Naples. A crowd gathers to protest King Frederick II’s desire to repeal the democratic concessions. The king calls in the army, supported by the common people, the so-called lazzaroni, who have always been hostile to the bourgeoisie and intellectuals and loyal to the king. It ends in a bloodbath. Consequently, Frederick II withdraws his army, stationed just south of the Po River in Romagna, ready to intervene against the Austrians. This is the best-prepared army of the Italian army in the field, and thus represents a serious blow to the outcome of the First War of Independence.
