IL TUMULTO DEI GRANATIERI A FIRENZE DEL 9 MAGGIO 1774. UN PICCOLO EVENTO CON GRANDI CONSEGUENZE

The history of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany has been charachterized by many riots, recorded with more or less precision. The grenadier’s riot, occurred on 9th May 1774, has always been described following the account of Antonio Zobi, in a tradition which shows this event like the proof of a period dominated by a sovereign, Peter Leopold, who preferred the ‘police’ and hated the army. This description and the following explanation greatly diverge from the history of this event contained in the official documents preserved in the National Archive of Florence and in a pair of works of twenty five years ago. Using such sources, it is possible reconstructing with precision what happened that day, with the result not only of better evaluating the Peter Leopold’s figure, but also of drafting a particular of the history of the Tuscany Army in the XVIII century, which will be of crucial importance in the evolution of the structure of the Grand Duchy’s military.