Natale Beroaldi Bianchini (Modena, 1777 – 1853)
He entered the service of the Este as an ensign, assistant in the ducal armory, when he was a student at the University of Modena. In October 1796 he was promoted lieutenant 1st class in the Cispadanian horse artillery, in July 1797 captain assistant major in the Cisalpine artillery, in August 1800 captain 1st class, in July 1803 battalion chief subdirector, in 1811 major. He took part in the Italian campaigns from 1798 to 1800, was taken prisoner at Ferrara, though in 1801 he was adjutant to Calori and his chief of staff Tricquenot. He was a member of the consulta of Lyon in 1802, then surveillant to the national armory in Milan and chief of the commission in charge of setting up arms manufacturing in Brescia. From September 1805 he was Danna’s chief of staff; in 1807 he organized setting up a cannon foundry in Caionvico, where he was director; then in 1811 he was chief of the 3rd division at the War Ministry. In the 1813-14 campaigns in Italy he first commanded the artillery of the Palombini division, then the Royal guard artillery, and finally was appointed chief of staff. He afterwards returned to the War Ministry and was promoted to colonel in May 1814. According to Bianchi d’Adda he was «one of the most enlightened, deserving and distinguished officers in this [artillery] corps … He stood out for his extensive talents, zeal and capacity both within the corps and in face of the enemy. Indebted to him are the arsenals of the Kingdom, the firearms industries, and in general the whole artillery matériel which he managed to build up and improve whether directly employed in artillery directorships or monitoring their administration as general chief of staff and aide to the late Major General Count Danna, commander-in-chief of the Kingdom artillery; or indeed when, on the General’s demise, he oversaw all matters of matériel and personnel for that army corps as chief of the Third Division of my Ministry. As for his conduct on the field of battle, it is widely recognised throughout the army». Initially destined to the Austrian infantry, he served in Milan as a translator of Austrian regulations, then passed to the artillery, where he attained the rank of lieutenant-marshal. He published several books: Beroaldi Bianchini, Natale. 1829. Abhandlung uber die Feuer-und Seitengewehre, worin die Erzeugung, der Zweck und der Gebrauch aller einzelnen Bestandtheile, dann aller Gattungen kleiner und Jagdgewehre, mit der Angabe und Beschreibung ganz neuer Maschinen und Vorrichtungen, sammt Planen und Erzeugungs-Tabellen auseinander gesetzt ist verf. von Cavaliere de Beroaldo Bianchini. Vienna: K.K. Hof- und Staats-Aerarial-Druckerey, 2 vols. (on firearms and bayonets); Id. 1842. L’armonia universale: poema didascalico in sesta rima. Leipzig: Weygand; Id. 1849. Repulsione centrale opposta al sistema del sole centrale, e teorica de’ moti tutti fisico morali ed intellettuali, costituenti l’organismo dell’universo, senza ipotesi, con rappresentanze geometriche e d’accordo con la bibbia dimostrata: opera a complemento del poema l’Armonia universale. Vienna: Tipography of C. Gerold and son; Id. 1851. Uber die wichtigsten Erscheinungen der Gestirne insbesondere der Erde: Licht, Warme, Elektricitat, Magenetismus. Vienna: Tendler; Id. 1855. L’universo: teoria divisa in dieci capitoli, Milano: Silvestri. (Cf. MSA, WO 1373, 2018, 108, OR 89).