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"The Nunziatella"
We have
already said that in 1782 Minister Acton sent some
young officers to study « new troop regulations,
the organisation of military training institutes and
the most recent discoveries in Engineering and Artillery
sectors»  .
Among these officers, there was Lieutenant Giuseppe
Parisi. After returning in 1785, he produced a very
detailed report and a project for a new Academy « that
had to contain the best of what observed and not to
be the copy of any other military training institute»
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The King and Acton took this proposal very seriously,
and on 27 October 1786 Ferdinand established
the “Royal Military Academy”, to
replace all previous military institutes. On
28 May 1787, the King decided that the seat
for this institute had to be the “Nunziatella”
building, seat of the novitiate of the Jesuit
order.
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« In an enchanted location,
lying on the then green hill sloping down steeply
towards the Chiatamone shore, in front of Castel dell’Ovo,
the new seat, spacious and majestic, was a paradise,
and Goethe described it as follows (…)
“Below you, the sea, with a view of Capri, Posillipo
on the right side and the promenade of the royal Villa
between you and the grotto: on the left side, an ancient
building belonging to the Jesuit fathers and beyond
it the coast stretching from Sorrento to Capo Minerva”»
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On 18 November 1787 the courses officially began.
In 1798 a Royal Decree for
the Royal Military Academy inspired by Parisi
was passed. This Decree is described by Catenacci
as follows: « of wonderful wisdom,
clairvoyance, order and precision. Education,
as considered in this Decree is threefold and
must include body, mind and heart: this is the
real education, since it is complete, not mutilated,
harmonious.
A love for studying is inculcated, young people
are familiarised with reasoning, theory and
practice are taught together with sciences,
an important place is given to literature and
writing; moreover, duty, loyalty and comradeship
are inspired» .
Students were divided into 4 brigades, and there
were 9 classes. |
Lieutenant General Giuseppe Parisi |
The officers were organised as
follows: the Academy Commander, the Vice Commandant
and Study Inspector (this position was held by Parisi
as reward), 1 major, 4 captains, 7 lieutenants, 7
standard bearers, 1 supply officer, 1 quartermaster
and two chaplains.
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As
concerns the faculty, it is enough to say that
some of the most prestigious representatives
of the culture of Southern Italy in the 19th
century taught at this school.
However, we must also mention that during the
Neapolitan Republic of 1799 and also during
Murat rule, many officers and students betrayed
their benefactors; despite that, Ferdinand,
at the time of the first restoration in July
1799 and also in 1815 during the second restoration,
insisted not to close this element of pride
for the Bourbons; |
despite this generous behaviour,
and on the occasion of the risings of 1820 and 1848,
some exponents betrayed the Bourbons; but both Ferdinand
I (once more) and Ferdinand II
wanted to keep this College open.
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The latter moved it to Maddaloni
in 1854, but then in 1859 Francis II moved it
back to Pizzofalcone upon request of Filangieri.
As it easy to imagine, the events of 1860 up
to the resistance of Gaeta dramatically marked
officers and students of the Nunziatella. If
even that time some decided to betray their
Sovereigns and benefactors, in reality the majority
remained loyal to the dynasty and many of them
went to Gaeta to fight heroically and tragically
together with Francis II and Maria Sophia.
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Students of the Nunziatella
in 1832 |
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