Bombardment of Genoa

The Bombardment of Genoa was a military event during the War of the Reunions when France bombarded the city of Genoa from the sea between May 18 and May 28, 1684.

The Republic of Genoa was strategically a very important ally of the Spanish Empire, as the Spanish Duchy of Milan was landlocked. All transport between Spain and Milan went through the port of Genoa. Furthermore, the financing of the Spanish crown by the Genoese bankers had made both countries natural allies ever since 1557, when the state bankruptcy of Philip II had ended the reign of the German Fuggers as Spanish financiers.

After the War of Devolution and the Franco-Dutch War (1672-78), it was clear that France had replaced Spain as the most powerful country in Europe. In October 1683, France annexed some territory in the Spanish Netherlands, starting the War of the Reunions. When Spain sent reinforcements via the port of Genoa, the French decided to punish the city.

The French fleet, commanded by Abraham Duquesne, was composed of 14 ships of the line, 19 galleys, 10 bomb vessels, 2 fireships, 2 troop carriers and 97 tartanes and minor vessels.^[1]

In 1682, François Pidou de Saint Olon had become the first French resident envoy to the Republic of Genoa,^[2] and he was actively involved in the bombardment: indeed he communicated precious information to the French about the defence of Genoa and the position of the batteries of guns, being practically a spy.

Without a formal declaration of war, Duquesne's fleet entered the port on May 17 pretending to come in peace, exchanging salutes with the Genoese batteries. His passenger Jean Baptiste Colbert, Marquis of Seignelay then demanded the city to hand over four galleys recently acquired as reinforcements and to send an embassy to apologize to the court of Louis XIV. Upon their negative, he bombarded the city for four days.^[1]

About 13,000 cannonballs were shot at the city, causing terrible damage in the city. The French also tried to land troops, choosing Albaro as a diversion and Sampierdarena as the main attack, but they were defeated by Genoese troops and volunteers from the Polcevera valley,^[3] as well as a tercio squad commanded by Francisco de Córdoba.^[4]

The attack caused outrage across Europe, and galvanized the decision by Spain, the Dutch Republic and several factions of the Holy Roman Empire to form an alliance against France, which resulted in League of Augsburg in 1688.^[5] Even in France, the attack was met with criticism, having in account that many French merchants residing in Genoa had been killed or went bankrupt with the bombardment. According to Augusto Vittorio Vecchi, Louis XIV came to repent the attack and condemned Seignelay's orders.^[5]

On July 10, the squad of galleys of Genoa attempted to take retribution against the French ship of the line Le Bon, captained by Ferdinand de Relingues near Elba. The fleet comprised 34 galleys, including five Spanish, eight Neapolitan, three Sicilian, two Sardinian and fifteen Genoese. However, despite their overwhelming advantage in numbers, the 54-gun ship of the line successfully repulsed them in an artillery duel before escaping with wind became favorable.^[6]

• Fernández Duro, Cesáreo (1895). Armada Española, desde la unión de los reinos de Castilla y Aragón (PDF). Vol. 5. Instituto de Historia Naval.

Genova 1684, World History at KMLA