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The Revolution in Sicily - trial of the supposed brigand chief, Santomeli, by a council of... 1860. Creator: Unknown
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The Revolution in Sicily - trial of the supposed brigand chief, Santomeli, by a council of... 1860. Creator: Unknown
The Revolution in Sicily - trial of the supposed brigand chief, Santomeli, by a council of war, at Villafrati - from a sketch by our special artist, 1860. "I learnt that on the previous night a Lieutenant had been stopped by a party of banditti on the road I between Villafrati and Palermo, and robbed of everything he possessed...A council of war was at once called to try the supposed brigands, for our mission to a great extent was to hunt up and exterminate on our way the numerous banditti that infested the country. The defence of Santomeli, for such was the name of the man in question, was that, despite the number of witnesses who appeared against him, no one could actually prove a single act of brigandage of which he personally was guilty; that, far from being a robber chief, he was simply a capo di squadra (leader of a mountain band), who was one of the first to raise the tricolour flag and proclaim the revolution in the hills; and that he could not be responsible for the acts of those who, having enlisted under his banner, committed depredations in his name".'. From "Illustrated London News", 1860
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Media ID 36350206
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EDITORS COMMENTS
This photograph print depicts the trial of the alleged brigand chief, Santomeli, by a council of war during the Revolution in Sicily in 1860. The image, created from a sketch by an unknown special artist for the Illustrated London News, captures the intensity and complexity of the revolutionary period in Sicily. The scene unfolds in Villafrati, where a council of war was convened to try Santomeli and his followers, accused of banditry. The background story reveals that a Lieutenant had been robbed on the previous night on the road between Villafrati and Palermo, and the mission of the British military force was to hunt down and eliminate the numerous bandits infesting the region. However, the defense of Santomeli, whose real name was not disclosed, was that he was not a robber chief but a capo di squadra, or leader of a mountain band, who was among the first to hoist the tricolor flag and proclaim the revolution in the hills. He argued that he could not be held responsible for the actions of those who had enlisted under his banner and committed depredations in his name. The trial, held in a makeshift courtroom, reflects the ambiguous nature of the revolutionary period in Sicily, where the lines between freedom fighters and bandits were often blurred. The photograph print offers a fascinating glimpse into this tumultuous time in Sicilian history and the intricacies of the revolutionary movement.
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