The battle took place to the west of Alessandria in a plain bounded by the Bormida, over which the Austrians established a bridgehead. Castelceriolo, Marengo, San Giuliano
were the villages where the forces were stationed. When the Austrian attack began at 9am, the French forces were relatively spread out and the First Consul was to the rear at Torre dei Garofoli.
The Austrians had 30,000 men and one hundred cannon, the French 22,000 men and fifteen cannon. Melas arranged his troops in three corps (O’Reilly, Melas, Ott), up against the Bormida. The French army was arranged in three lines: Victor supported on his left by Kellermann’s cavalry brigade; Lannes with Champeaux and Rivaud’s cavalry brigade; and the reserve (Monnier and the Garde) in the third line.
The fighting around Marengo was fierce and the French resisted strongly until 2pm.
This work is part of the exhibition Marengo. Une victoire politique, which lasts until 28 August 2000 at the Museum of the Châteaux de Malmaison et
Bois-Préau.
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