The following is a list of massacres that have occurred in Italy and its predecessors (numbers may be approximate): they are divided by the presence of culpability or not.
List parameters A massacre is the killing of a large number of people, especially those who are not involved in any fighting or have no way of defending themselves.
The following are the parameters used to create the list:
Massacres, accidents or natural disasters that occurred in the actual Italian Republic territory, in the nearby sea, or by Italian ships or airplanes around the world (which are considered part of the Italian territory, by the Italian law); Massacres, accidents or natural disasters with at least 3 deaths.
List of culpable massacres
Archaic Italy NameDateLocationDeathsPerpetratorsNotesBattle of Selinus409 BCSelinus16,000Carthaginian Army16,000 citizens of Selinus killed in battle and massacre by Carthaginian Army under Hannibal Mago. City razed.Diodorus Siculus 13.57.6Battle of Himera409 BCHimera3,000Carthaginian Army3,000 Greek prisoners of war tortured and sacrificed by Carthaginian Army under Hannibal Mago. City razed.Diodorus Siculus 13.62.4Siege of AkragasDecember 406 BCAkragasPopulation of AkragasCarthaginian ArmyGreek population massacred by Carthaginian Army under HimilcoDiodorus Siculus 13.90.1Siege of MotyaSummer 398 BCMotyaPopulation of MotyaSyracusePhoenician population of Motya killed by Greek troops during assault on the city.
Roman Italy NameDateLocationDeathsPerpetratorsNotesAgathocles' coup317 BCSyracuse4,000Agathocles' army4,000 wealthy Syracusans killed by AgathoclesAusona massacre314 BCAusonaEntire Aurunci peopleRepublican Roman ArmyEntire Aurunci people exterminated by Roman army311 BCGela4,000Agathocles' army4,000 Geloans slaughtered by Agathocles and their property stolen1st Cluviae massacre311 BCCluviaeRoman prisoners of warSamnitesRoman prisoners of war killed by Samnites2nd Cluviae massacre311 BCCluviaeAdult male populationRepublican Roman ArmyAdult male population of Cluviae put to death by Roman army under consul Gaius Junius Bubulcus Brutus305 BCTorgium4,000–7,000Agathocles' army4,000–7,000 troops of Deinocrates slaughtered by Agathocles after their surrender on promises of mercyAequi massacre304 BCAequiMost AequiansRepublican Roman ArmyMajority of Aequi people killed by Roman armyMessana massacre289 BCMessinaPopulation of MessanaMamertinesPopulation of Messana murdered by mercenary MamertinesRhegium massacre280 BCRhegiumMale population of MessanaCampanian mercenariesMale population of Rhegium massacred by rebellious Campanian mercenaries of RomeTaurasia massacreNovember 218 BCTaurasiaPopulation of TaurasiaCarthaginian ArmyPopulation of the Taurini capital of Taurasia exterminated by Carthaginian Army under Hannibal after three-day siege.Polybius, The Histories, III.61.August 216 BCCasilinumPro-Carthaginian population of CasilinumRepublican Roman ArmyPro-Carthaginian population of Casilinum killed by Roman garrison.Leontini massacre214 BCLentini2,000Republican Roman Army2,000 Roman deserters flogged and beheaded by troops of Marcus Claudius Marcellus.Enna massacre213 BCEnnaPopulation of EnnaRepublican Roman ArmyDefenceless crowd massacred by Roman garrison under governor Lucius Pinarius.Battle of Capua211 BCTeanum, Cales53Republican Roman Army53 Capuan aristocrats executed by Roman Army under Quintus Fulvius Flaccus.Agrigentum massacre210 BCAgrigentoAgrigentan elitesRepublican Roman ArmyAgrigentan elites massacred by Roman army under consul Marcus Valerius Laevinus. Population sold to slavery. Town looted.Tarentum massacre209 BCTarentumPopulation of TarentumRepublican Roman ArmyPopulation massacred by Roman Army under proconsul Fabius Maximus, 30,000 sold to slavery.Enna massacre135 BCEnnaPopulation of EnnaSlave rebelsSlaves under Eunus massacre town population and rape womenAsculum massacre89 BCAsculumMajority of the populationRepublican Roman ArmyPopulation massacred by Roman Army under consul Pompeius StraboRome massacres87 BCRomeSeveral hundredGaius MariusSeveral hundred supporters of Sulla massacred by Marius' rampaging armySulla's proscriptions82 BCRoman Italy4,700Sulla4,700 enemies of the state murdered on orders of SullaAppian Way crucifixions71 BCVia Appia6,000Republican Roman Army6,000 slave rebel prisoners crucified by Marcus Licinius CrassusProscription of 43 BC43 BCRoman Italy2,000Second Triumvirate2,000 enemies of the Second Triumvirate murderedTiberius' purgeLate 31Roman ItalySupporters of SejanusImperial Roman ArmySejanus and his supporters killed on orders of Tiberius.Tacitus, Annals VI.19Ticinum massacre13 August 408Ticinum7+Imperial Roman Army7 high-ranking supporters of Stilicho killed by Roman army at the instigation of Olympius. Many civilians in Ticinum killed afterward.John Matthews, Western Aristocracies and Imperial Court AD 364–425, Oxford: University Press, 1990, p. 281.Massacre of GothsLate 408Roman ItalyThousandsImperial Roman ArmyThousands of Gothic soldiers in the Roman Army and their families killed in anti-Germanic pogrom.The Cambridge Ancient History Volume 13, (Cambridge University Press, 1998), page 125.
Ostrogothic Italy NameDateLocationDeathsPerpetratorsNotesSiege of Ravenna (490–493)5 March 493RavennaOdoacer and his followersOstrogothic KingdomOdoacer and his men massacred by Ostrogoths under Theoderic the GreatSiege of Naples (536)November 536NaplesPopulation of NaplesByzantine armyNaples sacked and the population massacred by Byzantine army under BelisariusRavenna massacre537RavennaRoman aristocratsOstrogothic KingdomRoman aristocratic hostages executed on orders of WitigesMilan massacreMarch 539MediolanumAll males of MilanOstrogothic KingdomMale population of Milan slain by Ostrogothic troops after siege. Women enslaved.Procopius, History of the Wars VI.XXITicinum massacre539TicinumGothic women and childrenMerovingian FranksGothic women and children sacrificed alive by Franks under Theudebert IProcopius, History of the Wars VI.XXVTotila's sack of Rome550RomeMost inhabitants of RomeOstrogothic KingdomPopulation of Rome massacred after siege by Ostrogothic troops under Totila. Women spared.Massacre of aristocratic childrenLate 552Po Valley300Ostrogothic Kingdom300 Roman aristocratic children killed by Ostrogoths
Medieval Italy NameDateLocationDeathsPerpetratorsNotesSiege of Syracuse (877–878)21 May 878Syracuse4,000Aghlabids4,000 Syracusans massacred by Aghlabid Muslim armySack of Taormina1 August 902TaorminaPopulation of TaorminaAghlabidsTaormina burned and population massacredFatimid sack of Genoa16 August 935GenoaMale populationFatimid navyMale population of Genoa exterminated by Fatimids, women and children enslavedSiege of RomettaMay 965RomettaPopulation of RomettaKalbidsPopulation of Rometta massacred, survivors enslaved, city colonized by Muslims.Siege of Crema1159Crema, Lombardy40Holy Roman EmpireImperial army under Frederick Barbarossa executes 40 hostagesPalermo massacre1161PalermoMuslim population of PalermoChristian mobMuslim population of Palermo slaughtered by Christian mobSalerno massacreLate 1194SalernoPopulation of SalernoHoly Roman EmpireImperial army under Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor sacks Salerno, massacres and enslaves populationSicilian Vespers1282Sicily3,000Ghibelline Sicilians3,000 French men and women killed by rebelsLucera massacre1300LuceraMuslim populationKingdom of NaplesMuslim population of Lucera massacred and 9,000 sold to slaveryCesena bloodbath1 February 1377Cesena2,500Papal States2,500 people massacred by Breton troops under Cardinal Robert of Geneva during the War of the Eight Saints25 December 1410LozioNobili familyFederici familyNobili family exterminated as part of the struggle between the Guelphs and Ghibellines.10 January 1421Nocera Umbra5Pietro di RasigliaPietro di Rasiglia kills most of the Trinci family in a personal vendetta10 October 1434Camerino4Rebels4 members of the Varano family killed by rebels outside a church in Camerino.26 May 1435Fabriano14RebelsRebels massacre 14 people, including 5 ChiavellisMassacre of the Assumption15 August 1474Modica360Christian mobChristians kill 360 Jews in Modica's La GiudeccaOtranto massacre11 August 1480Otranto6,000Ottoman EmpireOttoman Turks massacre and enslave the population of Otranto
Early Modern Italy NameDateLocationDeathsPerpetratorsNotesSack of Rapallo8 September 1494RapalloUnknownSwiss mercenariesSwiss mercenaries under French command slaughter the population of RapalloSack of Mordano20 October 1494Mordano300–1,500French Army and Swiss mercenariesMordano sacked by French and Swiss troopsSack of FivizzanoOctober 1494FivizzanoUnknownFrench ArmySack of Castel Fiorentino20 October 1494Castel FiorentinoUnknownFrench ArmySack of Monte FortinoJanuary 1495Montefortino300French ArmySack of Monte San GiovanniFebruary 1495Monte San Giovanni Campano700–800French ArmySack of GaetaJune 1495Gaeta250–900French ArmySack of ToscanellaJune 1495Toscanella800French ArmySack of Ponte di SaccoJuly 1496PonsaccoCivilian populationFlorentine ArmySack of Rocca d'ArazzoAugust 1499Rocca d'ArazzoCivilian populationFrench ArmySack of AnnoneAugust 1499Annone700French ArmySack of ForlìJanuary 1500Forlì450French Army and Swiss mercenariesSack of TortonaFebruary 1500TortonaCivilian populationSwiss mercenariesSack of FaenzaApril 1501FaenzaCivilian populationGascons, Swiss, ItaliansSack of Capua25 July 1501Capua2,000–5,000French ArmyCapua sacked by French troopsSack of FossombroneOctober 1502FossombroneCivilian populationBorgia's troopsSack of RiminiOctober 1503Rimini360Borgia's troopsSack of TreviglioMay 1509TreviglioCivilian populationVenetian ArmySack of PeschieraMay 1509PeschieraCivilian population and garrisonFrench ArmySack of MonseliceAugust 1509MonseliceCivilian populationArmy of the Holy Roman EmpireVenetian ArmySack of FeltreAugust 1509FeltreCivilian populationArmy of the Holy Roman EmpireVenetian ArmySack of LegnanoMay 1510Legnano2,000French ArmyBarbarano massacreMay 1510Barbarano Mossano700–2,000Army of the Holy Roman EmpireSack of MonseliceJuly 1510MonseliceCivilian populationSpanish ArmyArmy of the Holy Roman EmpireSack of Brescia18 February 1512Brescia8,000French ArmyBrescia sacked by troops of Gaston of Foix, Duke of NemoursSack of Ravenna12 April 1512Ravenna17,000French ArmyRavenna sacked by French troops after the Battle of Ravenna (1512).29 August 1512Prato4,000–6,000Spanish ArmyPrato sacked by Spanish troopsSack of LodiMay 1516LodiCivilian populationSwiss mercenariesSack of ComoDecember 1521ComoCivilian populationSpanish ArmySack of Genoa30–31 May 1522Genoa5,000Spanish ArmyGenoa sacked by Spanish troopsSack of Rome (1527)6 May 1527Rome4,000Army of the Holy Roman EmpireSpanish ArmyRome sacked by troops of Charles V, Holy Roman EmperorSack of Pavia (1527)October 1527PaviaCivilian populationFrench ArmyVenetian ArmyMay 1528PaviaCivilian populationArmy of the Holy Roman EmpireSpanish ArmySeptember 1528PaviaCivilian populationArmy of the Holy Roman EmpireSpanish ArmyMassacre of Waldensians in CalabriaMay/June 1561Calabria600–6,000Roman InquisitionSpanish Army600–6,000 Waldensians killed by Inquisitorial and Spanish forcesValtellina massacre18–23 July 1620Valtellina300–600Catholics300–600 Protestants killed by pro-Spanish CatholicsPiedmontese EasterApril 1655Piedmont1,712–6,000Savoyard ArmyWaldensians killed by ducal troopsLauria massacre9 August 1806Lauria1,000Grande ArméeCity destroyed and population massacred by French Army under Marshal André Masséna
Risorgimento