Editing Tosca (section)

=== Historical context ===
{{see also|French Revolutionary Wars}}
[[File:Lejeune - Bataille de Marengo.jpg|thumb|alt= A crowded scene with many soldiers and horses, and much smoke. Some soldiers lie dead or wounded. In the distance, beyond a short line of trees, is a tall church tower.|The Battle of Marengo, as painted by [[Louis-François Lejeune]]]]
According to the libretto, the action of ''Tosca'' occurs in Rome in June 1800.<ref>Fisher, p. 31</ref> Sardou, in his play, dates it more precisely; ''La Tosca'' takes place in the afternoon, evening, and early morning of 17 and 18&nbsp;June 1800.<ref>Burton et al., p. 86</ref>

Italy had long been divided into a number of small states, with the Pope in Rome ruling the [[Papal States]] in [[Central Italy]]. Following the [[French Revolution]], a French army under [[Napoleon]] invaded Italy in 1796, entering Rome almost unopposed on 11&nbsp;February 1798 and establishing a [[Roman Republic (18th century)|republic]] there.<ref>Nicassio, pp. 32–34</ref> [[Pope Pius VI]] was taken prisoner, and was sent into exile on February 20, 1798. (Pius VI would die in exile in 1799, and his successor, [[Pope Pius VII|Pius VII]], who was elected in Venice on 14 March 1800, would not enter Rome until 3 July. There is thus neither a Pope nor papal government in Rome during the days depicted in the opera). The new republic was ruled by seven [[consul#Roman republican consuls|consuls]]; in the opera this is the office formerly held by Angelotti, whose character may be based on the real-life consul [[Liborio Angelucci]].<ref>Nicassio, p. 35</ref> In September 1799 the French, who had protected the republic, withdrew from Rome.<ref>Nicassio, p. 46</ref> As they left, troops of the [[Kingdom of Naples]] occupied the city.<ref name="in">Nicassio, pp. 48–49</ref>

In May 1800 Napoleon, by then the undisputed leader of France, brought his troops across the Alps to Italy once again. On 14&nbsp;June his army met the Austrian forces at the [[Battle of Marengo]] (near [[Alessandria]]). Austrian troops were initially successful; by mid-morning they were in control of the field of battle. Their commander, [[Michael von Melas]], sent this news south towards Rome. However, fresh French troops arrived in the late afternoon, and Napoleon attacked the tired Austrians. As Melas retreated in disarray with the remains of his army, he sent a second courier south with the revised message.<ref>Nicassio, pp. 169–170</ref> The Neapolitans abandoned Rome,<ref>Nicassio, p. 47</ref> and the city spent the next fourteen years under French domination.<ref name="dom">Nicassio, pp. 204–205</ref>