06/15/2026
Here is your Sunday "Today in Italian History" post. Today we're featuring Battle of Marengo
Napoleon works up an appetite driving out the Austrians
Napoleon was victorious in battle against the Austrians on this day in 1800 in an area near the village of Marengo, about five kilometres south of Alessandria in Piedmont. A chicken dish named after the battle, Pollo alla Marengo, keeps the event alive by continuing to appear on restaurant menus and in cookery books. It was an important victory for Napoleon, who effectively drove the Austrians out of Italy by forcing them to retreat. Initially French forces had been overpowered by the Austrians and had been pushed back a few miles. The Austrians thought they had won and retired to Alessandria. But the French received reinforcements and launched a surprise counter-attack, forcing the Austrians to retreat and subsequently to have to sign an armistice. This sealed a political victory for Napoleon and helped him secure his grip on power. There are various stories about the origin of the chicken dish named after the battle. Some say Napoleon ate it after his victory, while others say a restaurant chef in Paris invented it and named it after the battle in Napoleon’s honour. There is also a story that Napoleon refused to eat before the battle but eventually came off the field with a ferocious hunger.
