Luisa Battistati was an Italian 19th-century woman who is recorded in American writer Sarah Josepha Hale’s ''Sketches of all distinguished women'' (1853) as a heroine of the insurrection against

Austrian Austrian may refer to: * Austrians, someone from Austria or of Austrian descent ** Someone who is considered an Austrian citizen, see Austrian nationality law * Austrian German dialect * Something associated with the country Austria, for example: ...

rule that had taken place in

Lombardy Lombardy ( it, Lombardia, Lombard language, Lombard: ''Lombardia'' or ''Lumbardia' '') is an administrative regions of Italy, region of Italy that covers ; it is located in the northern-central part of the country and has a population of about 10 ...

known as the Five Days of Milan. The revolt took place during the period 18–22 March 1848 and was successful in expelling the Austrian garrison, commanded by

Josef Radetzky Johann Josef Wenzel Anton Franz Karl, Graf Radetzky von Radetz ( en, John Joseph Wenceslaus Anthony Francis Charles, Count Radetzky of Radetz; cz, Jan Josef Václav Antonín František Karel hrabě Radecký z Radče; sl, Janez Jožef Vencelj ...

, from the city. Radetzky would re-enter Milan on 6 August of that year, however, and Austria remained in control of the city until 1859. Hale wrote:

A native of Stradella,
Sardinia Sardinia ( ; it, Sardegna, label=Italian, Corsican and Tabarchino ; sc, Sardigna , sdc, Sardhigna; french: Sardaigne; sdn, Saldigna; ca, Sardenya, label=Algherese and Catalan) is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after ...
, and a
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at
Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
, uisa Battistatidisplayed remarkable courage during the five days of the Revolution at Milan, in 1848. On Sunday, March 10th, she disarmed a cavalry soldier, though he carried a carbine. She placed herself at the head of the Poppietti bridge, and steadily continued there, fighting against the enemy during the 20th, 21st, and 22d days f March heading a valiant band of young men, and killing a Croate at every shot. She defended the large establishment at Vettabia, which contained 580 persons, being the edifice in which the widows and their children, and other females took refuge when Barbaressa stormed Milan. This young woman was, in 1850, married, and doing duty in the civic guard.

Her entry in

Henry Gardiner Adams Henry Gardiner Adams (c.1811–1881) was an English druggist and chemist, known as an author and anthologist. He wrote juvenile literature under the pseudonym Nemo. Life Adams acted as secretary to the Mechanics Institute at Chatham. He was also ...

’s ''A Cyclopaedia of Female Biography'' (1857) is identical down to the spelling, save for the statement that ‘ this woman must be given a place in history, beside the heroine of Saragossa, and other examples of female intrepidity’, while the description of Battistati in Ellen Creathorne Clayton’s ''Female Warriors : Memorials of Female Valour and Heroism, from the Mythological Ages to the Present Era'' (1879) is a paraphrase of Hale’s text.Not only does it read like a paraphrase, with no additional information added, but the bibliography to ''Female Warriors'' makes specific mention of Hale’s work: se
vol. 1, p. xv
She also appears in

Jessica Amanda Salmonson Jessica Amanda Salmonson (born January 6, 1950John Clute and John Grant,Salmonson, Jessica Amanda, in ''The Encyclopedia of Fantasy'', pp. 832–833, Orbit, London / St Martin’s Press, New York (1997).) is an American author and editor of fant ...

’s ''The Encyclopedia of Amazons'' (1991).

Notes

References

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Battistati, Luisa Year of birth missing Year of death missing People from the Province of Pavia History of Milan People of the Revolutions of 1848 Women in 19th-century warfare Women in war in Italy 19th-century Italian people 19th-century Italian women