[NAPOLEON – CORFU]: GENTILI ANTOINE (1751-1798) French-Corsican General who sided the French Republic. Governor of Corsica. He was defeated and surrendered to the British after their invasion of Corsica in 1794, but leaded the capture back of Corsica in 1796. A very interesting autograph letter addressed to the Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, A.L., eight pages, folio, Head-Quarters of Corfu, 2nd July 1797, to Napoleon Bonaparte as Chief General of the Army of Italy, in French. The letter bears the printed heading of “A. Gentili, General of division and Commandant of the Army of Levant of the Army of Italy”. Gentili informs Napoleon that he has reached the port of Corfu, stating in part `Je m’étais fait précéder par les Citoyens d’Arbois, faisant fonction de chef de l’Etat-major, Arnaut et Brice, les Commissaires des Guerres que j’avais chargé de mes ordres pour reconnaitre les dispositions du Gouvernement et du peuple à notre égard et faire les préparatifs nécessaires pour l’établissement des troupes… dans les forteresses, et je me suis emparé de tous les magasins de Marine, d’Artillerie et du Génie, dont j’ai ordonné que l’on fit de suite l’inventaire…´ (Transcription: “I had been preceded by the Citizens d´Arbois, acting as Chief of the Head-Quarters, Arnaut and Brice, the War Commissioners whom I had charged with my orders to acknowledge the dispositions of the Government and the people to our regard and make the necessary preparations for the establishment of the troops... in the fortresses, and I seized all the stores of Navy, Artillery and Engineers, and I ordered to make immediately the inventories…”) Gentili lists the firearms, the 369 bronze and iron cannons, the 20 bronze howitzers and 121 bronze and iron swivels and mortars, not counting the ammunition and powder requisitioned. He further comments the military defence situation and refers to the Venice government, saying `La place de Corfou est très forte par sa situation; et les ouvrages que l’art y a ajouté la rendraient inexpugnable s’ils étaient réparés et entretenus; mais l’extrême négligence de l’ancien gouvernement vénitien laissait tomber en ruine ce boulevard de l’état…´ (Translation: “The position of Corfu is very strong because of its situation; and the works that art has added to it would make it impregnable if they were repaired and maintained; but the extreme negligence of the old Venetian government allowed this boulevard of the state to fall into ruin….”) Gentili further explains with enthusiasm how much the three thousand Italians and the seventy thousand Greeks people on the Island value their freedom and how much they admire our republic, and that they consider the French troops as their liberators, stating in part `On professe ici une admiration pour les Français qui va jusqu’à l’enthousiasme. Les Grecs sont en général beaucoup plus éclairés qu’on ne le suppose ordinairement et le souvenir de leurs origines n’est point éteint dans leurs âmes. Ils regrettent d’avoir vécu jusqu’alors pour le bénéfice d’une dure et plate aristocratie, qui, négligeant tous les objets d’un intérêt public, sans vertus comme sans lumières, s’opposait aux progrès de l’industrie, du commerce et de la raison humaine…´ (Translation: “Here they profess an admiration for the French that goes as far as enthusiasm. The Greeks are in general much more enlightened than is commonly supposed and the memory of their origins is not extinguished in their souls. They regret having lived until now for the benefit of a harsh aristocracy, which, neglecting all objects of public interest, without virtues or without enlightenment, opposed the progress of industry, of commerce and human reason…”) In this lengthy letter, Gentili further reports on the military and administrative changes required, and indicates what he would keep under the naval point of view, saying `Je prendrais donc le parti de conserver seulement un vaisseau vénitien de 74 canons, une frégate vénitienne et la frégate française ‘La Sensible’ avec quelques bâtiments de transport, le tout commandé par le capitaine Bourdé…´ (Translation: “I would therefore opt to keep only a Venetian ship of 74 guns, a Venetian frigate and the French frigate ‘La Sensible’ with a few transport vessels, all commanded by Captain Bourdé…”) Gentili before concluding explains that he has informed the Ambassador in Constantinople of the situation in Corfu and the inexact number and condition of the Venetian troops under his control, and refers to the excellent work done by d´Arbois who was at the head of the avant-garde capture of Corfu. Small overall age wear with a small stain and hole to the upper edge, not affecting the text. From 1386 to 1797, Corfu was ruled by Venetian nobility; much of the city reflects this era when the island belonged to the Republic of Venice, with multi-storeyed buildings on narrow lanes. The Old Town of Corfu has clear Venetian influence and is amongst the World Heritage Sites in Greece. It was in the Venetian period that the city saw the erection of the first opera house in Greece.By the 1797 Treaty of Campo Formio, Corfu was ceded to the French, who occupied it for two years, the time of the present letter. Until they were expelled by a joint Russian-Ottoman squadron. For a short time it became the capital of a self-governing federation. In 1807 after the Treaty of Tilsit its faction-ridden government was again replaced by a French administration, and in 1809 it was besieged in vain by a British Royal Navy fleet, which had captured all the other Ionian islands.Following the final defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo, the Ionian Islands became a protectorate of the United Kingdom by the Treaty of Paris of 5th November 1815. Guillaume-François-Joseph Bourdé de La Villehuet (1763-1851) Capitain of vessel in 1798 and future Vice Amiral. He participated in the Egypt campaign. Joseph-Louis d´Arbois de Jubainville (1764-1803) French Officer, appointed General in 1802. He was a member of the St.Domingue expedition. Arrested by the British and mistreated, he died of yellow fever at the early age of 39.
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