JEANNERAT, GIUSEPPE

JEANNERAT, GIUSEPPE. - Papal officer, b. 31 Dec. 1813 in Switzerland, d. 27 Nov. 1897 at Bologna. He entered the service of the Pontiff on 5 Aug. 1835 in the foreign infantry, and, with the rank of lieutenant, took part in the entire Venetian campaign of 1848 against the Austrians, fighting at Vicenza on Monte Berico on 10 June of that year.

Promoted major on 1 Jan. 1859, he led the assault column in the capture of Perugia (20 June) and subsequently received command of the foreign carabinieri battalion. At Castelfidardo (18 Sept. 1860) he displayed such valour as to earn promotion to lieutenant colonel. An excellent soldier and a shrewd organizer of troops, he made his battalion a model, so much so as to win the applause of French officers on the battlefield of Mentana (3 Nov. 1867). Appointed colonel on 29 Feb. 1868,

he skilfully held command of the third defensive sector of Rome, along the crucial stretch of the Aurelian Wall between the Macao and Porta S. Giovanni, during the siege operations of 20 Sept. 1870, and thereafter retired into private life.

BIBL.: A. M. Bonetti, Venticinque anni di Roma capitale d'Italia e suoi precedenti (1815-93), Rome 1889, V. indice; A. Vigevano, La fine dell'esercizio pontificio, ibid. 1920, passim; id., La campagna delle Marche e dell'Umbria, ibid. 1923, passim; P. Dalla Torre, L'anno di Mentana, Turin 1938, passim; id., Materiali per una storia dell'esercito pontificio, in Rassegna stor. del risorgimento, 28 (1941), p. 82. Paolo Dalla Torre
Cite this article

“JEANNERAT, GIUSEPPE.” Enciclopedia Cattolica, vol. VII (1951), p. 368. Azione Romana digital edition, https://azioneromana.com/article/jeannerat-giuseppe.