Papers by Roberto Sconfienza
Military Archaeology of the Modern Era in Val Maira. Reconnaissance
and Sources Concerning the Fi... more Military Archaeology of the Modern Era in Val Maira. Reconnaissance
and Sources Concerning the Field Defenses of the
Savoy in the 18th Century. This paper presents the results of
research conducted in the Maira valley (Cuneo, Italy) to identify
field fortifications built by the engineers of the King of Sardinia
which historical sources date to the years of the War of Austrian
Succession (1742-1748). The archaeological surveys carried
out on the hills of Preit, Gardetta, Mulo and Bicocca made it
possible to locate the best and worst preserved remains of these
fortifications and the typological and constructive study confirms
the dating to the 18th century. This article in the first section is
dedicated to the report on the research on the ground, compared
with archival sources, and in the second part to the history of
the design and construction of fortifications (1742-1744) and
to a brief description of the war events in which the sites and
structures were protagonists (1744). To conclude, this research
is placed in the context of a status quaestionis inherent to the
studies currently developed regarding the field fortifications of
the Alpine defensive system of the Kingdom of Sardinia and the
particular and autonomous archaeological aspect of this research.
Keywords: survey, reconnaissance, post-medieval archaeology,
military archaeology, field fortifications, entrenchment,
military engineers, border, border defense, military campaign,
mountain warfare, alpine valleys, Maira, Varaita, Stura,
Austrian Succession War, Savoy States, Piedmont (Piémont),
Dauphiné, High Provence (Haute-Provence).
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https://www.nam-sism.org/fascicoli/NAM%20n.%2011%202022%20Storia%20Militare%20Moderna.pdf
The war of Candia (1645-1669) was one of the greatest events of the Seventeenth Century, one of t... more The war of Candia (1645-1669) was one of the greatest events of the Seventeenth Century, one of the stages in the confrontation of Europe with the Ottoman Empire and the beginning of the true decline of Venice. The participation in the final stages of the war of a contingent send from Duke of Savoy Charles Emanuel II, commanded by the Marquis Ghiron Francesco Villa, is the reason why in the Archives of Turin some reports are kept dedicated to the siege warfare events of the final months of 1667. The contribution proposes the examination of these texts to highlight the daily development of attack and defense operations, the underground warfare of mines, the conspicuous use of besieging and defensive artillery, the fighting during the sorties in the trenches of siege between Turks and Europeans. Thanks to this study, the ultimate goal is to better understand the well-known value that the war of Candia had in Turkish and European military education in the Seventeenth Century.
Keywords. Island of Crete, Candia, Venice, Venetian dominions, Levant, Savoy, Ottoman Empire, siege warfare, 17th century military art, underground warfare, mines, siege trenches, parallel trenches, artillery, mortars, sorties, bastion, gunboat, moat, palisade, assault
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https://www.nam-sism.org/fascicoli/NAM%20n.%2011%202022%20Storia%20Militare%20Moderna.pdf
Nell’articolo Fortificazione campale e ordini di battaglia. Un esempio piemontese del 1743, pubbl... more Nell’articolo Fortificazione campale e ordini di battaglia. Un esempio piemontese del 1743, pubblicato nel Fascicolo N. 7 (giugno 2021), della Nuova Antologia Militare viene illustrato un procedimento di contromarcia per file, che avrebbero dovuto attuare le truppe sabaude durante l’azione di fuoco prevista per interdire la progressione di un contingente franco-spagnolo sulle Alpi piemontesi. In seguito a rilievi critici e riflessioni successive si è rivelato opportuno correggere quanto detto in merito alla manovra di contromarcia
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Abstract. The Savoyard field defenses between La Thuile and the Piccolo San Bernardo at the End o... more Abstract. The Savoyard field defenses between La Thuile and the Piccolo San Bernardo at the End of the 17th Century. A Comparison between archaeological research and historical documents. This paper represents a continuation of the reports concerning the reconnaissance conducted in the Valley of Chavannes which is part of the archaeological research being conducted by the University of Turin at the site of Orgéres. By combining the field investigations with archival research we were able to identify numerous sites which had seen a military presence and where trenches had been dug between the end of the 17th century and the 18th century and also to add to previous studies concerning the defense of the Piccolo San Bernardo in the modern era. The relation between the territory and the excavation of Orgères is determined by the presence of a redoubt built in 1690-1691 which is located on the remains of a Medieval settlement which confirms the strategic nature of the roadways at the site starting in the Roman era. Keywords: field fortifications, line of defense, trenches, military archaeology, Augustan league war, Austrian war of secession, war of the Alps, Duchy of Savoy, Kingdom of Sardinia, Duchy of Aosta, France, strong house, redoubt, border, strategy, survey, land reconnaissance.
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"Bollettino della Società per gli Studi Storici, Archeologici e Artistici della Provincia di Cuneo", 164, 1° Semestre, 2021
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Rivista on-line: https://www.nam-sism.org/fascicoli/NAM fascicolo n. 7 Storia militare moderna (2021).pdf
Abstract. The article proposes a translated and commented edition of a battle order written in Fr... more Abstract. The article proposes a translated and commented edition of a battle order written in French on 6 October 1743 by the Marquis d’Aix, commander of the troops of the King of Sardinia in the Varaita valley; the army was sent to face a Franco-Spanish invasion contingent, which arrived in Chianale after crossing the pass of Agnello and Saint-Veran. The rapid examination of the Piedmontese field fortifications introduces the commentary on the order of battle, always seek¬ing the fundamental relationship between the defensive artifact and the use of infantry in the field. Central is the issue of the defending troops volume of fire, the accuracy of the shot and the safety determined in such conditions by the entrenchments. Other important topics are those of ammunition management, logistics and the composition of the camps protected by temporary fortifications, as well as some notations on the perception of the battle by soldiers and officers. The ultimate purpose of the study is to add a further piece to the search for the “nouvelle histoire bataille” by calling into question the relationship with the study of the field fortification and its role in military archeology.
Keywords: Field Fortifications. Defence Line. Trenches. Military Archeology. Warof the Austrian Succession. Kingdomof Sardinia. Dauphiné. Border/Fron¬tier. Strategy. Orderof Battle. Volume of Fire. Ranks. Platoon. Battalion. Regiment. Rifle. Pertuisanne. Esponton. Honor. Duty. Professionalism.
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Il contributo illustra le fasi costruttive di un bastione della cinta fortificata di Chivasso (TO... more Il contributo illustra le fasi costruttive di un bastione della cinta fortificata di Chivasso (TO), realizzato negli anni ’70 del XVI secolo. I resti dell’opera sono stati indagati archeologicamente negli anni ’90 del secolo scorso, in occasione di un intervento d’emergenza in un cantiere edile; ciò nondimeno, oltre alla documentazione archeologica ordinaria, è stato possibile recuperare i dati inerenti le tecniche costruttive adottate in occasione dell’edificazione del bastione a partire dalle fondazioni fino all’elevato. Le risultanze in situ sono poi state sistematicamente confrontate e integrate con le informazioni sulle tecniche costruttive, presenti nella trattatistica di architettura militare rinascimentale, in modo da collocare la costruzione dell’opera in seno ad un contesto generale, di cui essa stessa diviene esempio concreto.
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Rivista on-line: https://www.nam-sism.org/fascicoli/fascicolo%20n.%203%20Storia%20militare%20moderna%20anno%201%20-%202020.pdf
Abstract. The article focuses on military (conflict, site, battlefield, siege) archaeology
as a s... more Abstract. The article focuses on military (conflict, site, battlefield, siege) archaeology
as a specific field of archaeology as well as a tool for both military and social
history. The author states the specific nature of the archaeological-military procedures
with respect to the general methods of archeology, in dating and contextualizing
the finds and transformations that war imprints on terrains and landscapes.
In addition to geo-cartographic and geological knowledge, military archeology
requires full mastery of technique (weapons, equipment) and tactics, and presents
analogies with the scientific police.
Key Words. Military (Conflict, Battlefield, Siege) Archaeology, Military
History, Survey, Strategy, Tactics
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Rivista on-line: https://www.nam-sism.org/fascicoli/NAM%20fascicolo%20n.%201%20Cartografia%20militare%20anno%201%20-%202020.pdf
Daniel Minutoli, a Swiss officer serving in Royal Sardinian Army between 1734 and 1748, completed... more Daniel Minutoli, a Swiss officer serving in Royal Sardinian Army between 1734 and 1748, completed his Rélation des Campagnes faites par S.M. le Roi Charles Emmanuel de Sardaigne et par ses Généraux, avec des Corps séparés, pendant les années 1742 a 1748 in the 1750s. The Rélation consists of five volumes accompanied by a topographic Atlas illustrating the campaigns of the War of Austrian Succession in Northern Italy. Minutoli’s work testifies to the way in which the military science of the time elaborated the operational and tactical experiences of recent military campaigns, not only to extract lessons and general principles, but also to deepen the study of possible theaters of future wars. Obviously the Atlas is an important source not only for military history but also for the archeology and socio-economic history of the ancient Franco-Sabaudian frontier.
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Dopo una serie di volumi tematici, che hanno caratterizzato negli ultimi anni le politiche della ... more Dopo una serie di volumi tematici, che hanno caratterizzato negli ultimi anni le politiche della Rivista, Archeologia Postmedievale si apre nuovamente, con il suo numero 20, a una polifonia di contributi che ci portano dalla Conflict Archaeology alla storia biologica della popolazione, all'archeologia del commercio e a quella dell'alimentazione. Con un ventaglio di casi ben distribuiti nel territorio europeo, essi rappresentano al meglio la vivacità dell'archeologia postmedievale e l'ampia visione metodologica che la contraddistingue. Il saggio di apertura ci porta a Cadice e al recente rinvenimento di un relitto cinquecentesco, affondato nel porto di questa città andalusa, di una nave mercantile genovese, varata nel 1573 e attiva nel commercio del grano dai porti della Sicilia verso Genova e la Spagna, dove caricava lana e beni alimentari. Sul tema delle fortificazioni alpine, segue un solido contributo su un sito di frontiera del Ducato di Savoia, nei pressi del valico del Piccolo San Bernardo, nel sito di Orgères (La Thuile, Aosta), che fu interessato da articolate opere di fortificazione a partire dal 1691, sul confine franco-sabaudo. Al tema della storia biologica e sanitaria della popolazione si riferisce il saggio che approfondisce il ruolo della micropaleobiologia e il caso di studio della peste, come approccio integrato tra metagenomica, ricerca storica e archeologica. Lo studio segna un passo in avanti veramente significativo nello strutturare in modo più solido obiettivi della ricerca biologica applicata alle aree cimiteriali in generale, ma in particolare a quelle di catastrofi sanitarie. La sezione "Archeologia Postmedievale in Italia" si presenta da questo numero in una rinnovata veste editoriale, con le schede arricchite da illustrazioni a colori delle indagini sul terreno, di elaborazioni 3D, di restituzioni grafiche, di reperti e documenti d'archivio. La crescita della consapevolezza di una vivace comunità scientifica attorno a questa parte del patrimonio archeologico e culturale, continua a rappresentare ancor'oggi, al passaggio del ventesimo numero, un cardine imprescindibile della mission della politica culturale della Rivista.
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Military archeology of the Modern Era in Piedmont. The study of Alpine military fortifications. T... more Military archeology of the Modern Era in Piedmont. The study of Alpine military fortifications. This article presents a sector of post-Medieval archeology which is dedicated to the study of military fortifications in the Western Alps between Piedmont, Savoy and Dauphiné in the period from the second half of the 17th century and the end of the 18th century. The subject is divided by illustrating, first of all, the context of the studies of the military, architectural and territorial history of the states of Savoy during the Ancien Régime and focusing specifically on the few examples of military archaeological research; afterwards the author describes the western defense system of the continental states belonging to the Kingdom of Piedmont/Sardinia, starting in the 18th century, and the function of the military fortifications in that area; as well as the planimetric and construction characteristics of the defense works. The author then illustrates the research tools and methodologies used for the study of military fortifications, dividing them into those used for field archaeological research and and those for bibliographic research in the archives. The author reviews four case studies on which he conducted research from 1997 to 2011: the entrenchments of Assietta, of Piccolo San Bernardo, of the valley of Varaita and of the hills of Finestre and Fattières in the valleys of Susa and Chisone. The article concludes with a reference to the data from the exemplifications and the suppositions of the methods previously described and an attempt is made to extend the outlook for research on the defensive systems and on the artifacts discussed by proposing an interpretation of them as integral components of the historical Alpine landscapes along the old confines between France and Piedmont/Sardinia which can still be recovered and need to be adequately evaluated and protected.
Key words: entrenchment, military fortifications, confines, Alps, trinceramento, fortificazione campale, confine, strategia, Alpi
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Papers by Roberto Sconfienza
and Sources Concerning the Field Defenses of the
Savoy in the 18th Century. This paper presents the results of
research conducted in the Maira valley (Cuneo, Italy) to identify
field fortifications built by the engineers of the King of Sardinia
which historical sources date to the years of the War of Austrian
Succession (1742-1748). The archaeological surveys carried
out on the hills of Preit, Gardetta, Mulo and Bicocca made it
possible to locate the best and worst preserved remains of these
fortifications and the typological and constructive study confirms
the dating to the 18th century. This article in the first section is
dedicated to the report on the research on the ground, compared
with archival sources, and in the second part to the history of
the design and construction of fortifications (1742-1744) and
to a brief description of the war events in which the sites and
structures were protagonists (1744). To conclude, this research
is placed in the context of a status quaestionis inherent to the
studies currently developed regarding the field fortifications of
the Alpine defensive system of the Kingdom of Sardinia and the
particular and autonomous archaeological aspect of this research.
Keywords: survey, reconnaissance, post-medieval archaeology,
military archaeology, field fortifications, entrenchment,
military engineers, border, border defense, military campaign,
mountain warfare, alpine valleys, Maira, Varaita, Stura,
Austrian Succession War, Savoy States, Piedmont (Piémont),
Dauphiné, High Provence (Haute-Provence).
Keywords. Island of Crete, Candia, Venice, Venetian dominions, Levant, Savoy, Ottoman Empire, siege warfare, 17th century military art, underground warfare, mines, siege trenches, parallel trenches, artillery, mortars, sorties, bastion, gunboat, moat, palisade, assault
Keywords: Field Fortifications. Defence Line. Trenches. Military Archeology. Warof the Austrian Succession. Kingdomof Sardinia. Dauphiné. Border/Fron¬tier. Strategy. Orderof Battle. Volume of Fire. Ranks. Platoon. Battalion. Regiment. Rifle. Pertuisanne. Esponton. Honor. Duty. Professionalism.
as a specific field of archaeology as well as a tool for both military and social
history. The author states the specific nature of the archaeological-military procedures
with respect to the general methods of archeology, in dating and contextualizing
the finds and transformations that war imprints on terrains and landscapes.
In addition to geo-cartographic and geological knowledge, military archeology
requires full mastery of technique (weapons, equipment) and tactics, and presents
analogies with the scientific police.
Key Words. Military (Conflict, Battlefield, Siege) Archaeology, Military
History, Survey, Strategy, Tactics
Key words: entrenchment, military fortifications, confines, Alps, trinceramento, fortificazione campale, confine, strategia, Alpi
and Sources Concerning the Field Defenses of the
Savoy in the 18th Century. This paper presents the results of
research conducted in the Maira valley (Cuneo, Italy) to identify
field fortifications built by the engineers of the King of Sardinia
which historical sources date to the years of the War of Austrian
Succession (1742-1748). The archaeological surveys carried
out on the hills of Preit, Gardetta, Mulo and Bicocca made it
possible to locate the best and worst preserved remains of these
fortifications and the typological and constructive study confirms
the dating to the 18th century. This article in the first section is
dedicated to the report on the research on the ground, compared
with archival sources, and in the second part to the history of
the design and construction of fortifications (1742-1744) and
to a brief description of the war events in which the sites and
structures were protagonists (1744). To conclude, this research
is placed in the context of a status quaestionis inherent to the
studies currently developed regarding the field fortifications of
the Alpine defensive system of the Kingdom of Sardinia and the
particular and autonomous archaeological aspect of this research.
Keywords: survey, reconnaissance, post-medieval archaeology,
military archaeology, field fortifications, entrenchment,
military engineers, border, border defense, military campaign,
mountain warfare, alpine valleys, Maira, Varaita, Stura,
Austrian Succession War, Savoy States, Piedmont (Piémont),
Dauphiné, High Provence (Haute-Provence).
Keywords. Island of Crete, Candia, Venice, Venetian dominions, Levant, Savoy, Ottoman Empire, siege warfare, 17th century military art, underground warfare, mines, siege trenches, parallel trenches, artillery, mortars, sorties, bastion, gunboat, moat, palisade, assault
Keywords: Field Fortifications. Defence Line. Trenches. Military Archeology. Warof the Austrian Succession. Kingdomof Sardinia. Dauphiné. Border/Fron¬tier. Strategy. Orderof Battle. Volume of Fire. Ranks. Platoon. Battalion. Regiment. Rifle. Pertuisanne. Esponton. Honor. Duty. Professionalism.
as a specific field of archaeology as well as a tool for both military and social
history. The author states the specific nature of the archaeological-military procedures
with respect to the general methods of archeology, in dating and contextualizing
the finds and transformations that war imprints on terrains and landscapes.
In addition to geo-cartographic and geological knowledge, military archeology
requires full mastery of technique (weapons, equipment) and tactics, and presents
analogies with the scientific police.
Key Words. Military (Conflict, Battlefield, Siege) Archaeology, Military
History, Survey, Strategy, Tactics
Key words: entrenchment, military fortifications, confines, Alps, trinceramento, fortificazione campale, confine, strategia, Alpi
Overall, this volume focuses the reader’s attention on Casale’s role as a logistical base for the Armée d’Italie in the Po Valley during the campaigns from 1701 to 1706
Review by Giambattista Garbarino in "Quaderni della Soprintendenza Archeologica del Piemonte", 30, 2015, p. 426 :
Per diversi secoli, dal tardo Medioevo fino all'inizio del XVIII secolo, il confine tra i domini sabaudi - a nord, in valle di Susa - e le terre delfinali dell'Outre-Monts, appartenenti al Regno di Francia, correva lungo la dorsale del monte Orsiera. Il varco principale tra le due vallate è il colle delle Finestre (2.176 m s.l.m.), cui offre una più impervia alternativa il vicino colle di Fattières (2.510 m s.l.m.), su una stretta cresta sotto il vertice del monte Pintas, posto a controllo del primo. A presidio di entrambi i valichi, dagli ultimi anni del XVI secolo andarono formandosi, sia per iniziativa francese sia sabauda, sistemi fortificati campali, spesso passati dall'una all’altra mano. Con la pace di Utrecht (1713) e la cessione dell'alta valle Chisone ai Savoia, il confine di Stato si allontanò da questo settore, che tuttavia non diminuì affatto la sua funzione strategica. È anzi al periodo successivo a questa data - in particolare, all'epoca della guerra di successione austriaca (1744-1746) - che risalgono gli interventi di ricostruzione delle fortificazioni, testimoniate dai resti attualmente visibili ai confini comunali di Usseaux, Meana di Susa e Gravere. La monografia presenta gli esiti – solo in minima parte anticipati sul numero 28 (2013) di questi Quaderni - di un accuratissimo studio documentario affiancato da successive campagne di scrupolose indagini archeologiche di superficie (adottando in particolare il metodo della ricognizione non sistematica, ma anche attraverso ridotti saggi stratigrafici), che hanno comportato la schedatura, il rilievo e la documentazione fotografica di tutte le evidenze delle opere fortificatorie superstiti.
Review by Giambattista Garbarino in "Quaderni della Soprintendenza Archeologica del Piemonte", 28, 2013, p. 347 :
Il 6° volume della collana “Notebooks on Military Archaeology and Architecture”, di cui lo stesso Autore è curatore, prende in esame le fortificazioni campali limitanee realizzate tra XVII e XVIII sull’arco alpino ccidentale a difesa dello Stato sabaudo. Quest’ultimo, dall’epoca del duca Emanuele Filiberto, aveva assunto un ruolo strategico nel quadro delle relazioni politiche e degli assetti militari europei: conseguentemente, fu congegnato un sistema difensivo articolato su una doppia linea di piazzeforti pedemontane e di fortezze di media valle. Poiché a queste ultime sfuggiva il controllo dei percorsi di penetrazione e di aggiramento, sugli spartiacque furono costruiti apprestamenti campali, in particolare campi trincerati. Dopo una definizione disciplinare dell’archeologia militare, il volume – a partire dalle classificazioni e dalla nomenclatura della trattatistica militare d’età moderna – propone una tipologia di tali fortificazioni. Si tratta di una tipologia costruita secondo un ordine gerarchico: sette categorie distinte su basi morfologiche (particolarmente, planimetriche) si articolano in sottotipi, individuati secondo criteri compositivi (che mettono in luce il rapporto reciproco tra le diverse strutture e tra queste e la topografia del sito) e di destinazione (legati alle finalità tattico-strategiche). La classificazione, inoltre, è di tipo aperto e consente l’inserimento di nuove varianti. Pur in assenza di un censimento sistematico, l’Autore illustra la tipologia proposta con alcune esemplificazioni, facendo ampio ricorso alle fonti d’archivio, alla cartografia storica e alle foto aeree. Si segnala inoltre un utilissimo e vasto repertorio bibliografico ragionato
The fortifications of Magna Graecia in the Late Classical and Hellenistic periods form the subject of the book by R. Sconfienza, which forms the first volume in a new series on
military archaeology and architecture. The author gives a detailed description and classification of military fortifications described by ancient Greek authors. The second part of the work is devoted to an architectural study of the fortifications of such cities and sites as Taranto, Metaponto, the castle of Paludi, Crotone, Caulonia, Locri, Velia and Paestum. Attention is paid also to the defence of their agricultural territories. The book is lavishly illustrated
by plans and reconstructions
This volume synthesises the available evidence for military architecture in Liguria in the Early Middle Ages, combining archaeological and documentary evidence. A particular focus is on the 5th-6th centuries under the Byzantine domination, when many of the region's fortifications were constructed, later to be reused by the Lombards, and for which the most evidence exists. Italian text
Review in http://www.akademika.no :
Friar Dolcino, the founder of a society called the Apostelic Bretheren in 1260, was condemned as a 'treacherous heretic' and was persecuted by the Catholic Church for his heretical teachings and writings during the early 14th century, most notably his claim that authority had passed from the Roman Church to the Bretheren. This persecution culminated in an almost year-long siege at Monte Rubello near the Italian town of Trivero which led to Dolcino's eventual surrender in March 1307 and his burning as a heretic shortly after. This study examines the events of 1305-7, the church's crusade against heretics and against Dolcino specifically, and describes and analyses the siege as it unfolded and the final battle that took place. Italian text
The authors reviewed are the following forty:
Pier Paolo Battistelli, Paola Bianchi, Jeremy Martin Black, Lee L. Brice, Giancarlo Boeri, François Cadiou, Guido Candiani, Filippo Cappellano, Domenico Carro, Song-Suan Chen, Jamie H. Cockfield, William Dalrymple, Piero Del Negro, Fabio De Ninno, Basilio Di Martino, Gianna Christine Fenaroli, Larrie D. Ferreiro, John Lewis Gaddis, Paolo Gaspari, Paolo Grillo, John Haldon, Gregory Hanlon, Virgilio Ilari, David L. Lupher, Sinclair McKay, Aleksander Mikaberidze, Benny Morris, Christian Th. Muller, Antonio Musarra, Levon Nordiguan, Gerassimos Pagratis, Carlos Perez Fernandez Turegano, Christopher Philips, Carmine Pinto, Paolo Pozzato, Roberto Sconfienza, Aldo A. Settia, Jim Storr, Jean-Claude Voisin, Daniel Whittingham.