Original scientific paper
Louis Detrico (1672-1749), a Patrician of Zadar and Commander of Croatian Cavalry (Cavalleria Croati)
Lovorka Čoralić
orcid.org/0000-0002-9333-7221
; Croatian Institute of History, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
Croatian cavalry (Cavalleria Croati, Croati a cavallo) was counted among the most elite Venetian military corps of the early modern age – besides to Albanian cavalry and infantry (Soldati Albanesi), Italian infantry (Fanti Italiani) and marine infantry (Fanti Oltramarini). Sources regarding the military corps mentioned above are kept in the first place in the Archivio di Stato di Venezia, and for the research of structure of particular army branches of the utmost importance is archival series Inquisitori sopra l'amministrazione dei pubblici ruoli, containing detailed data on military complement of particular regiments (Reggimento) and to them appertaining companies (Compagnia). In this article, the focus of research attention is directed towards the regiment of Louis (Alvise, Luigi) Detrico, the last male scion of one of the most prominent patrician families of Zadar, who distinguished himself in Venetian military service and gained the ran of general. Structure and organisation of his regiment, which actively operated during the almost whole first half of the eighteenth century, is discussed in details. Particular research attention is awarded to the complement of the company, which Detrico personally commanded (within his own regiment) and six lists of its soldiers are analysed regarding number of its officers, noncommissioned officers and soldiers, their homeland origin, personal physical characteristics (age, stature, colour of hair, and so on). According to the analysed data, it is evident that Detrico company consisted mostly of cavalrymen coming from Dalmatia (particularly from Zadar and from its continental and insular hinterland, with average age between 25 and 40 years, of medium size in stature and of brown hair, while horses they used for their military service were usually bay-horses and black horses. Numerous officers, noncommissioned officers and soldiers remained in the company for longer periods (even for several decades), but, from one list to another, there may be seen also certain changes in elementary composition of the unit, even though not particularly important. At the end of the article, transcripts of the six lists of Detrico company, which were composed between 1716 and 1741, are given.
Keywords
Republic of Venice; Zadar; Louis Detrico; Croatian cavalry; military history; history of the eighteenth century
Hrčak ID:
136436
URI
Publication date:
29.12.2014.
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