beato Amedeo Powder Magazine
Located within the Trincerato Field of the Fortress, today known as the “Citadel Park,” the powder magazine was built between 1811 and 1812 during the French occupation of the city, in a hollow on the eastern slopes of the hill. It had a storage capacity of 430,000 kilograms of gunpowder and 21,400,000 cartridges. The design was created by Captain Gouville of the Military Engineering Corps in 1811, following the principles established by the Marquis de Vauban, one of the greatest military engineers of all time. The structure was named after Duke Amedeo IX of Savoy, who reigned from 1465 to 1472 and pursued a policy largely aligned with the interests of France. In the 1970s, following the army’s abandonment of the Citadel, the powder magazine was for a time used by the Ancona section of the Italian National Shooting Union (Unione Italiana Tiro a Segno). Today, although the structure remains largely intact, it stands in a state of abandonment.
The “Napoleonids”
In Ancona and the Marche region, the so-called “Napoleonids” — descendants, either directly or indirectly, of the Emperor's family — were active in the decades following the Napoleonic era and well into the Risorgimento. Among them was the former Queen of Holland, Hortense Eugénie Cécile Bonaparte, born de Beauharnais and stepdaughter of Napoleon I (daughter of his first wife, Joséphine de Beauharnais), together with her son Charles Louis Napoléon, the future Emperor Napoleon III. Hortense lived in the Palazzo dell’Appannaggio until 1831, while the Napoleonids were engaged in various conspiracies against the legitimist powers and the Church.
Palazzo dell'Appannaggio
No longer standing today, the palace was originally located on the edge of the square now named after J. F. Kennedy. It was built in 1789 as part of the reorganization of the city's northern entrance area, coinciding with the construction of the new road coming from the north. Initially, it housed a hotel before becoming the administrative seat of the Royal Appanage, where the ecclesiastical properties confiscated by Napoleon from the Church were managed. These assets were used to support the Viceroy of Italy, Eugène de Beauharnais, and his court, hence the name “Appanage.” The palace hosted Prince Eugène on several occasions and, until 1831, also accommodated the future Emperor Napoleon III and his mother Hortense, Eugène's sister, who had come to assist her son after his involvement in the revolutionary uprisings of that year. After Italian unification, the building became the headquarters of the National Bank, and later of the Bank of Italy (which still occupies the site). Renovated in the 1920s by the Ancona architect Guido Cirilli, the palace was completely demolished and rebuilt after the destruction caused by World War II.
Palazzo Trionfi
No longer standing today, Palazzo Trionfi was located in what is now Piazza della Repubblica — formerly Piazza Umberto, and earlier known as Piazza del Teatro. Built starting in 1750, it was a product of the wealth and splendor of the prominent Trionfi family. The palace faced the square of the Teatro delle Muse. It was a lavish residence, comprising 158 rooms, including 25 reception halls and bedrooms, as well as a private chapel. In addition to the Trionfi family, it hosted several notable figures passing through the city, including Napoleon himself, Joachim Murat, and members of the royal House of Savoy. Later divided among various heirs, the property was sold to multiple buyers in 1938. During the bombing of April 25, 1944, the building was hit on the side facing the Scalo Vittorio, leaving the monumental staircase exposed. After the liberation, the Allied command ordered its demolition to facilitate access to the port.
Villa di Colle Ameno
Located in the Torrette area, the villa was built in 1795 to serve as the summer residence of the noble Ancona family, the Camerata. Situated on a hill overlooking the sea, the building rises over four floors connected by a grand staircase in the Vanvitellian style. The villa is surrounded by a large park, from which an underground passage leads directly to the beach. The Camerata counts were known in Ancona for their pro-French sympathies (Antonio Camerata served as mayor of Ancona during the Kingdom of Italy). When Viceroy Eugène de Beauharnais visited Ancona on October 27, 1810, he was hosted at the villa. The family’s ties to the Bonapartes continued: on November 17, 1824, Count Filippo Camerata-Passionei married Elisa Napoleona Baciocchi, daughter of Napoleon’s sister Elisa, who then came to live in Ancona. After serving for a period as a girls' boarding school under the name "Stella Maris," the villa was abandoned following the 1972 earthquake. It was later acquired by the Archdiocese, which transformed it into a pastoral center; today, it operates as a holiday retreat.
Napoleonic Forto
Located in the Bay of Portonovo and built in 1811, the fort is a pentagon-shaped structure made of Conero white stone. The entire seaward-facing front is equipped with embrasures for cannon placement. The fort could accommodate up to 600 soldiers and was part of a network of fortifications that the French built or reinforced throughout the Ancona area. The ongoing war between the French Empire and England had led to the blockade of Adriatic ports, in a sea frequently patrolled by British ships based on the island of Vis (Lissa). To prevent British vessels from replenishing their freshwater supplies at the Portonovo spring, the bay’s defenses — previously consisting of only a single tower — were strengthened by constructing the fort, likely using stones from the Benedictine monastery located next to the Church of Santa Maria. On May 2, 1811, the British attempted to land in the bay but were repelled by the garrison. Heavily restored (almost entirely rebuilt) in the 1960s, the fort now houses a hotel and restaurant.
La Hoz Wine and Vincisgrassi
The 1799 siege also gave rise to a kind of urban legend: the vincisgrassi, now a symbol of Marche cuisine. According to various bibliographical sources and information available online, the name is said to derive from the work of an Ancona cook who supposedly created the dish in honor of the Austrian general Windischgraetz (or Windisch-Graetz), one of the victorious officers. However, in reality, this general was only twelve years old in 1799! On the wine front, it is worth mentioning the existence of La Hoz Rosé, a méthode classique sparkling wine produced by the Umani Ronchi winery of Cupramontana, made exclusively with Montepulciano grapes from the Conero area. The wine is naturally dedicated to the "brave hero engaged in the liberation of occupied Italy, who died in battle in 1799 beneath the walls of Ancona."
The French and Woad
Woad (Isatis tinctoria) is a herbaceous plant native to the Caucasus and Central Asia, present in Europe since prehistoric times. The pigment extracted from it, ranging in shades from sky blue to turquoise to cobalt blue, has historically been used in both dyeing and painting. Starting in 1806, Napoleon issued a series of decrees aimed at damaging the British economy, banning the import of certain goods, including colonial products. One consequence of the Continental Blockade was the interruption of indigo imports, which were essential for dyeing yarns and fabrics. As a result, the French Empire promoted the revival of woad cultivation. Today, Bleu de Guède (woad blue) production has been reintroduced in the Marche region, thanks to guidelines found in a Napoleonic instructional document. In Ancona, at the dyeing workshop located in Piazza del Plebiscito 26, visitors can discover the history of this fascinating color and explore woad’s historical ties with the city.