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60-586: In 1794, the Corsicans under Pasquale Paoli seceded from the French Republic, and invited British troops to assist in driving French troops from the island. For two years, the island was part of an Anglo-Corsican Kingdom . However, relations between British and Corsicans soured. Spain declared war against Britain in 1796, putting all British territories in the Mediterranean at risk and prompting

120-580: A European network called Cultural Village of Europe . The annual Paxos Festival was founded by John Gough, and is now organised by the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, and attracts some of Europe's finest young performers. This festival events usually take place between June and September and are usually held in the disused school of Longos . The island is serviced by combined passenger and vehicle ferries which operate year-round from

180-564: A dark green jacket with red facings, blue trousers and black gaiters, with black leather equipment. In 1803, the French also raised a light infantry unit on Corsica. The unit, the Tirailleurs Corse , were commanded by Philippe d'Ornano, a cousin of Napoleon Bonaparte. The unit consisted of six companies (one carabinier, one voltigeur and six chasseurs). They wore brown jackets with green (or red) cuffs, turnbacks, and collar. The unit

240-456: A palatial holiday home—complete with faux medieval tower—on a small island of ( Kaltonisi ) situated near the southernmost tip ('the heel') of Paxos, close to the beach of Mongonissi . The presence of such residents, and the development of the coastal area (mostly by Italian nationals) explains why Paxos has now become one of the most expensive pieces of real estate in Greece. Paxos is part of

300-507: A series of interviews with King George III , Paoli was given a pension by the Crown with the understanding that if he ever returned to Corsica in a position of authority, he would support British interests against the French. This was not, however, a cynical arrangement. Paoli became sincerely pro-British and had a genuine affection for his new friends, including the King, a predisposition that in

360-723: A strength of roughly 600 in ten companies. The regiment was officially accepted into the British Army in October 1804. In July 1805, the Royal Corsican Rangers took part in a British expedition to Sicily and Naples. On 4 July 1806, three companies of the regiment took part in the Battle of Maida , which ended with a British victory. From the end of 1806 to 1808, the Rangers were stationed on Capri, where Hudson Lowe

420-708: A traitor before the French National Convention . Arrest warrants were issued and sent to Corsica along with a force intended to take the citadels from the royalists , who had supplanted the Genovese after the sale of Corsica. Combining the Paolists and royalists defeated the Bonapartes and drove them from the island. Paoli then summoned a consulta (assembly) at Corte in 1793, with himself as president and formally seceded from France. He requested

480-793: A work by the ancient historian Polybius . Paxos has been ruled by various conquerors, including the Romans in the 2nd century BC, pirates during the Byzantine era and Middle Ages , and by Crusaders . Eventually, the Venetians gained control of the island at the end of the 14th century. During the Napoleonic Wars , the Ionian Islands were occupied by the French and the Russo-Turkish alliance. However, Paxos surrendered to

540-409: Is mainly lacking. It was rumoured that he had an affair with Maria Cosway but this is unsubstantiated. Robert Harvey claims he was a homosexual , when discussing how Carlo Buonaparte became Paoli's personal secretary. Insofar as Italian irredentism was a political or historical movement, Pasquale Paoli lived long before its time and did not have anything to do with the movement that ended with

600-570: Is said once to have heard an old man on the road reciting Virgil , walked up behind him, clapped him on the back, and resumed reciting at the point where the other had left off. In 1741, Pasquale joined the Corsican regiment of the royal Neapolitan army and served in Calabria under his father. Corsican exiles in Italy were seeking assistance for the revolution, including a skilled general. In 1736

660-809: The New York Journal described Paoli as " the greatest man on earth ". Several places in the United States are named after him. These include: Paxos (island) Paxos ( Greek : Παξός ) is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea, lying just south of Corfu . As a group with the nearby island of Antipaxos and adjoining islets, it is also called by the plural form Paxi or Paxoi ( Greek : Παξοί , pronounced / p æ k ˈ s iː / in English and [paˈksi] in Greek). The main town and

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720-481: The 2nd Greek Light Infantry from Cephalonia, the Royal Corsican Rangers, the 35th Regiment of Foot , and other units, and marines and seamen from Apollo , captured 122 enemy troops and a small, well-designed fort of three guns. The regiment was disbanded on Corfu in 1817. During its service in the Napoleonic Wars it had worn a uniform similar to that of the 60th (Royal American) Regiment , consisting of

780-615: The Habsburg Holy Roman Empire , and then from their enemies in the War of Austrian Succession , Bourbon France . Defeated by professional troops, the Corsicans ceded violence, but kept their organisation. After surrendering to the French in 1739, Giacinto Paoli went into exile in Naples with his then 14-year-old son, Pasquale. An older brother, Clemente, remained at home as a liaison to the revolutionary diet, or assembly of

840-656: The Phoenicians were the first settlers on Paxos, and it is believed that the name "Paxos" originated from the Phoenician word "Pax," meaning "trapezoidal." In ancient times, Paxos played a significant role, especially during the First Illyrian War in 229 BC when the Battle of Paxos was fought between the ancient Greek and Illyrian fleets. The account of this battle is documented in The Histories,

900-611: The Royal Navy frigate HMS Apollo and 160 troops from the 2nd Greek Light Infantry from Cephalonia and the 35th Regiment of the Royal Corsican Rangers on February 13, 1814. The United Kingdom established the Ionian Union in 1815, and in 1864, Paxos, along with the rest of the Ionian Islands, was ceded to Greece. Paxos lies some 15 km from the southern tip of Corfu, and at about the same distance from

960-442: The occupation of Corsica by Italian fascist troops in late 1942, during World War II . There is no question, however, that Paoli was sympathetic to Italian culture and regarded his own native language as an Italian dialect ( Corsican is an Italic language closely related to Tuscan , Sicilian and, to some extent, Sardinian language ). He was considered by Niccolò Tommaseo , who collected his Lettere (Letters), as one of

1020-470: The 68 were represented. The president and author of the constitution occupied himself with building a modern state. For example, he founded a university at Corte . Linda Colley credits Paoli as writing the first ever written constitution of a nation state. Seeing that they had in effect lost control of Corsica, Genoa responded by ceding Corsica to the French by the treaty of Versailles in May 1768, as this

1080-576: The British to withdraw from Corsica. Several pro-Paoli Corsicans fled the island or were exiled, and in September 1798, they formed a light infantry company known as the "Francs Tireurs Corses" on Minorca , which at the time was held by the British. The unit consisted of seven officers and 226 other ranks. In July 1800, Captain Hudson Lowe of the 50th Foot was detached to command the unit, with

1140-532: The British was never clearly defined, resulting in numerous questions of authority. At last, the Crown invited Paoli to resign and return to exile in Britain with a pension, which, having no other options now, he did. Not long after, the French reconquered the island and all questions of Corsican sovereignty came to an end until the 20th century. Paoli set sail for England in October 1795, where he lived out his final years. Pasquale Paoli died on 5 February 1807, and

1200-717: The Corfu Prefecture. Its territory corresponded with that of the current municipality Paxoi. It was abolished in 2006. Among well known semi-permanent British inhabitants were Audrey Good , former commander of the UN refugee bases in Epirus following the Greek Civil War , actor Peter Bull (author of It Isn't All Greek to Me ) and actress Susannah York . Some members of the Agnelli family (of FIAT fame) have built

1260-624: The Corsican resistance. Following the defeat of Corsican forces at the Battle of Ponte Novu he was forced into exile in Britain where he was a celebrated figure. He returned after the French Revolution , of which he was initially supportive. He later broke with the revolutionaries and helped to create the Anglo-Corsican Kingdom which lasted between 1794 and 1796. After the island was re-occupied by France he again went into exile in Britain where he died in 1807. Paoli

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1320-565: The French Revolution led him into the royalist camp. The arrangement also was not a treaty of any sort, as at the time neither Paoli nor King George III would have any idea of future circumstances. By the time of the French Revolution the name of Paoli had become something of an idol of liberty and democracy. In 1790 the revolutionary National Assembly in Paris passed a decree incorporating Corsica into France, essentially duplicating

1380-483: The French Revolution over the issue of the execution of the King and threw in his lot with the royalist party. He did not make these views generally known, but when the revolutionary government ordered him to take Sardinia he put his nephew in charge of the expedition with secret orders to lose the conflict. In that case he was acting as a British agent, as the British had an interest in Sardinia they could not pursue if

1440-549: The French forces there. For a short time, Corsica was a protectorate of King George III, chiefly by the exertions of Hood's fleet (e.g. in the Siege of Calvi ), and Paoli's co-operation. This period has become known as the " Anglo-Corsican Kingdom " because George III was accepted as sovereign head of state, but this was not an incorporation of Corsica into the British Empire . The relationship between Paoli's government and

1500-491: The French occupied it. He had however also sent Napoleon Bonaparte as a colonel in command of two companies of Corsican guard (unofficially reinforced by 6000 revolutionaries from Marseille ), which participated in the assault on La Maddalena Island in February 1793. It failed because the commander, Pietro Paolo Colonna-Cesari , failed to take appropriate military action, because the island had been reinforced just prior to

1560-497: The Ionian Islands until the end of the Napoleonic Wars. In 1814 and 1815, some of them took part in further actions against Murat's Neapolitan forces. On 13 February 1814, the island of Paxos , in the Adriatic, surrendered to HMS  Apollo and a detachment of 160 troops. The troops moved so rapidly through the island that the enemy did not have time to organize resistance. As a result, the British force, which included men from

1620-513: The ancient parish of Rostino, Haute-Corse , Corsica. He was the second son of the physician and patriot Giacinto Paoli, who was to become one of three "Generals of the People" in the Corsican nationalist movement that rebelled against rule by the Republic of Genoa , which at that time they regarded as corrupt and tyrannical. Prior to that century Corsicans more or less accepted Genoan rule. By 1729,

1680-511: The armed forces as well as chief magistrate. Paoli's government claimed the same jurisdiction as the Republic of Genoa . In terms of de facto exercise of power, the Genoese held the coastal cities, which they could defend from their citadels, but the Corsican republic controlled the rest of the island from Corte , its capital. Following the French conquest of Corsica in 1768, Paoli oversaw

1740-401: The attack, and because the defenders seemed to know exactly where and when the revolutionaries were going to strike. Napoleon perceived the situation during the first confrontation with his commander and assumed de facto command, but the attack failed and he barely escaped. Enraged, after having been a strong supporter and admirer of Paoli, he and the entire Bonaparte family denounced Paoli as

1800-682: The attention of the Johnsonian circle almost immediately for which his expansive personality made him a natural fit. By the time Paoli entered the scene it had in part taken the form of The Club of mainly successful men of a liberal frame of mind. Such behaviour as Paoli showing his bullet-ridden coat to all visitors and then demanding a gratuity for the observation were amusing to the group, which had begun when its members were starting their careers and according to its chronicler James Boswell were themselves needy. Paoli's memoirs were recorded by Boswell in his book, An Account of Corsica . After

1860-528: The capture of other islands of Kefalonia , Ithaca and Kythira . On 16 October 1813, a conjunct force consisting of HMS  Bacchante , HMS  Saracen , and Captain Piearce Lowen of "His Majesty's Corsican Rangers", captured "Forts Espagnole and Castel Nuova ", near Cattaro . In November 1827 a grant of £1600 was paid for ordnance stores captured there. The force went on to capture Fort Cattaro on 5 January 1814. The Rangers were stationed in

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1920-467: The exiles of Genoa had discovered Theodor von Neuhoff , a soldier of fortune whom they were willing to make king, but he was unsuccessful, and in 1754, languished in a debtors' prison in London. The young Pasquale became of interest when in opposition to a plan to ask the Knights of Malta to assume command, he devised a plan for a native Corsican government. In that year, Giacinto decided that Pasquale

1980-470: The face of God ... As Corsicans we wish to be neither slaves nor "rebels" and as Italians we have the right to deal as equals with the other Italian brothers ... Either we shall be free or we shall be nothing... Either we shall win or we shall die (against the French), weapons in hand ... The war against France is right and holy as the name of God is holy and right, and here on our mountains will appear for Italy

2040-428: The mainland. It is connected by ferry lines from Igoumenitsa and Corfu with Gaios. The island is hilly, the highest point having an elevation of 230 m. In Greek mythology , Poseidon created the island by striking Corfu with his trident , so that he and his wife Amphitrite could have some peace and quiet. Paxos is a historical island that has been inhabited since prehistoric times. According to tradition,

2100-518: The official language of his Corsican Republic. His Corsican Constitution of 1755 was written in Italian and the short-lived university he founded in the city of Corte in 1765 used Italian as teaching language. The American Sons of Liberty movement were inspired by Paoli. Ebenezer McIntosh , a leader of the Sons of Liberty, named his son Paschal Paoli McIntosh in honour of him. In 1768, the editor of

2160-608: The opposed landing at the Battle of Aboukir after which they were re-titled the Corsican Rangers . The unit took part in the subsequent actions in Egypt. They received praise, and were entitled to wear buttons and other equipment decorated with a sphinx. The Peace of Amiens was signed between Britain and France shortly after the French evacuated Egypt. The Corsican Rangers were disbanded in Malta . The Rangers also shared in

2220-478: The people of Corsica ratified a constitution that proclaimed Corsica a sovereign nation, independent from the Republic of Genoa . This was the first constitution written under Enlightenment principles. The new head of state, called the General, Paoli, was elected over rival candidate Emmanuele Matra by representatives of the pievi (68 ancient administrative units, each grouping several parishes), although only 16 of

2280-527: The people. Corsica was subsequently distracted by the aforementioned War of the Austrian Succession , during which troops of a number of countries temporarily occupied the cities of Corsica. In Naples, Giacinto perceiving that he had a talented son, spared no effort or expense in his education, which was primarily classical . The enlightenment of which Pasquale was to become a part was neo-classical in its art, architecture and sentiments. Paoli

2340-528: The precursors of the Italian irredentism . The "Babbu di a Patria" (Father of the fatherland), as Pasquale Paoli was nicknamed by the Corsicans , wrote in his Letters the following appeal in 1768 against the French invaders: We are Corsicans by birth and sentiment, but first of all we feel Italian by language, origins, customs, traditions; and Italians are all brothers and united in the face of history and in

2400-408: The proceeds of the French property captured in Egypt in 1801. When war broke out again between Britain and France in 1803, Major Lowe was ordered to raise a second Corsican regiment, to serve in the Mediterranean. Most of the officers Lowe nominated were Corsican, as was the hard core of 360 riflemen, organised in six companies. They were augmented by recruits from Sicily , Sardinia and Naples , to

2460-449: The protection of the British government, then at war with revolutionary France. In 1794, the British sent a fleet under Admiral Samuel Hood . This fleet had just been ejected from the French port of Toulon by a revolutionary army following the plan of Napoleon Bonaparte, for which he was promoted to Brigadier General. The royalists at Toulon also had requested British protection. Napoleon was now dispatched to deal with Italy as commander of

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2520-446: The regiment at Auxonne , where he was working on a history of Corsica . Writing to Paoli, he asked his opinion on some of it and for historical documents. The differences between the two men became apparent. Paoli thought the history amateurish and too impassioned and refused the documents; Napoleon at this point had no idea of Paoli's regal connections in Britain or moderate, even sympathetic, sentiments about royalty. Paoli split from

2580-570: The regiment took part in an expedition to the French-ruled Ionian Islands under General Sir John Stuart . By this time, the regiment was commanded by its former second in command, Lieutenant Colonel John McCombe. On 30 September, 600 troops from the regiment, led by Colonel Lowe (who was appointed second in command to Major General John Oswald , the commander of the division), captured Zakynthos from its outnumbered French garrison without fighting. Detachments participated in

2640-525: The seat of the municipality is Gaios . The smallest of the seven main Ionian Islands (the Heptanese), Paxos has an area of 25.3 square kilometres (9.8 sq mi), while the municipality has an area of 30.121 km (11.630 sq mi) and a population of about 2,500. Paxos lies some 15 km from the southern tip of Corfu and at about the same distance from the town of Parga on

2700-466: The southeastern tip. Antipaxos lies some 5 km further southeast. The production of olive oil, soap manufacture and fishing were supplanted by tourism as the main industry in the mid-1960s, resulting in a construction boom, which has greatly altered the coastline around Gaios, the capital of the Paxiot demos (community). The province of Paxoi ( Greek : Επαρχία Παξών ) was one of the provinces of

2760-669: The sun of liberty.... ( Siamo còrsi per nascita e sentimento ma prima di tutto ci sentiamo italiani per lingua, origini, costumi, tradizioni e gli italiani sono tutti fratelli e solidali di fronte alla storia e di fronte a Dio… Come còrsi non-vogliamo essere né schiavi né "ribelli" e come italiani abbiamo il diritto di trattare da pari con gli altri fratelli d'Italia… O saremo liberi o non saremo niente… O vinceremo con l'onore o soccomberemo (contro i francesi) con le armi in mano... La guerra con la Francia è giusta e santa come santo e giusto è il nome di Dio, e qui sui nostri monti spunterà per l'Italia il sole della libertà… ) Paoli wanted Italian to be

2820-504: The supporters of Paoli. Moreover, Matra called on the Genovese for assistance, dragging Paoli into a conflict with them. Matra was killed shortly in battle and his support among the Corsicans collapsed. Paoli's next task was to confine the Genovese to their citadels. His second was to frame a constitution, which when ratified by the population in 1755, set up a new republic, a representative democracy. Its first election made Paoli president, supplanting his former position. In November 1755,

2880-458: The temporary rank of Major. Lowe had served on Corsica during the brief period of British control, and spoke both French and Italian. The unit was transported to Gibraltar , where they impressed General Ralph Abercromby , who was preparing an expedition to remove the French from Egypt , which the French had conquered in 1798. Abercromby issued the Rangers with new uniforms and Baker rifles , and placed them in his Reserve Division. They took part in

2940-438: The three main settlements, while the interior features numerous scattered hamlets. The west coast is dominated by steep white, chalky cliffs that are greatly eroded at sea level, and harbour many "blue caves". The highest point of the island is Agios Isavros at an elevation of 231 m. Several islets lie very close to the coast of Paxos: Agios Nikolaos and Panagia protect the harbor of Gaios, while Mongonisi and Kaltsonisi lie off

3000-413: The town of Parga on the mainland. The island is approximately 10 kilometres (6 mi) long and up to 3 kilometres (2 mi) wide, stretching in northwest–southeast direction. Much of the hilly landscape is covered in olive groves. These stretch from Lakka , the harbour community in the north, through Magazia to Gaios, the capital. Coastal communities of Gaios, Lakka and Longos on the east coast are

3060-452: The work of 1780 but under a new authority. It granted amnesty to exiles, on which Paoli embarked immediately for Corsica. He arrived in time for the election of departmental officers at Orezza, ran for president, and was elected unanimously. Napoleon Bonaparte , organiser of the elections and active Jacobin , did not run at this time, but he was as much an admirer of Paoli as anyone. Napoleon, on leave from his artillery regiment, returned to

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3120-465: The year of first rebellion, the Genovese were regarded as failing in their task of government. The major problems were the high murder rate because of the custom of vendetta , the raiding of coastal villages by the Barbary pirates , oppressive taxes and economic depression . In the rebellion of 1729 over a new tax, the Genovese withdrew into their citadels and sent for foreign interventions: first from

3180-835: Was a Corsican patriot, statesman, and military leader who was at the forefront of resistance movements against the Genoese and later French rule over the island. He became the President of the Executive Council of the General Diet of the People of Corsica and wrote the Constitution of the state. The Corsican Republic was a representative democracy asserting that the elected Diet of Corsican representatives had no master. Paoli held his office by election and not by appointment. It made him commander-in-chief of

3240-429: Was appointed commander of the garrison. In 1808, French and Neapolitan forces under Joachim Murat , the King of Naples imposed by the French, attacked the island and conquered it after a severe fight. Some of the Rangers deserted rather than fight Corsicans in French service, but others distinguished themselves. Lowe was forced to capitulate, but his forces were allowed to depart with full military honours. The next year,

3300-555: Was buried in Old St. Pancras Churchyard in London. His name is listed on the 1879 Burdett-Coutts Memorial Sundial amongst the important graves lost. A bust was placed in Westminster Abbey . In 1889, his bones were brought to Corsica in a British frigate and interred at the family home under a memorial in the Italian language . Pasquale never married and as far as is known had no heirs. Information about his intimate life

3360-572: Was idolized by a young Napoleon Bonaparte , who was a Corsican nationalist at the time. The Bonapartes had assisted him during the French invasion but refused to go into exile with him and pledged allegiance to King Louis XV . Paoli saw the Bonapartes as collaborators, and upon regaining power during the French Revolution he tried to prevent Napoleon from returning to his position in the Corsican National Guard . In May 1793, Paolists detained Napoleon on his way to his post (though he

3420-665: Was often brigaded with another light infantry unit raised in Northern Italy, the Tirailleurs du Pô . The two units took part in many of the engagements fought by Napoleon's Grande Armee . In 1811, they were merged into the 11th Regiment Infantry Légère . Pasquale Paoli Filippo Antonio Pasquale de' Paoli FRS ( Italian pronunciation: [fiˈlippo anˈtɔːnjo paˈskwaːle de ˈpaːoli] ; Corsican : Pasquale or Pasquali Paoli ; French: Philippe-Antoine-Pascal Paoli ; 6 April 1725 – 5 February 1807)

3480-485: Was ready to supplant Theodor, and wrote to Vincente recommending that a general election be held. The subsequent popular election called by Vincente at Caccia made Pasquale General-in-Chief of Corsica, commander of all resistance. Corsica at that time was still under the influence of feuding clans, as a result of which only the highland clans had voted in the election. The lowlanders now held an election of their own and elected Mario Matra as commander, who promptly attacked

3540-402: Was soon released), ransacked his home, and formally outlawed the Bonapartes via the Corsican parliament. These events and others in 1793 accelerated Napoleon's transition from Corsican to French nationalism . Napoleon never fully outgrew his fondness of Paoli, and had mixed feelings about him throughout the rest of his life. Paoli was born in the hamlet of Stretta, Morosaglia commune, part of

3600-455: Was the only way to repay France for the debts incurred for the defence of the island. In September 1768, France proceeded to the conquest of the island. Paoli fought a guerilla war from the mountains but in 1769 he was defeated in the Battle of Ponte Novu by vastly superior forces and took refuge in England. Corsica officially became a French province in 1789. In London, Paoli attracted

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