The Sack of Lugo was a riot and uprising against French troops by inhabitants of Lugo, Emilia-Romagna and neighbouring towns between 30 June and 8 July 1796. [1]
Lugo was subject to the Papal States and was in effect ruled by the papal legate living in Ferrara. At the start of June legate Francesco Maria Pignatelli warned the Holy See that Bonaparte's army was only five miles from the border of the Papal States. On 21 June Pignatelli was summoned to Bologna for consultation but as soon as he arrived there he was dismissed and made a prisoner of war. The following day the 'Municipio' was established in Ferrara, swearing fealty to the Republic and declaring the city and the legation (including Lugo) freed from the Papal States.
On 23 June the French troops demanded that the local population hand in all pointed and edged weapons and firearms within 24 hours. They also emptied the public coffers, seizing 332,000 lira and imposing a contribution of more than 4 million livre tournois on the whole Legation of Ferrara, with fifteen days to raise it. They later also took possession of and ransacked the monte di Pietà.
The order to hand in weapons arrived in Lugo on 26 June, but - when the population had already partially complied - it was revoked on 28 June and weapons were returned to their rightful owners. The same day an order arrived from Ferrara about the contribution, explaining that that capital was only a loan and would be paid back. In Lugo the Trisi College was set as the place for contributions to be handed in.