Giovanni Battista Bianchi d’Adda (Parabiago, 6 September 1748 -1830)
Patrician, he enrolled as a second lieutenant in Austrian service in 1774, was promoted to full lieutenant in 1779, to captain in 1784, and attained the rank of major in 1791. In 1797 he resigned and was promoted to brigade chief, taking command of the second division (artillery and engineering corps) of the Cisalpine War Office. He became War Minister on 22 February 1799, a post he held up to 25 September 1800. On 4 October 1800 he was promoted brigadier, on 27 July 1801 Inspector General of the military engineers. He became War Minister again during the Restoration in May 1814 until 21 July, when the Italian Ministries were suppressed. He wrote many memoirs on fortification: Nouveau système de contremines Sous le glacis d’une place défendue par le moyen des Fourneaux chargés et bourrés à l’avance Contre les attaques du Globe de compression et des fourneaux sans bourrage, 1807; Nouvelle disposition de mines défensives sous le glacis des lunettes avancées comparée à la disposition de Mouzé, 1808; Réponses aux remarques du comité des fortifications sur son dernier système de mines défensives and Nouveau système de contremines sous le glacis d’une place, 13 April 1813, ms. in SHD 1 V R 32, n° 19, 20, 25 e 27. (Cf. MSA WO 1392, 541, 2018. Spinelli, Franco Alfonso. 1928. G. B. Bianchi d’Adda ne gli anni 1774-1814. Da Sottotenente del Genio Austriaco a Ministro de la Guerra nel Regno Italico. Varese: Tip. Arc. Dell’Addolorata).