L’ASSEDIO DI GAETA

THE SIEGE OF GAETA

FEBRUARY 13TH:

GAETA AND SOUTH OF ITALY CELEBRATE THE DAY OF REMEMBRANCE FOR THE SOUTHERN VICTIMS (685,000 CIVILIAN DEATHS) OF THE UNIFICATION OF ITALY

The Siege of Gaeta was the concluding event of the war between the Kingdom of Sardinia and the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, part of the unification of Italy. It started on November 5, 1860 and ended February 13, 1861, and took place in Gaeta, in today's Southern Lazio (Italy).

When Gaeta fell there were approximately 10,000 Bourbon prisoners of war either captured in the later part of Garibaldi’s campaign or the opening of Piedmont’s campaign in south Italy. The men were distributed among the prisons of the south but most were sent off to horrid prison camps in the north of Italy.