Southern rebels against Italian unification: the Great Brigandage in the province of Capitanata. Issue 4 (8th August 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Capone, Alessandro
• Is Part Of: Journal of modern Italian studies. Volume 22:Issue 4(2017)
• Page Start: 431
• Page End: 449
• Publication Date: 2017-08-08
• Subjects: Risorgimento -- Southern Italy -- counter-revolution -- banditry -- guerrilla -- civil war; ACS, Brigantaggio = Archivio Centrale dello Stato, Tribunali militari per la repressione del brigantaggio -- ASF, Prefettura = Archivio di Stato di Foggia, Prefettura di Capitanata -- ASFL, Assise, Brigantaggio = Archivio di Stato di Foggia, Sezione di Lucera, Corte di assise di Lucera, Processi penali per brigantaggio -- ASSMEI = Archivio storico dello Stato maggiore dell'Esercito italiano; Italy -- History -- 20th century -- Periodicals; Italy -- History -- 19th century -- Periodicals; Italy -- Civilization -- 20th century -- Periodicals; Italy -- Civilization -- 19th century -- Periodicals; 945.091
• DOI: 10.1080/1354571X.2017.1350019
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1354-571X

Abstract

Abstract: This article explores counter-revolutionary brigandage in Southern Italy after 1860 (also known as Great Brigandage ). Working from archival sources, the article offers a new interpretation of the interactions between the political, social and criminal aspects of the guerrilla war against the Risorgimento. Notwithstanding the plurality of the individual motives leading single actors to fight, it is argued that brigandage was an essentially political phenomenon and that the alliances between common bandits and loyalist forces were made possible only in the macro-political setting of the collapse of the Neapolitan monarchy, the difficulties facing Italian state-building, and the emergence of popular legitimist sympathies after 1860.