Corsica under Genoese rule He studied at the
Jesuit collège in
Brescia, before graduating with a doctorate in medicine from the
University of Padua in 1746. He moved back to Corsica where in 1753, after the assassination of
Gian Pietro Gaffori, he became an advisor to
Petreto, lieutenant-general of the
Pieve militia in Ornano, Istria, Rocca and Talavu. The situation on the island at that time was very tense –
Genoa was trying desperately to hold onto the island, but the departure of the French troops commanded Cursay put this in a perilous situation. In 1755
Pasquale Paoli was elected general of the Corsicans by 16 of the 66
pievi or provinces, with the four southern
pievi (including Abbatucci's) joining him in 1757. negotiating for the stronghold's surrender with full military honours in August and being repatriated to Toulon by the British. He was finally made a
général de brigade on 17 December 1795 in the
armée d'Italie under Bonaparte, rising to
général de division on 16 April 1796. He was released from campaigning in 1796 due to his age (he was now 73) and was posted to
Aix-en-Provence, where he exercised a command as général de division on Corsica until the end of 1796. His retirement was authorised in December 1796, and so he was discharged in January 1797 and finally retired on 23 September 1800 being provided with a pension of 1,800 francs. ==References==