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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 36360542
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EDITORS COMMENTS
This image depicts the trial of the alleged brigand chief, Santomeli, during the Revolution in Sicily of 1860. The scene unfolds at Villafrati, with a council of war in session, presiding over the fate of this controversial figure. The background story unfolds through an account published in the Illustrated London News in 1860. The account reveals that a Lieutenant had been robbed on the road between Villafrati and Palermo the previous night, prompting the assembly of a council of war to try the suspected brigands. The mission of the British military force in Sicily was to eliminate the numerous bandits that plagued the region. Santomeli, the defendant, argued that despite the numerous witnesses against him, no one could prove a single act of brigandage he had personally committed. Instead, he claimed to be a capo di squadra, or leader of a mountain band, who had been among the first to hoist the tricolor flag and proclaim the revolution in the hills. He could not be held responsible for the actions of those who, having enlisted under his banner, committed depredations in his name. The intriguing image captures the tension and uncertainty of the trial, with Santomeli's fate hanging in the balance as the council of war deliberates on the evidence presented. The photograph offers a glimpse into the complexities of the Revolution in Sicily, where the lines between revolutionaries and brigands were often blurred.
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