Curiousness

GARIBALDI AND THE “BRAGOZZI” OF CHIOGGIA

“…It was the evening of the 1st August 1849 when Garibaldi, who had arrived in Cesenatico with his 300 volounteers, decided to sail the sea.“… For this reason he ordered the requisition of 12 bragozzi and a tartana (typical boats of the region) which belonged to fishers from Chioggia and were mooring in that port, since he wanted to take cover from a storm. All the fishers were below deck when the general ordered to take them from their berths since he wanted to leave for Venice. At first were those fisher obviously reluctant, since it was not easy to collaborate with fugitives who were hunted by the Austrians.

To leave, especially by that weather, would have meant to risk the “bragozzi”, which were everything for them. Garibaldi resolved the problem requisitioning the barges. The “bragozzi” were pushed down by hand to the mouth of the channel-port, but it was really impossible to get out due to the adverse stream caused by the storm. For the desperation and the consciousness that they should escape at any cost, they tried for hours any possible solution for leaving the port. Finally they brought an anchor out of the mouth and from that they towed the boats into the sea. It was already the morning of the 2nd August.

Garibaldi, Anita e Ugo Bassi took place on the “Furioso” owned by Luigi Penzo, also known as “Squela”, and driven by Federico Penzo “Briciola”. First of all, they should have evaded the Austrian fleet, but the enemies had already understood the plan. The brig “Oreste”, the schooner “Elisabetta”, the pinaccia “Sentinella” and the gunboat “Calliope” were already on their root. As soon as the “bragozzi” were noticed, the Austrian started to shell. The men of Garibaldi tried to take cover in a pocket of the Delta river, taking advantage of the flat bottomof their boats. The enemies at first just guarded the exit, but then, cautious, approached the coast with their launchs and chased the fugitives along the internal channels. Garibaldi was able to escape to the south till Magnavacca (now Porto Garibaldi) and then to the pinewood of Ravenna, where Anita died. But the capture was huge: seven “bragozzi” and the “tartana” with 162 prisoners. The “Furioso” and another “bragozzo” were found on the beach of Magnavacca: the Austrians burned them and the fishers had to repair to the countryside.

Later on, an officer of Garibaldi named Domenico Piva accused the fishers from Chioggia of cowardice. Garibaldi better understood their situation and found the way to defend them and to thank them in public. And those who had lost their “bragozzo” did not get any indemnity. E chi perse il bragozzo ci rimise di tasca propria . In 1888 Garibaldi could obtain from Crispi a pension only for those who had survived in his rescue.

From
Sergio Ravagnan’s
STORIA POPOLARE DI CHIOGGIA
Dalle origini ai giorni nostri

News & Events

Alice e i suoi viaggi is

Curiousness