Ferdinand de Charette was born on July 11, 1837. He served in the army of the Kingdom of Two Sicilies between 1860-1861, where he fought in the battles of Volturno, Garigliano, and Gaeta. 
Portrait of Ferdinand de Charette
de la Contrie (1837-1917)
Great-nephew of the Vendéen General François de Charette, he was one of the four Charette brothers to serve in the Papal Army during the campaigns to defend the Papal States from 1860-1870.
Enlisting as a Papal Zouave in August 1861, he fought in the battles of Ceprano and Mentana.
When Rome fell to the Italians on September 20, 1870, de Charette went with a contingent of French Papal Zouaves (Volunteers of the West) to defend France during the Franco-Prussian War.
Ferdinand de Charette was wounded during the Battle of Loigny on December 2, 1870. He was promoted to Lieutenant in January 1871.
The portrait depicts him when he was still an enlisted soldier in the Papal Army between 1868-1870. He is wearing the Mentana Cross medal, the Order of Saint Gregory the Great medal, and a gold lapel pin with the pontifical arms.
For his services to the Kingdom of Two Sicilies, the Papal States, and France he was decorated with the following awards:
Knight of the Legion of Honour
Knight of the Order of Saint George of Naples
Knight of the Royal Order of Francis I of Naples
Knight of the Order of Pius IX
Knight of the Order of Saint Gregory the Great
Knight of the Order of the Eagle of Este
Papal Roman Count
Fidei et Virtuti Medal
By Brendan Cassell (Papal Zouave History @PapalZouaveUS)
