Il Portastendardo di Civitella del Tronto (n. 63 - Settembre 2026)

Il Portastendardo di Civitella del Tronto (n. 62 - Agosto 2026)

Rediscovering the Christian Statesmanship of King Ferdinand II Through the Funeral Oration of Monsignor Francesco Saverio Petagna

Gianandrea de Antonellis’ introduction to the 2019 edition of Elogio Funebre alla Pia Memoria di Ferdinando II (1859), subsequently republished on Alta Terra di Lavoro, offers far more than a preface to a nineteenth-century funeral oration. He argues that Monsignor Francesco Saverio Petagna’s address deserves renewed attention, not only as a historical document but also as an expression of the political and religious ideals that shaped the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.

The introduction opens by situating the funeral oration within the turbulent political climate of Italian unification. De Antonellis explains that one of the principal reasons Petagna was later forced into exile was the solemnity with which he honored King Ferdinand II after the monarch’s death in 1859. This alone illustrates how politically charged even the memory of the Bourbon king had become during the years of Italian unification.

De Antonellis also traces the longstanding mutual esteem between Ferdinand II and Monsignor Petagna. He recounts the anecdote of the King, traveling incognito, attending one of the young priest’s sermons in Naples out of curiosity. Impressed by Petagna’s gifts, Ferdinand later appointed him Bishop of Castellammare and eventually bestowed upon him the Royal Order of Francis I. These episodes underscore the close personal relationship that existed between the monarch and the prelate long before the funeral oration was delivered.

At the heart of the article is Petagna’s portrait of Ferdinand II. Rather than repeating the familiar image found in post-Risorgimento historiography, the Bishop presents a ruler whose Catholic faith permeated both his private life and public duties. Petagna recalls Ferdinand’s devotion to the Rosary, his visits to the Blessed Sacrament, his public recitation of the Angelus, and his reverence toward the Blessed Virgin. Particularly striking is the Bishop’s recollection of the King’s visits to Castellammare, where the faithful witnessed his sincere acts of devotion before the Blessed Sacrament and the relics of San Catello.

The article also highlights Petagna’s rejection of the notion that religion and government belong to separate spheres. One of the most memorable passages declares:

“It is foolish wisdom that would have the interests of the State attended to before those of the Gospel; and it is madness to think that the exact observance of the latter’s precepts is incompatible with the principles of the former. It is to dishonor Religion, says St. Augustine, to believe that she ought not to be consulted in the government of empires.”

Likewise, Petagna argues that political stability ultimately rests upon moral virtue rather than administrative efficiency, observing that Rome itself fell not because it was “crushed by foreign arms, but because it had been consumed by domestic vices.” For Petagna, the decline of civilizations begins with moral decay long before military defeat.

De Antonellis rightly emphasizes that this vision represents a coherent philosophy rooted in both Greco-Roman political thought and Christian tradition. Petagna sees faith as the indispensable foundation of just rule.

The article also draws attention to Ferdinand II’s extensive public works, charitable initiatives, and reforms. Petagna praises the King’s patronage of science, education, commerce, industry, agriculture, and infrastructure, while also emphasizing his restoration of churches, support for religious orders, care for the poor, the establishment of charitable and vocational institutions, and his prompt assistance to those afflicted by hardship. Alongside these charitable works, Petagna notes that Ferdinand introduced “the first railways, steamships, gas lighting, and later the electric telegraph in Italy.” He also points to the mechanical works at Pietrarsa, the Naples dry dock, iron bridges, expanded ports, schools, and numerous public works as tangible expressions of the King’s commitment to the welfare of his kingdom.

De Antonellis concludes by explaining why this funeral oration remains relevant today. Beyond its rhetorical style, the work offers a perspective too often absent from modern accounts of the Bourbon monarchy. He argues that the oration preserves a vision long neglected by a historiography framed by the victors, reminding readers that important voices have often been overshadowed by later political narratives. He invokes a memorable reflection drawn from the Carlist tradition: No serán héroes anónimos ante Dios (“Before God, a hero is never anonymous”).

De Antonellis honors not only Ferdinand II but also Monsignor Petagna himself. He reminds readers that the Bishop chose exile rather than submission to those who had conquered his native kingdom, making his funeral oration not merely a tribute to a fallen monarch but also the testimony of a man who remained steadfast in his convictions.

More than a ceremonial tribute, Petagna’s funeral oration stands as a valuable primary source for understanding how one of Ferdinand II’s contemporaries conceived the relationship between faith, kingship, and public life. As De Antonellis demonstrates, it also conveys a neglected vision of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies rooted in Christian duty, moral government, charity, and institutional continuity.

~ By Giovanni di Napoli, August 1st, Feast of St. Peter's Chains, with the Commemorations of St. Paul and the Holy Maccabees

Il Portastendardo di Civitella del Tronto (n. 61 - Luglio 2026)

Europe Through the Lens of Christendom

Next: Europe of a Hundred Flags

I recently came across this thought-provoking map captioned, “This is how I divide Europe,” and I was struck by how closely it aligns with my own fundamental understanding of the continent’s historic ethnic landscape—though not without a few adjustments.

In my view, southern France and Corsica belong firmly within the broader European, Mediterranean, and Latin world rather than being separated from it. I also agree that the Hungarians occupy a category all their own, though I have always referred to them as Magyar rather than Aryan—Turanian when I want to impress the ladies.

What struck me most, however, was not the map’s divisions but the deeper thread connecting them. Maps of ethnicity can tell us much about Europe’s diversity, but they often obscure the civilizational framework within which those peoples developed.

Whether Latin, Germanic, Celtic, Slavic, Greek, Magyar, or Nordic, Europe’s peoples largely developed within the common civilizational framework of Christendom. While ethnic and regional differences were real, they existed within a broader religious and cultural inheritance that gave Europe much of its historical character.

Looking at maps such as this one, I see less a collection of competing ethnic groups and more the many branches of a civilization that, despite its diversity, once understood itself as part of a greater whole. The presence of historic Islamic communities in parts of the Balkans does not alter the fact that Christianity was the principal force that shaped Europe’s civilizational character.

Europe’s story is therefore one of many peoples and one civilization.

~ By Giovanni di Napoli, July 10th, Feast of Santa Rufina and Santa Seconda

Il Portastendardo di Civitella del Tronto (n. 60 - Giugno 2026)

A Pilgrimage to the Tomb of King Francis II

The Fondazione Francesco II delle Due Sicilie invites those devoted to the memory of King Francis II to make a private pilgrimage—individually or in groups—to his tomb in the monumental Basilica of Santa Chiara. There, visitors may pay their respects to the last sovereign of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies and also venerate the urn of his mother, Maria Cristina of Savoy, who has been beatified by the Church. 

Beyond an act of remembrance, such a pilgrimage offers an opportunity for prayer, reflection, and renewed appreciation for a king whose life was marked by faith, sacrifice, and fidelity in both sovereignty and exile.

Francesco II of Bourbon Continues His Journey Toward the Altars

Francesco II di Borbone, ora pro nobis

I am pleased to share a recent update regarding the Cause of Beatification and Canonization of His Majesty Francesco II di Borbone, the last King of the Two Sicilies. As many devotees of the saintly sovereign know, efforts to advance his cause have been underway for several years. This article at Il Quotidiano della Costiera (IQDC) provides an overview of the canonical process currently being followed by the Church to examine his life, the heroic practice of the Christian virtues, his reputation for holiness, and any signs attributed to his intercession.

Among the important developments discussed are the formal appointment of a Postulator in 2019 and the favorable disposition expressed by the Archdiocese of Naples in 2020 to proceed with opening the cause. The Holy See has since requested an additional procedural step through the Campanian Bishops’ Conference before the diocesan phase of the investigation can officially begin. Once opened, this phase will gather and examine evidence both for and against the cause, allowing for a thorough and rigorous evaluation of Francesco II’s life of Christian virtue.

Should the Church ultimately recognize the heroic nature of his virtues, Francesco II would be declared Venerable. The recognition of a miracle attributed to his intercession would then be required for beatification, followed by a second miracle for canonization.

The original article is in Italian. I encourage all those devoted to the memory of Francesco II and interested in the progress of his Cause to read it in full:

Francesco II di Borbone, prosegue il cammino verso gli altari: lo stato dell’iter canonico

May God grant that the Church be able to fully examine the life and virtues of this faithful Catholic king, whose dignity in exile, fidelity in suffering, and unwavering devotion to Christ continue to inspire many throughout the former Kingdom of the Two Sicilies and beyond.

Il Portastendardo di Civitella del Tronto (n. 59 - Maggio 2026)

The Feast of the Ascension at Carditello

HRH Princess Beatrice of Bourbon–Two Sicilies with dignitaries and reenactors
Photos courtesy of Gaetano Bonelli and 1° Reggimento Re

At the historic Royal Site of Carditello, the Feast of the Ascension unfolded as a rare union of sacred tradition, historical memory, and Bourbon heritage. The event gathered clergy, historians, reenactors, and distinguished guests—including HRH Princess Beatrice of Bourbon–Two Sicilies—for a day that restored something of the ceremonial spirit once associated with the old Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.

Members of the 1° Reggimento Re

Particularly notable was the presentation of several unique and largely unseen artifacts from the collections of the Museum of Naples, many connected to the history of the Bourbon dynasty. The exhibition transformed the estate from a mere historical site into something closer to a living continuity, offering a rare glimpse into a world too often flattened into stereotype, yet still preserved through objects, ritual, and memory.

The religious dimension of the celebration remained central. The traditional floral display, the solemn Mass celebrated by Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, and the procession of Carlo Brunelli’s altarpiece reaffirmed the deeply Catholic character of the feast. Especially striking was the ancient blessing of the waters from the Carolino Aqueduct, a rite that seemed to bind together landscape, faith, and history in a distinctly Duosiciliano way.

Rather than functioning as a simple cultural event, the Feast of the Ascension at Carditello demonstrated how historical memory can still be lived publicly and spiritually. For a few hours, the Royal Site became, once again, part of a living tradition rather than a monument to a vanished world.

~ By Giovanni di Napoli, May 20th, Feast of San Bernardino da Siena

HRH Princess Beatrice of Bourbon–Two Sicilies with Gaetano Bonelli

Cav. Mirko Speranza 

The Founding of Constantinople

The Founding of Constantinople by Sir Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640)

Reprinted from Western Exile @westernexile

We commemorate a day holy in the annals of history indeed. For it was on the 11th May AD 330, the Feast of Saint Mocius, that the Emperor Constantine the Great consecrated the imperial city of Constantinople, Byzantium of old and bastion of Christendom new, as the Second Rome.

Almost six centuries after the banner of the Romans was furled over the Golden Horn, her spirit remains unbroken.

Preparing for the Siege at Castello di Lettere

Photos courtesy of 1° Reggimento Re

Members of the 1° Reggimento Re historical reenactment and cultural association are preparing and training at Castello di Lettere, Napoli, for their next event with discipline, dedication, and a passion for history.