Castelfidardo. Decisive battle between Piedmontese and Papal troops. Papal commander Lamoriciere, famous for his battles in Algeria and against the democratic extremists of 1548, reaches Castelfidardo with 5,000 men and 12 cannons, when he runs into Cialdini’s column with 14,000 men and 24 cannons. The battle takes place between Castelfidardo and Loreto, with the massive Loreto sanctuary dominating the battle. The papal soldiers have just attended mass before a standard that had been used in the Battle of Lepanto in 1571. This speaks volumes about the Crusader sentiments and the significance attributed to their action. The papal forces take the initiative, which is then thwarted by the Italian counterattack. Resistance is fierce, and De Pimodan, the true soul of the papal army, tries to make the best use of his reserves. He is hit twice, the second time critically. Without a leader, the papal forces retreat. Historians have often taken this victory for granted, but it wasn’t a priori. On the papal side, Austrian riflemen and Franco-Belgian Zouaves also fought, putting up an almost fanatical resistance, defeated by cannon fire. The survivors took refuge in Loreto, and 3,000 men with 11 cannons surrendered.
