Battles of Vicenza (1848)

In the first (20–21 May), second (23–24 May) and third (10–11 June) battles of Vicenza of 1848, the city, which had given its allegiance to the Republic of San Marco, was attacked and conquered by the Austrian Empire.

An Austrian army under Count Georg von Thurn und Valsassina [de] decamped from Treviso on the evening of 18 May.

[1] In response, Durando ordered volunteers from Padua brought to Vicenza by rail to join the civic guard.

In the fighting in the suburb of Santa Lucia [it], the Austrians lost 100 men from a Croat battalion, the Italians slightly less.

[2] Thurn decided to bypass Vicenza to the north and advance towards fortified Verona, part of the Austrian defensive system known as the Quadrilatero.

[2] Although Thurn's army of 18,000 successfully reached San Bonifacio, Marshal Radetzky ordered them to take Vicenza and did not allow them in Verona.

Late in the morning, the Austrians attacked the Castello and Santa Croce gates, part of medieval walls [it], but were repulsed.

[6] Radetzky sent a part of his army back to Verona, which caused King Charles Albert of Sardinia to believe that the marshal himself had retreated to the fortress.

[7] The Austrian army that attacked Vicenza was under Radetzky's personal command and numbered 30,000 men and 124 cannon,[7] including 3,000 cavalry.

[12] On the hill, they built a wooden fort at a place called Bella Vista and occupied the Villa Guiccioli [it].

Taking Valmarana, he joined up with Wohlgemuth at the Monte and Lupia gates, having turned the flank of the defenders in the Berici Hills.

Some indignant Croat soldiers hacked to pieces the monumental painting The Feast of Saint Gregory the Great by Paolo Veronese.

[8] Although these generous terms have been seen as an act of deference to the pope, they served a military purpose: freeing up Radetzky for three months to confront the Sardo-Piedmontese.