CIRO MINOTTI

In Austria, students, workers, and middle class liberals revolted in Vienna, setting up a constituent assembly. In Budapest, the Magyars led a movement of national autonomy, led by patriot Lajos Kossuth. Similarly, in Prague, the Czechs revolted in the name of self-government. In Italy, new constitutions were declared in Tuscany and Piedmont, with the goal of overthrowing their Austrian masters. Here, middle class liberals pushed the   concept of Italian unification alongside the defeat of the Austrians with the help of the Young Italy movement, founded in 1831 by nationalist Giuseppe Mazzini, an Italian patriot who favored a democratic revolution to unify the country. At that time General Ciro Minotti of Modena, was the leader of the first revolt against the Austrians in 1831 with the help of troops from Lombardy, unfortunately this first battle failed, but they made the first set  for `Young Italy'  in to unification. It was during the Revolution of 1848 that  Italy had it’s day. The well organized revolt was successful, and the new Roman Republic was born. After 1848, attempts were still being made in Mantua and Milan against Austria, but both were unsuccessful.   Giusseppe Garibaldi, in 1833, joined the Young Italy movement organized to unify and free the Italian people. In 1834 Garibaldi fled to south America, were he showed his military skill in a revolt against Brazil, and later in Uruguay. In 1848, revolution had engulfed Italy. The attempt to fend of the Austria and French forces were unsuccessful, and he was forced to flee to America. In 1854, back in Italy he led a successful expedition against the Austrian forces in the Alps.   Ciro Minotti's home in Modena   The entrance passage with stucco columns imitating marble gives onto a restored courtyard that has nothing in common with the XVIII Century palazzo. However, this clash of styles is masked because the walls have been cleverly covered with Virginia creeper. Except for a tall rus typhina and a small horse chestnut, all the courtyard's abundant greenery is growing in pots, and yet we seem to be in the rich old inner garden typical of the aristocratic palazzi of Modena's city centre. Different eras have left their mark on the staircase on the left of the entrance. The XVIII Century fake round window, festooned with stucco oak branches, gives way to medallions of warrior heroes in the emphatic style of the Fascist period, until we reach a door surmounted by a stone plaque commemorating Ciro Minotti, leader of the firts revolt against the Austrians in 1831.

Family Official Site is maintained and updated by Lic. Pablo David Minotti

E-mail: minotti@email.com