Ottavio Bernardi (Verona, 23 December 1770 – 1817)
A nobleman, son of a count who was senator of the Venetian Republic, Bernardi studied at the Verona military school from 1785 to 1791, leaving as an ensign in the engineering corps; he then came back to teach mathematics, fortification and artillery. He entered French service as a major in the Veronese battalion on 2 August 1797, passed into Cisalpine service the following year in the same battalion, merged into the 7th line demi-brigade. He sat the examination on 4 April 1798 and was ranked a captain 1st class, though keeping his rank as an infantry major. In 1799 he was taken prisoner at Peschiera. He was promoted to battalion chief on 9 October 1800, while he was commander-in-chief of the engineers of the Italian division; he was then elected a member of the consulta of Lyon. He was not promoted afterwards, but in 1807 was appointed chief of the sapper battalion, a role he held until 1811. (Cf. MSA, WO 541, EBA, b. 42, f. 6, Liberati Arnaldo, Emilio Belgieri and Giuseppe Belgieri. 1997. Gli ufficiali veronesi nelle armate napoleoniche (1796-1815), in La provincia veronese e Arcole nella storia e nella cultura dell’età napoleonica, ed. Giancarlo Volpato. Arcole: Consorzio per le celebrazioni del bicentenario della battaglia di Arcole, 1997: 355-356).