The House of Bonaparte is a former imperial and royal European dynasty of Italian (Genoese) origin. It was founded in 1804 by Napoleon I, the son of Corsican nobleman Carlo Buonaparte and Letizia Buonaparte. Napoleon was a French military leader who rose to power during the French Revolution and who, in 1804, transformed the First French Republic into the First French Empire, five years after his coup d'état of November 1799. Napoleon and the Grande Armée had to fight against every major European power and dominated continental Europe through a series of military victories during the Napoleonic Wars. He installed members of his family on the thrones of client states, expanding the power of the dynasty.
Joseph-Napoléon Bonaparte was a French statesman, lawyer, diplomat and older brother of Napoleon Bonaparte. During the Napoleonic Wars, the latter made him King of Naples (1806–1808), and then King of Spain (1808–1813). After the fall of Napoleon, Joseph styled himself Comte de Survilliers and emigrated to the United States, where he settled near Bordentown, New Jersey, on an estate overlooking the Delaware River not far from Philadelphia.
Ferdinand I was the King of the Two Sicilies from 1816, after his restoration following victory in the Napoleonic Wars. Before that he had been, since 1759, Ferdinand IV of the Kingdom of Naples and Ferdinand III of the Kingdom of Sicily. He was also King of Gozo. He was deposed twice from the throne of Naples: once by the revolutionary Parthenopean Republic for six months in 1799 and again by Napoleon in 1805, before being restored in 1816.
Fabrizio Dionigi Ruffo was an Italian cardinal and politician, who led the popular anti-Jacobin Sanfedismo movement.
Altamura is a town and comune of Apulia, in southern Italy. It is located on one of the hills of the Murge plateau in the Metropolitan City of Bari, 45 kilometres southwest of Bari, close to the border with Basilicata. As of 2017, its population amounts to 70,595 inhabitants.
Altamura Cathedral, dedicated to the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is a Roman Catholic cathedral in the city of Altamura, in the Metropolitan City of Bari, Apulia, in southern Italy.
Luisa of Naples and Sicily was Grand Duchess of Tuscany as the wife of Ferdinand III, Grand Duke of Tuscany. She was born a princess of Naples and Sicily as a daughter born to Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies and Maria Carolina of Austria.
The Diocese of Altamura-Gravina-Acquaviva delle Fonti is a Roman Catholic diocese in Apulia, southern Italy, created in 1986. In that year, the territorial prelature of Altamura e Acquaviva delle Fonti was united with the diocese of Gravina. The present diocese is a suffragan of the archdiocese of Bari-Bitonto.
Altamura Castle was a castle located in the city of Altamura, now completely demolished. It was located over today's piazza Matteotti and a few remains of it are still visible inside the adjacent buildings, which were built partly with stones and structural elements from the castle. In a warehouse are an ogival arch and some stone coats of arms. A few other remains are found in the adjacent buildings, which were built in the 19th century.
The Kingdom of Naples was a French client state in southern Italy created in 1806 when the Bourbon Ferdinand IV & VII of Naples and Sicily sided with the Third Coalition against Napoleon and was in return ousted from his kingdom by a French invasion. Joseph Bonaparte, elder brother of Napoleon I, was installed in his stead: Joseph conferred the title "Prince of Naples" to be hereditary to his children and grandchildren. When Joseph became King of Spain in 1808, Napoleon appointed his brother-in-law Joachim Murat to take his place. Murat was later deposed by the Congress of Vienna in 1815 after striking at Austria in the Neapolitan War, in which he was decisively defeated at the Battle of Tolentino.
Luca de Samuele Cagnazzi was an Italian archdeacon, scientist, mathematician, political economist. He also wrote a book about pedagogy and invented the tonograph.
The Altamuran Revolution was a three-month period of self-government of Italian town Altamura, right after the birth of the Parthenopean Republic which ousted the Bourbons and the Kingdom of Naples. The city of the Kingdom of Naples was then defeated and taken by the so-called Sanfedisti, led by cardinal Fabrizio Ruffo, after a battle on the city walls. After being defeated, most Altamurans managed to flee through Porta Bari, one of Altamura's main gates.
Gioacchino de Gemmis was a Catholic bishop, archpriest, prelate and rector of the University of Altamura. He's best known for his role in the so-called Altamuran Revolution (1799), advocating peace and helping the refugees, who had fled Altamura after the battle with the Sanfedisti, to be allowed in Terlizzi.
Massimo Santoro Tubito or Latin: Maximus Xanthorus Tubitus was an Italian priest and writer. He's best known for his books Divinum Theatrum (1702) and De Antichristo (1712), both of them written in Latin. The subjects covered are history and religion.
Ottavio Serena was an Italian politician, judge, prefect and historian. He is known in his hometown Altamura for his works about local history, such as the Altamuran Revolution (1799). His contribution and the testimonies he collected allowed to shed light on some historical events (such as the killing of Giovanni Firrao and on legendary toponyms.
Onorato Candiota was an Italian professor of philosophy and math at the Real Convitto di Bari, in Bari, Italy. He lived between the 18th and 19th centuries. The exact dates and places of birth and death are currently unknown, even though it is known that he was from Altamura, Italy. He's best known for his participation in the so-called Altamuran Revolution (1799). He died short after 1808.
Porta Bari, previously called Porta de Bari, was one of the main gates of the city of Altamura, before the city walls of the city were torn down over the 19th century. Similarly to most European cities, the city walls were torn down, because the new technology and military techniques employed starting from the 19th century made them useless for defense purposes.
Domenico Sacchinelli was an abbot of the Catholic church. He is best known for having followed and helped Fabrizio Ruffo and the Sanfedisti army to restore the Kingdom of Naples and the Bourbon dynasty, after the short-lived Parthenopean Republic (1799). In 1836, after a few decades, he published his memoirs of that period, titled Memorie storiche sulla vita del cardinale Fabrizio Ruffo.
The Accademia Nazionale Virgiliana di Scienze Lettere ed Arti is an Italian scientific institution.
Porta Matera was one of the main gates of the old city of Altamura. They were part of the City Walls of Altamura, which were completely demolished during the nineteenth century since they had become useless for defence purposes. The gate itself was demolished in 1872. The monastery Monastero del Soccorso is located on the left side of the gate, while on the right some ruins of the city walls can be seen, presumably saved from destruction because of the bas-relief depicting "Pipino's leg".
