Chapter 872: Upheaval in Northern Italy
Adrian Casanova had the blood of the Medici family flowing through his veins.
However, under the combined suppression of the Austrians and the Holy See, his father's lineage had never been recognized. His father hadn't received a single cent of the Medici inheritance.
Yet the Medici were the true masters of Florence—the heart of Tuscany!
Half a century ago, after the death of Anna Maria's brother, Gian Gastone, the Medici line had seemingly come to an end.
Relying on their powerful influence over Italy and with the cooperation of the Holy See, Austria had forcibly rejected Anna's right of succession to the Tuscan throne, snatching the region for the House of Habsburg.
Now, Casanova and his grandson were the last living descendants of the Medici bloodline in the world.
Mr. Hahn was a captain in the French Intelligence Bureau, and his mission was to bring Casanova back to Tuscany.
After Hahn provided a brief explanation, Casanova was left speechless with shock.
After a long silence, he looked at his frail grandson and finally nodded. "Very well, I am willing to go with you."
"Paintings?"
"They were birthday gifts from my grandmother when I was a child," the old man said. "Works by masters like Botticelli, Canaletto, and Boucher. They may not be their most famous masterpieces, but they are of great artistic value."
Those names made Hahn swallow hard. If those paintings were taken to Paris, they could easily sell for over 100,000 francs each.
Anna Maria had been one of Europe's most famous art collectors, spending more than half of the Medici family's wealth on art. Most of her collection was currently in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence.
In truth, these paintings in Casanova's possession were the very reason he had been framed and persecuted.
"Very well, I will do my best to bring the paintings to you," Hahn promised.
Three days later.
Casanova sat in a Jewel VI model carriage, heading toward Florence. The four paintings by the masters were stowed in the back.
On that same day, the Treviso Gazette reported that Albesio—the local thug who had tormented Casanova—had been murdered in his own home.
The killer had been extremely clean, leaving no clues behind.
This was a small parting gift from Hahn to Mr. Casanova.
......
Northern Italy.
Piacenza, Duchy of Parma.
Amidst the stirring and majestic strains of military music, the Genoese Legion, dressed in white uniforms and fully equipped with French gear, marched past the reviewing stand under the command of a lieutenant colonel.
Napoleon's gaze swept over the somewhat untidy ranks. He turned to the Crown Prince's special envoy, Viscount Durand, and whispered, "As you know, besieging Mantua requires a significant amount of manpower. We can leave such tasks to the Sardinian army. They’ve been sitting idle in Brescia anyway."
In accordance with the resolutions of the Mediterranean Security Organization, the armies of the member states had assembled in Piacenza.
Parma, contributing the most, had sent 4,000 soldiers, while Lucca, the smallest contributor, had provided only 800 mercenaries.
The total force numbered just over 10,000.
Viscount Durand had brought the Crown Prince's orders, directing Napoleon to detach 5,000 troops to participate in the Security Organization's operations.
Their targets, naturally, were Tuscany and the Papal States.
Viscount Durand shook his head. "You should have noticed that His Highness intentionally excluded Sardinia from this operation."
Napoleon was puzzled. "Why? Sardinia has the strongest military force in Northern Italy."
"Balance," Durand replied with a smile. "Sardinia’s army alone could crush the Papal States. If they did, they would possess a military dominance over the other nations. His Highness wishes for all states to coexist as equals."
"Of course, the official reason is that Sardinia once declared war on our country. This is their punishment."
"Very well," Napoleon said reluctantly. "Then I will assign the Nemours Legion to the Security General Staff."
"However, I would suggest recruiting some mercenaries from Flanders. As you know, they are Protestants. It would be much more convenient for them to fight against the Holy See."
"Understood. I will report your suggestion to the Crown Prince," Durand nodded.
He then added, "By the way, General Bonaparte, Vienna has issued a mobilization order. It's likely that reinforcements will soon be sent to Mantua. His Highness wants you to be prepared in advance."
"Once this campaign is won, you should be promoted to Major General."
"I thank His Highness for his trust. I will not fail him!"
A week later, a coalition of France, Parma, Modena, Genoa, Lucca, and Baden launched an attack on Ferrara, a northwestern province of the Papal States.
At the same time, the heir to the Medici family, Adrian Casanova de' Medici, arrived in Modena—only 40 kilometers from Florence.
Tuscany and Modena were neighboring states that frequently clashed in war, so Modena was very welcoming to this original claimant of Florence.
Many old followers of the Medici family had already flocked to the area upon hearing the news. In just a few days, more than 700 soldiers had gathered around Casanova.
The question of whether Casanova was illegitimate didn't seem to matter to anyone.
As long as he had Medici blood and France backing him, he was the true heir of the House of Medici!
With such status, following him was a sure path to a bright future.
Promptly, Casanova commissioned his spokesman in the Modena Palace to publicly declare that Ferdinand III, who currently occupied Florence, had no right to rule Tuscany.
He announced that he would represent the House of Medici and drive out the Habsburg invaders!
Simultaneously, in his capacity as the Grand Duke of Tuscany, he applied for Tuscany to join the Mediterranean Security Organization and the Iberian-Apennine Common Market.
The supporters of the Medici family erupted in cheers, and the celebrations lasted late into the night.
Back at the Palace of Versailles, through the Chappe signal towers, the application for the new Grand Duchy of Tuscany was officially approved just two days later.
......
The Security Organization's forces were not particularly large; including the French Nemours Legion, there were only 15,000 soldiers.
Their combat capability was also far from elite, as nearly half of the Nemours Legion consisted of raw recruits.
Nevertheless, it was enough to send shockwaves through the Papal States.
The slogan "Return the Holy See to Piety" began to spread across the entire country.
The Colonna and Orsini families, who already harbored grievances against the Holy See, began gathering their forces in various provinces. They openly responded to the Mediterranean Security Organization, declaring their secession from the Papacy's control.
Even within the city of Rome, the Roman Autonomous Organization began to stir in the shadows, out of the reach of the Papal Guard.
Inside St. Paul's Cathedral.
Pius VI and nearly thirty cardinals gathered in the Great Mass Hall, their faces etched with worry as they discussed how to respond to the unfolding crisis.
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