Siege of Turin
The Siege of Turin (1706) ended with Prince Eugene's relief of the city, a turning point in the War of the Spanish Succession in Italy.
The Siege of Turin, June to September 1706, took place during the War of the Spanish Succession. A French army led by Louis de la Feuillade besieged the Savoyard capital of Turin, whose relief by Prince Eugene of Savoy has been called the most brilliant campaign of the war in Italy. The siege is also famous for the death of Piedmontese hero Pietro Micca.
- conflict
- War of the Spanish Succession
- location
- Turin, Duchy of Savoy
- start_date
- June 1706
- end_date
- September 1706
- besieging_commander
- Louis de la Feuillade
- relief_commander
- Prince Eugene of Savoy
- notable_death
- Pietro Micca (31 August 1706)
Lore & Background
By 1706, France occupied most of the Duchy of Savoy, with the exception of its capital Turin. On 19 April, Louis Joseph, Duke of Vendôme, consolidated the French position in Lombardy by victory at Calcinato. Shortly afterwards, Prince Eugene resumed command of Imperial troops in Northern Italy, while Vendôme was recalled to France in July, and replaced by the Duke of Orleans. Siege operations began on 2 June but made little progress, while Prince Eugene outmanoeuvred the French field army under Orleans, and joined forces with 7,000 cavalry led by Victor Amadeus II of Savoy. Despite being outnumbered overall, the Allies were able to concentrate their forces; on 7 September, they attacked the French south of Turin, and after fierce fighting, broke through their lines. The French were forced to withdraw from Northern Italy, allowing Victor Amadeus to recover most of Piedmont, although his possessions north of the Alps were held by France until 1713. In March 1707, France, Savoy and Emperor Joseph signed the Convention of Milan, ending the war in Italy.
Reader's Guide
The siege began on 2 June 1706, though the city was not completely encircled until 19 June. The French bombardment targeted the citadel from 300 metres outside the city, but as Vauban predicted, this approach was ineffective against the base of the walls. French mining attempts failed. Between 27 August and 3 September, three French assaults were repulsed with heavy loss; Pietro Micca was killed on 31 August after exploding a mine to prevent a French breakthrough. On 7 September, the Allied relief force attacked the French south of Turin, broke through their lines, and forced the French to withdraw, abandoning their siege artillery.
Did You Know?
- The French suffered losses of 10,000 during the siege, including deaths from disease, while the garrison lost 4,500.
- Pietro Micca became a symbol of Italian patriotism after Italian unification in the 19th century.
- The French commander Marsin was captured and died the next day after the battle on 7 September.
More in Sieges And Battles 1-24
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