We received the following press release. --RL Great satisfaction was had by the public and organizers of the “Tolentino 1815” Historical Reenactment of the battle of Tolentino, which was fought 2-3 May 1815 between Neapolitan troops of King Joachim Murat against the Austrians of Baron Frederick Bianchi. It is considered by many historians to be the first battle for Italian Independence. During the first two weeks of May, the Tolentino 815 Association offered an interesting program of varied initiatives to increase interest and study in a fascinating historical period, of the Napoleonic era. After a guided visit, the project of a “Historical Park of the Battle of Tolentino” was presented. The project’s objective is to recover and use the artistic-historical patrimony tied to the events. It is intended to form a cultural itinerary between the ten sites that played important roles in the actions of the battle. The event presented by the President of the Association Paolo Scisciani and Albert Cespi, other participants included the Macerata Province Assessor of Culture and Tourism, R. Pasqualetti; the vice President of the Monti Azzuri Communities, P. Vissani; the Cultural Assessor of the town of Tolentino; President of the Regional Tourism Promotion Agency, R. Piccinini; Regional Councilor F. Massi and G. Salvucci of the Meridiana company. During the 4th and 5th of May, historical groups participated in recreating living history, by dressing in the precisely detailed uniforms, using black powder flintlock weapons and cannon to fire salvos, and sleeping in tents; totally immersed in the life of a soldier from almost two hundred years ago. The faithful recreation of military life, the movement of troops, and the simulation of various parts of the historical encounter gave enthusiasm to the many visitors from all of the regions of Italy, impassioned by this “trip into history”. All was made even more spectacular by a charge of the historical group “Second Light Cavalry Regiment” (2nd Reggimento Cavalleggeri”). This group is sponsored by the Tolentino 815 Association and among the most numerous of its type and one of the best in the “Race of Heads”, a tournament of ability and training typical of military cavalry. Particularly touching was the commemoration for the recently deceased Enrico Tettamanti, formerly head of the Tolentino 815 military section. On 16 May, the official translation of the fifth chapter of the first book “Campaign of the Austrians against Murat in 1815” relating to the “Battle of Tolentino 2, 3, and 4 May 1815” was presented in Macerata to the Second Convention on the theme of “Murat and the Marches (region)”. The publication was organized in collaboration with the association “One hundred cities of the Marches”. The detailed work had been published in 1821 in Brussels and Vienna in French with the author declaring to have been a witness but remaining anonymous signing with initials. The original book is conserved at the Sormani library of Milan and the author of the work is now identified as Baron Constant Villar, by means of the National Library of France, in Paris. The introduction was written by the Historian Hermas Evio Ercoli. This new editorial initiative joins the various publications and films realized to promote knowledge of the historical events tied to the Battle of Tolentino. ASSOCIAZIONE TOLENTINO 815 Via Nazionale, 2 62029 Tolentino (MC) Tel. +39 0733 960778 Fax. +39 0733 960778 info@tolentino815.it http://www.tolentino815.it Ufficio Stampa: Tel. +39 335 475004 Back to 2nd Quarter 2002 List of News Items Back to Master List of News Items Back to Master Magazine List © Copyright 2002 by Coalition Web, Inc. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com