Giuseppe Viscovich, also Josip Visković, was a Venetian

count Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...

. He was the Captain of the town of

Perast Perast ( cnr, Пераст) is an old town in the Bay of Kotor in Montenegro. It is situated a few kilometres northwest of Kotor and is noted for its proximity to the islets of St. George and Our Lady of the Rocks. History According to the pr ...

(now in

Montenegro ) , image_map = Europe-Montenegro.svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Podgorica , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , official_languages = M ...

), the last territory of the

Republic of Venice The Republic of Venice ( vec, Repùblega de Venèsia) or Venetian Republic ( vec, Repùblega Vèneta, links=no), traditionally known as La Serenissima ( en, Most Serene Republic of Venice, italics=yes; vec, Serenìsima Repùblega de Venèsia, ...

to surrender to

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

. On August 23, 1797, the citizens of Perast gathered to bury the flag of the Republic under the altar of the cathedral, to prevent it falling into enemy hands. Before the kneeling crowd, Viscovich delivered an emotional speech, the ''Discorso de Perasto'', still well known to Venetians. Contemporary chroniclers tell that Giuseppe said to his young grandson, present at the ceremony, "You too kneel down, Annibale, and remember these words as long as you live." Captain Viscovich's impassioned speech is often cited as an expression of the loyalty which many Croatian, Serbian and Montenegrin subjects of the Venetian Republic felt.

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Year of birth missing Year of death missing Republic of Venice military personnel People from Perast 18th-century Italian people Venetian period in the history of Montenegro Venetian Slavs {{europe-noble-stub