Pietro Micca

Background

Pietro Micca was born on March 6, 1677, at Andorno (now Andorno Micca), Piedmont.

Education

In his home village, Micca worked as a bricklayer. He was enlisted into the Sabaudian army as a sapper, with the rank of a private soldier.

During the siege of Turin by the French in 1706 a party of the besiegers had succeeded in penetrating by surprise into the moat of the fortress on the night of August 29–30, 1706, and would undoubtedly have captured it had not Micca, a soldier in the engineers, fired a mine, with the result that they were blown into the air and the rest of the force driven back with heavy losses.

Pietro Micca died on August 30, 1706.

Career

Pietro Micca was a famous soldier who became a national hero for his sacrifice in the defence of Turin against the French troops.

Micca's heroism has been the subject of poems, plays and romances.

As well as the Museo Civico Pietro Micca, a central street in Turin was named after him, and a statue erected in his honour. His home town was renamed from Andorno to Andorno Micca.

Connections

Mother:

Anna Martinazzo