Battle of Bitonto

Within the framework of the War of succession of Poland, the king Philippe V of Spain was combined in France in order to take again the possession of the South Italy which he wanted to entrust to his son Charles of Bourbon and that with the detriment of the Austrians. The Spanish troops unloaded with Genoa then were linked, in Toscane, with that of Charles. The army made up of 40.000 men invaded the Papal States then the Royaume of Naples without finding opposition. Charles went up on the throne of Royaume of Both Siciles after being entered in Naples the May 7th 1734. During this time, the viceroy Guido Visconti, after having given up Naples, moved towards Bari where it was joined by the troops of the count Taun who had, from Sicily, unloaded with Tarente. To face the Spanish troops, the Austrian government resorted to the recruitment of the inhabitants in the militia. At the time of the council of war which was held in the Castle of Bari, the Austrians thought, initially, of preparing their defense in front of the walls of Bari but the prince Belmonte made note that, in the event of defeat, there would be no space for a retirement. It was then decided to prepare defense towards Bitonto which had a natural defense with the river LAMA present on the southern part and is city. Defense prepared out of the walls of Bitonto towards Terlizzi.

The first scuffles took place in the night of the May 24th but are quickly stopped by a violent one storm. At the dawn of the May 25th, the armies were deployed and ready with the battle: 14.000 Spaniards against 10.000 Austrians. The first Spanish attack, ordered by the general Montemar, was stopped by the well prepared defense of the Austrians. The events started badly for the Spaniards but they were immediately helped by the cavalry coming from Andria.

The engagements moved towards the sea and lasted 9 hours. The indecision of the engagements became favorable to the Spaniards and already the Austrian soldiers turned over to Bitonto, others with Belmonte fled in Bari.

The Spaniards took 15 flags, 24 standards, 23 guns, of the weapons, the ammunition and of the crews and they made thousands of prisoners. The next day, the besieged Austrian soldiers with Bitonto went and were made prisoners whereas the Spaniards threatened to cut down the walls thanks to their guns.

The Montemar general, to punish the town of Bitonto of his fidelity to the enemy, decided to ransack it but the Virgin appeared to him in dream and the city was saved. The inhabitants in remembering the event regarded as miraculous, set up a triumphal arch dedicated to the Immaculate one.

The Montemar general, moved towards Bari to fight the Austrian troops which had taken refuge there. Prince Belmonte prepared defense but a revolt of the inhabitants who feared to undergo the same fate that Bitonto obliged it to go to the Spaniards. These events contributed to the rapid taking possession, by the Spaniards, of all the Royaume of Deux-Siciles, the more so as the other cities of the south of Italy lined up at the Spaniard sides. The new king of Deux-Siciles, Charles III, named Montemar duke of Bitonto and it made build on the place of the battle field an obelisk to commemorate the event. The possession of the Kingdom of Deux-Siciles was recognized in Charles III by the treated of Vienna of 1738 which put an end to the war of succession of Poland.

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