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Pasquale Paoli 1725-1807
Pasquale Paoli, also spelled Pascal
Paoli, was born on beautiful
Corsica.
In full, his name was Philippe Antoine Pascal Paoli.
Pasquale's nickname was Père de la Patrie,
if you speak French, or Babbu di a Patria, if you speak
Corsican (Corsu). Kind of the
George Washington of the island.
Another nickname, if on a slightly more formal note, was Général
de la Nation.
Pasquale's father was Giacinto Paoli,
a leader in the fight against the Genoese.
Pasquale Paoli was a very smart man. Among many other things, Paoli was responsible for creating a
Corsican navy
and founding the Corsican university at Corte, which had 300
students in 1767.
Pasquale Paoli had a major influence on
Corsican politics. In fact, he was the one who came up with the
constitution for a democratic republic (November 1755).
PASQUALE PAOLI'S
BRIEF BIOGRAPHY
1725, April 26 - Birth at Stretta di Morosaglia, Corsica
1729 - The Corsicans gain independence of Genoa
1735, January 30 - Corsicans declare their independence at Orezza
1739 - Paoli follows his father into exile at Naples, Italy
1755 - Back to Corsica, he was declared General of the Nation, and
the event was celebrated at the Couvent St Antoine de Casabianca.
1769 - France invades Corsica, Paoli flees to England,
Napoleon
Bonaparte was born at Ajaccio, Corsica
1789 -
French Revolution starts
1790 - Back to Corsica with the blessings of a new French government
and the title of lieutenant-general. Paoli took the opportunity to
secede from France and to invite the Brits to take the island under
their wings.
1794 - England's George III is proclaimed sovereign over
Corsica
1795 - Exile. Paoli hikes back to London, England
1807, February 5 - Death at London, England. They built a monument
in his honor in Westminster Abbey. In 1889, Paoli's ashes were buried in the small chapel beneath his childhood family home.
Paoli Trivia
The town of Paoli in Chester
County, Pennsylvania, was named after Pasquale Paoli. Same goes for
Paoli in Colorado.
Check out an interview with some real Corsicans.
More History
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