Dalmatia, 19th century. Port of Fiume (present-day Rijeka, Croatia). The city was established as a free port in 1723. During the 18th and 19th centuries its sovereignty was held by Austria, Croatia and Hungary. In 1919, Italian military forces led by the poet Gabriele DAnnunzio, composed of low-ranking troops, occupied the city of Fiume, establishing it as a sovereign state and creating the Free State of Fiume (1920-1924). Engraving by A. De Bar. "Los Heroes y las Grandezas de la Tierra". Volume V. 1855.