Jean André Tiburce, viscount Sébastiani de La Porta, was a French

general A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...

and politician. He was born on 21 March 1786 in La Porta (

Haute-Corse Haute-Corse (; , or ; ) is a department of France, consisting of the northern part of the island of Corsica. The corresponding departmental territorial collectivity merged with that of Corse-du-Sud on 1 January 2018, forming the single ter ...

) and died on 16 September 1871 in

Bastia Bastia ( , , , ; ) is a communes of France, commune in the Departments of France, department of Haute-Corse, Corsica, France. It is located in the northeast of the island of Corsica at the base of Cap Corse. It also has the second-highest popu ...

(Haute-Corse). Deputy of

Corsica Corsica ( , , ; ; ) is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the Regions of France, 18 regions of France. It is the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean and lies southeast of the Metro ...

from 1828 to 1837, and

Peer of France The Peerage of France () was a hereditary distinction within the French nobility which appeared in 1180 during the Middle Ages. The prestigious title and position of Peer of France () was held by the greatest, highest-ranking members of the Fr ...

, he was the brother of the

Marshal of France Marshal of France (, plural ') is a French military distinction, rather than a military rank, that is awarded to General officer, generals for exceptional achievements. The title has been awarded since 1185, though briefly abolished (1793–1804) ...

and politician

Horace Sébastiani Quintus Horatius Flaccus (; 8 December 65 BC – 27 November 8 BC),Suetonius, Life of Horace commonly known in the English-speaking world as Horace (), was the leading Roman lyric poet during the time of Augustus (also known as Octavian). The ...

.Sébastiani (Tiburce, vicomte), «
Biographies et nécrologies des hommes marquants du XIXe siècle
' », Volume 2, p. 193, Victor Lacaine et H.-Charles Laurent, 1845.List of the parliamentary terms and biography on the site of the French National Assembly:
Jean, André, Tiburce Sébastiani (1786–1871)
'

Life

Youth

Tiburce Sébastiani was born in La Porta (

) on 21 March 1786. He was the son of Joseph-Marie Sébastiani, a wealthy tailor and craftsman, and of the signora Maria Pietra Francesca Alterice Franceschi. His older brother was the future

and politician

. Tiburce would later marry Marie Laetitia Paravicini on 19 November 1817. In 1789, during the French Revolution, the Sébastiani family was forced to move to France to flee the revolutionary troubles in Corsica. Tiburce was then a pupil of the National military Prytaneum of Paris, then of the Military School of Fontainebleau (Saint-Cyr), from where he left in October 1806 with the rank of Second lieutenant in the

1st regiment of Dragoons The Royal Dragoons (1st Dragoons) was a heavy cavalry regiment of the British Army. The regiment was formed in 1661 as the Tangier Horse. It served for three centuries and was in action during the First and the Second World Wars. It was amalgam ...

Napoleonic Wars

He participated first in the expedition of Portugal led by General Junot, where he took part in the

battle of Vimeiro In the Battle of Vimeiro (sometimes shown as "Vimiera" or "Vimeira" in contemporary British texts) on 21 August 1808, the British under General Arthur Wellesley (who later became the Duke of Wellington) defeated the French under Major-Gene ...

, then in

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

, under the orders of his brother General Horace Sébastiani (1809–1811), where he distinguished in the battles of Ciudad Real, Santa-Cruz, Talaveira, Almonacid, in the passage of the

Sierra Morena The Sierra Morena is one of the main systems of mountain ranges in Spain. It stretches for 450 kilometres from east to west across the south of the Iberian Peninsula, forming the southern border of the ''Meseta Central'' plateau and providi ...

(where he was elevated to the rank of Knight of the

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...

on 23 June 1810) . and in the take of Malaga. He received command of mobile columns, at the head of which he fought in turn the Spaniards and the English, notably at

Motril Motril () is a town and municipality of Spain belonging to the province of Granada, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. The main settlement is located a few kilometers inland, separated from the Port of Motril by the Guadalfeo delta. Mo ...

, which he captured, and under the walls of

Gibraltar Gibraltar ( , ) is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory and British overseas cities, city located at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula, on the Bay of Gibraltar, near the exit of the Mediterranean Sea into the A ...

. Called in 1812 to the

Grande Armée The (; ) was the primary field army of the French Imperial Army (1804–1815), French Imperial Army during the Napoleonic Wars. Commanded by Napoleon, from 1804 to 1808 it won a series of military victories that allowed the First French Empi ...

, he was appointed aide-de-camp to the Count of Narbonne. He participated in the campaign of Russia, showed bravery there at the

battle of Borodino The Battle of Borodino ( ) or Battle of Moscow (), in popular literature also known as the Battle of the Generals, took place on the outskirts of Moscow near the village of Borodino on 7 September 1812 during Napoleon's invasion of Russia. ...

, and was part of the vanguard that entered Moscow, as squadron commander of the 11th regiment of Horse Chasseurs. He was made

Colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

in 1813 at the

battle of Dresden The Battle of Dresden (26–27 August 1813) was a major engagement of the Napoleonic Wars. The battle took place around the city of Dresden in modern-day Germany. With the recent addition of Austria, the Sixth Coalition felt emboldened in t ...

and fought at the battles of Leipzig and

Hanau Hanau () is a city in the Main-Kinzig-Kreis, in Hesse, Germany. It is 25 km east of Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main and part of the Frankfurt Rhine-Main, Frankfurt Rhine-Main Metropolitan Region. Its railway Hanau Hauptbahnhof, station is a ma ...

. He showed real courage during the 1814 campaign and at the

battle of Ligny The Battle of Ligny, in which French troops of the under the command of Napoleon I defeated part of a Prussian army under Field Marshal Blücher, was fought on 16 June 1815 near Ligny in what is now Belgium. The result was a tactical victor ...

. Very weak, he could not take part in the

battle of Waterloo The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815, near Waterloo, Belgium, Waterloo (then in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, now in Belgium), marking the end of the Napoleonic Wars. The French Imperial Army (1804–1815), Frenc ...

. After a final battle in Patte-d'Oie to protect the retreat of the French army, he retired with the remains of the army behind the

Loire The Loire ( , , ; ; ; ; ) is the longest river in France and the 171st longest in the world. With a length of , it drains , more than a fifth of France's land, while its average discharge is only half that of the Rhône. It rises in the so ...

Under the Restoration

On the return of the Bourbons, he went to his native country, and three years later, in 1818, he was given command of the Corsican legion (12th Regiment of Horse Chasseurs). Appointed

Maréchal de camp ''Maréchal de camp'' (sometimes incorrectly translated as field marshal) was a general officer rank used by the French Army until 1848. The rank originated from the older rank of sergeant major general ( French: ''sergent-major général'') ...

at the seniority, in 1823, he was rapidly being put in non-activity because of his political ideas and especially because of the political attitude of his brother Horace. On 28 April 1828, the Grand College of Corsica, by 20 votes out of 35 voters, sent him to sit at the

Chamber of Deputies The chamber of deputies is the lower house in many bicameral legislatures and the sole house in some unicameral legislatures. Description Historically, French Chamber of Deputies was the lower house of the French Parliament during the Bourb ...

. He voted with the constitutional party, in the opposition. By the ordinance of 24 July 1828, he was then sent to Greece as a field marshal to participate in the

Morea expedition The Morea expedition () is the name given to the land intervention of the French Army in the Peloponnese between 1828 and 1833, at the time of the Greek War of Independence, with the aim of expelling the Ottoman-Egyptian occupation forces from ...

(1828), under the orders of Marshal Maison, during the

Greek War of Independence The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution or the Greek Revolution of 1821, was a successful war of independence by Greek revolutionaries against the Ottoman Empire between 1821 and 1829. In 1826, the Greeks were assisted ...

. At the head of the 1st brigade of the expeditionary forces, he liberated the city of Coron (on 7 October 1828)

Nicolas Joseph Maison Nicolas Joseph Maison, marquis de Maison (; 19 December 1771 – 13 February 1840) was a French military officer who served in the French Revolutionary Wars, the Napoleonic Wars, and as commander of the Morea expedition during the Greek War of In ...

(Lieutenant-général) : ''dépêches adressées au ministre de la Guerre Louis-Victor de Caux, vicomte de Blacquetot,'' octobre 1828, in Jacques Mangeart, Chapitre Supplémentaire des
Souvenirs de la Morée: recueillis pendant le séjour des Français dans le Peloponèse
', Igonette, Paris, 1830. from the Turkish-Egyptian occupation troops of Ibrahim Pasha. He finally left the Greek soil after four months of mission in the Peloponnese, in 1829, after having completely liberated Greece from the occupier. Upon returning from this campaign, he was promoted by king

Charles X Charles X may refer to: * Charles X of France (1757–1836) * Charles X Gustav (1622–1660), King of Sweden * Charles, Cardinal de Bourbon (1523–1590), recognized as Charles X of France but renounced the royal title See also * * King Charle ...

Commander of the Royal and Military Order of Saint-Louis and then, Grand Commander of the

Order of the Redeemer The Order of the Redeemer (), also known as the Order of the Saviour, is an order of merit of Greece. The Order of the Redeemer is the oldest and highest decoration awarded by the modern Greek state. Establishment The establishment of the Orde ...

by the new independent Greek State, in 1830. Following the

July Revolution The French Revolution of 1830, also known as the July Revolution (), Second French Revolution, or ("Three Glorious ays), was a second French Revolution after French Revolution, the first of 1789–99. It led to the overthrow of King Cha ...

, Sébastiani was re-elected deputy (17 November 1830) by 22 votes (out of 37 voters), and received from the

July Monarchy The July Monarchy (), officially the ''Kingdom of France'' (), was a liberalism, liberal constitutional monarchy in France under , starting on 9 August 1830, after the revolutionary victory of the July Revolution of 1830, and ending 26 Februar ...

the rank of

Lieutenant general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was norma ...

on 27 February 1831. In 1832 he received command of the First Division of the Army of the North and campaigned in Belgium, where he attended the siege of Antwerp. Re-elected deputy, on 5 July 1831, in the first college of

(

Ajaccio Ajaccio (, , ; French language, French: ; or ; , locally: ; ) is the capital and largest city of Corsica, France. It forms a communes of France, French commune, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Corse-du-Sud, and head o ...

), by 93 votes out of 97 voters, 148 registered, and then, on 5 July 1834, by 97 votes out of 98 voters, 150 registered, he did not cease support with his votes the government of king

Louis-Philippe Louis Philippe I (6 October 1773 – 26 August 1850), nicknamed the Citizen King, was King of the French from 1830 to 1848, the penultimate monarch of France, and the last French monarch to bear the title "King". He abdicated from his throne ...

. Raised to the

Peerage A peerage is a legal system historically comprising various hereditary titles (and sometimes Life peer, non-hereditary titles) in a number of countries, and composed of assorted Imperial, royal and noble ranks, noble ranks. Peerages include: A ...

on 3 October 1837, he followed the same line of conduct at the

Luxembourg Palace The Luxembourg Palace (, ) is at 15 Rue de Vaugirard in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, France. It was originally built (1615–1645) to the designs of the French architect Salomon de Brosse to be the royal residence of the regent Marie de' Med ...

(seat of the Chamber of Peers), became commander of the military division of

Marseille Marseille (; ; see #Name, below) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Bouches-du-Rhône and of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region. Situated in the ...

, and, in 1842, of that of Paris, which he kept until the eve of the

French Revolution of 1848 The French Revolution of 1848 (), also known as the February Revolution (), was a period of civil unrest in France, in February 1848, that led to the collapse of the July Monarchy and the foundation of the French Second Republic. It sparked t ...

. Tiburce Sébastiani withdrew to Corsica after the revolution of 1848 and remained away from politics. He was raised to the rank of Grand Cross of the

on 5 January 1845. He died in

(

) on 16 September 1871.

Decorations

* French decorations: ** Ordre_Royal_et_Militaire_de_Saint-Louis_Chevalier_ribbon

''Commander'' of the Royal and Military Order of Saint-Louis (22 February 1829). ** Legion_Honneur_Chevalier_ribbon

''Knight'' of the Order of the Legion of Honour (23 June 1810). ** Legion_Honneur_Officier_ribbon

''Officer'' of the Legion of Honour (18 February 1814). ** Legion_Honneur_Commandeur_ribbon

''Commander'' of the Legion of Honour (16 November 1832). ** Legion_Honneur_GO_ribbon

''Grand-officer'' of the Legion of Honour (29 April 1833). ** Legion_Honneur_GC_ribbon

''Grand-croix'' of the Legion of Honour (5 January 1845). * Foreign decorations: ** GRE_Order_Redeemer_2Class

''Grand''-''Commander'' of the Order of the Redeemer (Greece) ** BEL - Order of Leopold - Grand Officer bar

''Grand-commander'' of the Order of Leopold (Belgium) * Crown of a Viscount of France

Viscount A viscount ( , for male) or viscountess (, for female) is a title used in certain European countries for a noble of varying status. The status and any domain held by a viscount is a viscounty. In the case of French viscounts, the title is ...

(30 June 1830). *

Pair de France The Peerage of France () was a hereditary distinction within the French nobility which appeared in 1180 during the Middle Ages. The prestigious title and position of Peer of France () was held by the greatest, highest-ranking members of the Fr ...

on 3 October 1837

Notes and references

Bibliography

* « Sébastiani (Jean André Tiburce, vicomte) », dans Adolphe Robert et Gaston Cougny, Dictionnaire des parlementaires français, Edgar Bourloton, 1889–1891 étail de l’édition exte sur Sycomore * Sébastiani (Tiburce, vicomte), «
Biographies et nécrologies des hommes marquants du XIXe siècle
' », Volume 2, p. 193, Victor Lacaine et H.-Charles Laurent, 1845. *Sébastiani Tiburce
« ''Dictionnaire des colonels de Napoléon'' »
pp. 787–788, Danielle and Bernard Quintin (preface by Jean Tulard), editions SPM-Lettrage, Paris, 2013.

External links

* Resources related to his public life: Base Léonore; Base Sycomore : ** (National Order of the Legion of Honour)
« List of the parliamentary terms of Jean, André, Tiburce Sébastiani (1786–1871) », base Sycomore
(French National Assembly). * Defence Historical Service – Fort de Vincennes – Dossier S.H.A.T. Côte : 7 Yd 1 103. ** Cote S.H.A.T., state of services, distinctions on {{DEFAULTSORT:Sébastiani, Tiburce People from Corsica Members of the Chamber of Peers of the July Monarchy Members of the Chamber of Deputies of the July Monarchy Commanders of the Order of Saint Louis Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour 19th-century Viscounts of France Military governors of Paris French generals 1786 births 1871 deaths French military personnel of the Napoleonic Wars