The phenomenon of brigandage, typical of central-southern Italy, also involved Cilento. Moreover, the entire southern part of the current province of Salerno, together with other Apennine locations, has always been a hotbed of revolt. Feared by the Bourbon sovereigns, who already at the beginning of the XNUMXth century considered this land hostile to the central power, Cilento has always relied on the extraordinary tenacity of its rebels. Not even the ruthless Bourbon repression managed to erase the memory of such courage, as evidenced by the commemorative inscriptions present in many Cilento villages.
The history of brigandage in Cilento: the revolts of 1828
The popular uprisings that shook Cilento in 1828 soon resulted in an attempted insurrection against the central power of the Bourbons. Promoted by groups of activists, whose objective was to restore the Constitution of 1820, they were quelled with many difficulties by the soldiers who arrived here from Naples. But what was the constitution of 1820? It was a proposal put forward by Ferdinand I, rejected to re-establish what was in all respects an absolutist regime. The Philadelphia society, led by Antonio Maria De Luca, born in Celle di Bulgheria, promoted the uprising. Several Carbonari and even some brigands joined the revolt, led by the Capozzoli brothers. The repression was ruthless, so much so that De Luca, to avoid retaliation against his country, decided to turn himself in. A few days later he was killed in Salerno. As luck would have it, the Capozzoli brothers' gang managed to escape just in time, fleeing to Corsica. He returned to Cilento only a year later: many of them, however, were captured and shot Palinuro.
The riots of 1848
The uprisings of 1848 preceded Garibaldi's Expedition of the Thousand and were inspired by the anti-Bourbon uprisings in Palermo. Some secret groups took advantage of the chaos and took to the streets pollica, castellabate e Torchiara. It was Costabile Carducci, very close to the Carbonari, who led the revolt. After having won some victories, he even managed to induce the Bourbons to revise the Constitution. However, following the dissolution of parliament imposed by the king, Carducci was forced to take refuge in Rome. Upon returning to Cilento, he was captured near Maratea and sentenced to death. A few days later, the Bourbon army began a bloody repression, suffocating any patriotic impulse until the arrival of Carlo Pisacane in 1857.
The phenomenon of brigandage after the unification of Italy
The affirmation of brigandage was the result of the invasion of the Savoys, which effectively overthrew the Bourbons. The brigands had sporadically fought the absolutist Bourbon monarchy, but after 1861 they united to overthrow the Piedmontese occupation. Rampant poverty, political instability and general discontent, also caused by the increase in taxes, did the rest. The unification of Italy immediately produced disastrous effects for the economy of southern Italy: several companies emigrated to the north and public works were promptly assigned to companies from Piedmont. Brigandage echoed the people's discontent, promoting a revolt that encompassed almost all of southern Italy. A sort of civil war was born, aimed at overthrowing those who everyone considered the new masters.
The Cilento brigands
Several brigands took part in the uprisings of 1828, including the aforementioned Capozzoli brothers, but also Antonio Galotti, Giuseppe Ferrara, Nicola Gammarano, Angelo Lerro and Michelina De Cesare. Donato, Patrizio and Domenico Capozzoli, born in Monteforte Cilento, created a large group of conspirators, active since 1817. The original nucleus was soon joined by Francesco Ciardella and Pasquale Russo, also from Monteforte. Other groups were born in Capaccio and Magliano Vetere and took part in the uprisings of 1848. Later, one of the most important gangs was the one led by Giuseppe Tardio, Pietro Lucido Rubano and Giuseppe Esposito. The group was defeated in Caselle in Pittari in 1862.
