Historedia
Episode 2 of 2

Capitulation of Gaeta

When
13 February 1861
Where
Fortress of Gaeta
Part of
Siege of Gaeta ends with Piedmontese capture and exile of Francis II

Francis II surrendered the fortress on 13 February 1861 after naval withdrawal enabled bombardment, ending the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.

The siege, initiated in November 1860, concluded when the French fleet withdrew, allowing sea bombardment. Francis II, defended by 12,000 men, capitulated on 13 February. This event sealed the annexation of the Two Sicilies to the Kingdom of Italy, marking the end of Bourbon rule in Naples.

Sources

  1. Gaeta Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-20
  2. Francis II of the Two Sicilies Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-29

Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.