Monumento a Matteo Wade

A neoclassical marble monument in Civitella del Tronto commemorates Major Matteo Wade, an Irish officer who defended the Bourbon fortress during the French siege of 1806.

Why it matters

The memorial records the connection between Civitella and a foreign officer who became part of local historical memory. Its story extends beyond the siege to include its commission by the Bourbon court, wartime removal and eventual return.

What to notice

The monument's restrained neoclassical forms and marble inscription link it to early nineteenth-century public memorial art. Its position in Largo Rosati places the memorial within the historic settlement associated with the fortress.

Context and history

Matteo Wade served the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies and commanded the fortress during the French siege of 1806. King Francesco I commissioned the monument in 1829. Piedmontese troops removed it during the siege of 1860–61; it was returned to Civitella in 1876.