In 1844, two brothers from Venice, Attilio and Emilio Bandiera, members of Young Italy, planned to make a raid on the Calabrian coast against the Kingdom of Two Sicilies in support of Italian unification. They assembled a band of about twenty men ready to sacrifice their lives and set sail on their venture on 12 June 1844. Four days later they landed near Crotone, intending to go to Cosenza, liberate the political prisoners, and issue their proclamations. Tragically for the Bandiera brothers, they did not find the insurgent band they were told awaited them, so they moved towards La Sila. They were ultimately betrayed by one of their party, the Corsican Pietro Boccheciampe, and by some peasants who believed them to be Turkish pirates. A detachment of gendarmes and volunteers were sent against them, and after a short fight, the whole band was taken prisoner and escorted to Cosenza, where a number of Calabrians who had taken part in a previous rising were also under arrest. The Bandiera brothers and their nine companions were executed by firing squad; some accounts state they cried "Viva l'Italia!" ('Long live Italy!') as they fell. The moral effect was enormous throughout Italy, the action of the authorities was universally condemned, and the martyrdom of the Bandiera brothers bore fruit in the subsequent revolutions.
In 1844 two brothers from Venice Attilio and Emilio Bandiera members of Young Italy planned to make a raid on the Calabrian coast against the Kingdom of Two Sicilies in support of Italian unification They assembled a band of about twenty men ready to sacrifice their lives and set sail on their venture on 12 June 1844 Four days later they landed near Crotone intending to go to Cosenza liberate the political prisoners and issue their proclamations Tragically for the Bandiera brothers they did not find the insurgent band they were told awaited them so they moved towards La Sila They were ultimately betrayed by one of their party the Corsican Pietro Boccheciampe and by some peasants who believed them to be Turkish pirates A detachment of gendarmes and volunteers were sent against them and after a short fight the whole band was taken prisoner and escorted to Cosenza where a number of Calabrians who had taken part in a previous rising were also under arrest The Bandiera brothers and their nine companions were executed by firing squad; some accounts state they cried "Viva l'Italia" ('Long live Italy') as they fell The moral effect was enormous throughout Italy the action of the authorities was universally condemned and the martyrdom of the Bandiera brothers bore fruit in the subsequent revolutions