Bombed, the place of Saint-Florent is forced to surrender for lack of food. Doria takes back Bastia then Corte. The Genoese regain ground lost in merciless battles, without leading to a decisive victory
November 17, 1553, the galleys ofAndrea Doria arrive in front of Saint-Florent, a stronghold held since the summer by the French under the command of Commander Paule de Termes. This is the beginning of a siege that is part of the so-called “French” war where Corsica is the strategic issue of a conflict between the Genoese supported by Cosimo 1is Duke of Florence, and on the other a Franco-Turkish coalition where Sampiero trains the Corsicans with the hope of chasing the Genoese from the island.
Since August, Bastia, Ajaccio and Bonifacio have fallen into the hands of the French, but the fortress of Calvi remains Genoese. The siege of Saint-Florent marks the start of an uncompromising war that will last six years, leaving Corsica bloodless.
“As soon as the Genoese ships arrived, Paule de Termes put Giordano Orsini in charge of the Saint-Florent fortress. “ (1) Singular battle, for these two enemy chiefs, Orsini and Doria, know each other well, being both Italians and having fought together against the Barbarians! Governor of Pisa, then ambassador to Turin on behalf of the Medici, Giordano Orsini led the assault on the privateer’s nest of Monastir in Tunisia, and then in 1550 against the bastion of the pirate Dragut. In 1551, he placed himself in the service of King Henry II of France. “During the occupation of Corsica by the French (1553-1559), the governor of Corsica, Paule de Termes, appointed him governor of Saint-Florent. Then he succeeded him in 1555 with the title of lieutenant general: he was in charge of military affairs, but also of the administration of the island. “ (2)
It is therefore a warlord coupled with an administrator who is responsible for organizing the fight against the formidable Admiral Andrea Doria, 85 years old. “No one understood the need for vigorous action better than André Doria.” Therefore, in spite of his age, he agreed to be appointed, by the Republic, captain-general for the expedition to Corsica. In the winter of 1553 he returned from Naples to Genoa, and attended a solemn Mass at San Lorenzo, where the standard of war was handed over to him. » (3) But the Republic having only weak means to fight against the King of France, Doria pleads with Charles V the interest of pushing back the French, who constitute a threat on the trade of her empire. Doria therefore received significant support with the imperial galleys and 8,000 infantry armed with strong artillery. Cosme de Médicis – whose father was a friend of Sampiero – comes to reinforce the device.
“Giordano Orsini barricades himself in the fortress with 1,200 infantry, two thirds of whom are Gascons and one third of the Italians. Orsini bravely defends himself. On November 28, he gets rid of all “unnecessary mouths” to save the very limited reserves. ” (4)
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Doria bombards the ramparts and decides to starve the garrison, which will be supplied by a few bold peasants crossing an impassable marsh at night. But Doria, discovering the scheme, had a work built depriving the besieged of help. On November 23, the admiral laid siege to Bastia whose garrison, withdrawn into the citadel, had to capitulate.
However in Saint-Florent, the besiegers are struck by malaria. “If Thermes had known the state of the Admiral’s army, he would have easily destroyed it.” Doria had been about to re-embark her artillery and troops, despairing of being able to save them if he was attacked. »(5) In the citadel, where there is neither flour nor wine, reinforcements are waited in vain. On February 9, 1554, Giordano Orsini began negotiations with the Genoese aboard the admiral galley, with a view to an honorable surrender. “Giordano Orsini asks to meet Doria personally on February 16 aboard his galley. For an entire hour, he remains face to face with Doria, trying in vain to soften the conditions of the surrender. ” (6)
On February 17, the fortress of Saint-Florent was returned to the Genoese with all its artillery and ammunition. In a letter to the Duke of Montmorency, Orsini explains “That he did all that was possible to do to save the people, the flag and the arms,” and “that he will serve the King of France elsewhere”. In fact, Orsini returned to Corsica in March 1555, landing in Ajaccio as lieutenant general of Corsica.
However, two years after the capture of Bastia and Bonifacio by Sampiero and the Franco-Turks, the war spread to the island without a camp being able to shout victory. Calvi remains under Genoese rule despite a new siege in August 1555. Orsini will justify his failure with Henry II by a lack of artillery.
The question now arises as to the status of Corsica, as the island is occupied by two belligerents at a time. Giordano Orsini sends his secretary to court to raise the issue.
Because the Genoese do not loosen their grip, quite the contrary. Doria gets her hands on the possessions of the vanquished, without even informing the magistrates of the Office Saint-Georges. “After taking San Fiorenzo, André Doria gave rest to his troops. He cantoned them but could not avoid frequent skirmishes with the French and the Corsicans who were harassing the soldiers. In one match, Sampiero was injured. In May 1554, André Doria received many reinforcements, returned to the countryside and marched towards Corte. He took the place in spite of the garrison which De Thermes had introduced into it, and after a few days he seized the castle. » (7)
Encouraged by this success, Doria wants to push on Ajaccio, but something unforeseen holds him back. “The Ottoman fleet had appeared on the coasts of Italy, and it was necessary, by order of the Emperor, to abandon Corsica to watch with its galleys over the security of the Peninsula. “ (8)
In addition, Sampiero won the cause of King Henry II a number of Corsicans, so that at the end of the year 1554, the Genoese were forced to shut themselves up in “Bastia”, Calvi and Saint-Florent. But the political system built by Charles V is collapsing. The Emperor renounces the Netherlands and Spain, and signs before abdicating in 1556 the truce of Vaucelles with Henry II, putting a temporary end to the Franco-Spanish war.
An “armed peace” is settling in Corsica. During discussions at Vaucelles Abbey, near Cambrai, “The plenipotentiaries of Henry II, in a position of strength thanks to the support of Pope Paul IV hostile to the Habsburgs, refused the restitution of the island and other territories held by the royal armies …” (9)
But in 1559 the Treaty of Cateau-Cambrésis forced Henri II to cede Corsica to the Genoese. A satisfaction for Doria, who died in Genoa in 1560. A bitter disappointment for Sampiero.
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(1, 2, 4, 6) Ekaterina Guerassimova. Giordano Orsini Governor of the King of France in Corsica. Corsican studies N ° 77 Albiana.
(3, 5, 7, 8) Edouard Petit. André Doria. An admiral condottiere in the 16th century. Paris 1887.
(9) Mr. Vergé-Franceschi. AM Graziani. Sampiero was a European mercenary in the 16th century.
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