Filangieri, Carlo (1784-1867), Prince of Satriano, Neapolitan general who led the military expedition which quashed the Sicilian rev
olt of 1848-49 against the Bourbon regime of Ferdinand II. A Muratist, he worked from 1831 loyally and effectively under Ferdinand to strengthen the state's military establishment. When the king, confronted by revolution and cowed by liberal agitation, assembled his generals in January 1848, Filangieri energetically supported his decision to grant a constitution. The general held that Ferdinand would thus dissipate the neo-Guelph movement, which was threatening to disrupt all of Italy. After the king
re
gained the upper hand on the mainland, he turned to Filangieri (August 26, 1848) to reestablish royal authority in Sicily. The general struck at Messina where royal troops still held the citadel and several forts. It required heavy bombardment and savage fighting from September 3 to 7 to dominate the city. Filangieri quickly invested the neighboring areas but was forced to conclude an armistice under English and French pressure. When hostilities resumed on March 29, 1849 Filangieri subdued the islan
d's
eastern coast, then advanced toward Palermo, which his forces occupied on May 15 after a series of skirmishes. His victory led Ferdinand to confer upon him the title of Duke of Taormina. Filangieri granted an amnesty to all except the leaders of the rebellion and ruled the island tactfully as lieutenant general until he resigned in October 1854. The general refused to try to duplicate his Sicilian exploits when asked to do to by Francis II in 1860.
Raymond Cummings
Filangieri Ravaschieri Fieschi, Teresa. Il generale Carlo Filangieri, principe di Satriano e duca di Taormina. Milan: Fratelli Treves, 1902.
Krista Durchik revised this file (http://www.ohiou.edu/~chastain/dh/filan.htm) on May 4, 1998.
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© 1998 James Chastain.