Republic of Pescara

Republic of Pescara Repubblica Pescarese
1799–1799
Flag of the Republic of Pescara
Status	Client state of the French First Republic Part of the Parthenopean Republic
Capital	Pescara
Common languages	Italian, Neapolitan
Government	Republic
President of the Supreme Council
Historical era	French Revolutionary Wars
• Republic proclaimed	January 1799 1799
• Bourbon restoration	30 June 1799 1799
Succeeded by Kingdom of Naples
Today part of	Part of Italy

The Republic of Pescara (Italian: Repubblica Pescarese) is a name used to describe the short-lived provisional Jacobin government established in the fortress city of Pescara in 1799. ^[1] It was a client state of the French First Republic and part of the wider Parthenopean Republic.

History

In December 1798, French troops under General Duhesme captured the fortress of Pescara as part of the French invasion of the Kingdom of Naples. ^[1] Following the French advance, republican sympathizers, known as Jacobins, established provisional governments in several cities. In the Abruzzo region, this led to the formation of a temporary republican administration with Pescara becoming a key political, administrative, and military center. ^[1]

The government in Pescara was established in January 1799. The prominent intellectual and politician Melchiorre Delfico was appointed president of the "Supremo Consiglio di Pescara" (Supreme Council of Pescara). ^[1] Pescara-born General Gabriele Manthoné  [ it ] was another leading figure of this period, serving as the Minister of War for the broader Parthenopean Republic in Naples. ^[1]

The Republic of Pescara was an integral part of the Parthenopean Republic, which had divided the former kingdom's territory into departments. The Parthenopean administration created a Supreme Council seated at Pescara, which functioned as the chief local political and administrative authority. ^[1]

The existence of the republican government in Pescara was brief. The Parthenopean Republic collapsed in June 1799 following a counter-revolutionary movement, the Sanfedisti, led by Cardinal Fabrizio Ruffo, and the subsequent restoration of the Bourbon monarchy. Pescara was the last Jacobin stronghold in the region to surrender, capitulating on June 30, 1799. Following the restoration, many republicans, including Gabriele Manthoné, were arrested and executed, while Melchiorre Delfico managed to escape into exile. ^[1]

Flag

The flag of the Republic of Pescara was a vertical bicolor of yellow and red. ^[2]

See Also

• Parthenopean Republic
• Sister republic
• History of Pescara

References

1. Masciangioli, Fabrizio (1987). "Melchiorre Delfico e Pescara". De Filippis–Delfico (family archive site) (in Italian). Retrieved 3 October 2025.
2. "Italy: Pescara". WorldStatesmen.org. Retrieved 3 October 2025.