PRESS RELEASE (1/10/2014)
Oct. 3 to 5, Loano will be the scene of a major event of Re-enactment, which will bring Europe's most representative historical reenactment groups to the western Savona town.
“Loano's season of major events - says the Mayor of Loano, Luigi Pignocca - opened very early this year, with the Frecce Tricolori air show, and closes on this autumn weekend with the historical reenactment. At a time of major cuts in municipal budgets, the Administration's commitment has been to maintain the rich entertainment program of the summer while bringing forward the programming of major events, with the intention of encouraging attendance in the spring and fall.’
“We have taken into account the need to enhance the presence of major events in low season periods," says Councillor Remo Zaccaria - not forgetting the summer season. The show of the Tricolour Arrows kicked off a series of events in mid-May, all of which were accompanied by significant audience attendance. Immediately after that there was the White Night with the presence of Arisa, and then all the evenings of the Prince's Garden, the week of the City of Loano National Award for Traditional Italian Music, concerts in the streets of the center, events organized by the associations, the September of Sports, and now the historical re-enactment. We have created opportunities to enliven tourist attendance by expanding the program of events and deseasonalizing the calendar.”
Over the three days, the groups, from the France, Belgium, England, Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Switzerland, Malta and of course Italy, will bring to life a historical reconstruction of the’French advance of 1794 which took troops into Liguria on the Borghetto S.S. line.
The participants of the gathering belong to groups composed of passionate devotees of the period, who have taken on the task of preserving the historical memory of individual military departments of the period through a thorough study made of archival and literary research.
The groups will set up the’french camp in Via Bergamo (Mazzini-Ramella School Complex area), where they will live the life of the late 18th century soldier, sleeping in tents on straw. La chivalry French will be stationed in the Prince's Garden area and will be recreated two battle areas, the first in Via degli Alpini, the second on the Garassini waterfront.
Troops will start animating the downtown streets from Friday afternoon at 16.00.
Saturday, October 4, at 10.30 it will be possible visit the “french camp”.Then, from the 11 o'clock, will begin the patrol clashes In the downtown streets. At hrs. 15.30, in via degli Alpini the first battle.
Sunday at 10.30 on the waterfront the French troops will go on the counterattack, forcing the Austro-Piedmontese troops to retreat.
The event will close at 14.30 With the return to the bivouac of the troops.
History:
Regular Austro-Sardinian armies composed of 6,000 men and 1,500 Piedmontese militiamen defended Italian territory on the Ligurian coast favored by defensive tactics and mountainous terrain.
The advancing French army, commanded by General Jadart du Merbion with General Napoleon Bonaparte and General Massena under his orders, entered Italy.
40,000 men crossed the border via the Ligurian coast. General André Massena advanced with 20,000 men on a 40-kilometer front.
General Dumerbion with 12,000 men and 16 guns advanced for the Alte Langhe, Calizzano, Montezemolo, Millesimo and Colloredo to attack the Austrians, who had 42 guns and had outposts at Colloredo, Bormida di Mallare and Pallare.
The French began with diversionary attacks in the Cuneo Alps, then to the north the 2,000-man Cervoni brigade advanced from Loano to Finale, reuniting on Sept. 18 with General Massena's troops.
Most of the French assembled in Dego, but lacking artillery due to poor road conditions, attacked the Austrian positions, which held out until September 21. That night the Austrian outposts threatened on the flank retreated to the Borghetto S.S. line, where they camped until November 23, 1795, when the counteroffensive of the more famous Battle of Loano took place.
Re-enactment - Historical Reenactment
Historical reenactment in English Re-enactment is a hobby activity based on the in-depth study of the historical period, uniformology, military regulations, cuisine and social life of the time.
The participants (Reenactors) are not just figurants dressed in a uniform, but are enthusiasts who experience firsthand the life, training and military rigors of the period they choose to represent.
