4 April

NEW - Benedict the Moor – Saint

Devout son of slaves was canonised by a Pope

An Afro-Sicilian Franciscan friar known as Benedict the Moor, who was made a saint nearly 300 years after his birth, was born on this day in 1526 in San Fratello in Sicily.  Benedict was the son of African slaves who had been captured and taken to work in San Fratello, which is a small town in the province of Messina. His parents were given Italian names, Cristoforo and Diana Massaneri, and were converted to Christianity. They were granted freedom for their son before his birth because of what was then described as their loyal service to their master.  Benedict is also sometimes referred to as Benedict of Palermo, Benedict the Black, or Benedict the African. He worked as a shepherd during his youth and often gave the money he had earned to the poor.  Although Benedict did not attend school and was illiterate, he became well known for his charity.  Read more…

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Francesco De Gregori - singer-songwriter

Performer inspired by songs of hero Bob Dylan

The singer-songwriter Francesco De Gregori - popularly known as "Il Principe dei cantautori" (the prince of the singer-songwriters) – was born on this day in 1951.  Born in Rome, De Gregori has released around 40 albums in a career spanning 45 years, selling more than five million records.  Famous for the elegant and often poetic nature of his lyrics, De Gregori was once described by Bob Dylan as an “Italian folk hero”.  De Gregori acknowledges Dylan as one of his biggest inspirations and influences, along with Leonard Cohen and the Italian singer Fabrizio de André.  Covers of Dylan songs have regularly featured in his stage performances. He made an album in 2015 entitled Love and Theft: De Gregori Sings Bob Dylan.  Born into a middle class family – his father was a librarian, his mother a teacher - De Gregori spent his youth living in Rome. Read more…

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Niccolò Antonio Zingarelli - composer

Neapolitan who snubbed Napoleon wrote 37 operas

The composer Niccolò Antonio Zingarelli, who wrote 37 mainly comic operas and more than 500 pieces of sacred music, was born on this day in 1752 in Naples.  His success made him one of the principal composers of opera and religious music of his time. At various points in his career, he was maestro di cappella - music director - at Milan Cathedral, choir master at the Sistine Chapel and director of the Naples Conservatory.  Many of Zingarelli’s operas were written for Teatro alla Scala in Milan. Early in his career he worked in Paris, which held him in good stead later when he was arrested after refusing to conduct a hymn for the newly-born son of the Emperor Napoleon, who at the time was the self-proclaimed King of Italy.  Sometimes known as Nicola, the young Zingarelli studied from the age of seven at the Conservatorio di Santa Maria di Loreto, which was the original conservatory of Naples. Read more…

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Daniela Riccardi - businesswoman

Head of upmarket stationery company trained as a ballet dancer

Born on this day in 1960, Daniela Riccardi in 2013 became chief executive of Baccarat, the luxury glass and crystal manufacturer that originated in the town of the same name in the Lorraine region of France in the 18th century, taking up the same position with the upmarket stationery company Moleskine in 2020.  Formerly CEO of the Italian clothing company Diesel, she is one of Italy's most successful businesswomen, yet might easily have forged alternative careers as a dancer or a diplomat.  Born in Rome, she began dancing when she was five and studied ballet for 12 years at the National Dance Academy in Rome, with the aim of becoming a professional dancer.  When it became clear that she would not quite be good enough to grace the world's great stages, she remained determined to have a career that would satisfy her desire to experience many countries and cultures. Read more…

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Irene Pivetti – journalist and politician

From top political office to TV presenter

Irene Pivetti, who was only the second woman to become president of the Italian Chamber of Deputies, was born on this day in 1963 in Milan.  Once a key figure in Italy’s Lega Nord party, Pivetti quit politics for a career as a television presenter.  Pivetti obtained an honours degree in Italian literature from the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Milan and afterwards worked in publishing, editing books on the Italian language. In this she was following in the footsteps of her maternal grandfather, Aldo, a renowned linguist.  While working as a journalist, she became involved with the Lega Lombardia (Lombard League), which later became the Lega Nord (Northern League) and in 1992 was elected as a deputy, the Italian equivalent of a Member of Parliament.  Two years later, after the vote had gone to a fourth ballot, Pivetti was elected President of the Chamber of Deputies. Read more…

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Book of the Day: Traveling With The Saints In Italy: Contemporary Pilgrimages On Ancient Paths, by Lucinda Vardey

Pilgrimages have long been a vital part of Italy's heritage. Yet visiting its sacred sites seems an overwhelming challenge for the modern traveller: what to see, where to go, how much time to spend in each place?  In her new book, Lucinda Vardey provides solutions and guidance. In recognizing the genius of many of Italy's well-known - and some lesser-known - saints, she offers ten pilgrimages (to all parts of the country), for one or two days or a week, in a unique format of biography of early masters such as St. Benedict, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Anthony of Padua, St. Catherine of Siena and more contemporary teachers, Blessed Pope John 23rd and St. Pio of Pietrelcina (Padre Pio). After learning of the life of each saint, Traveling With The Saints In Italy provides a summary of their spiritual teaching, a pilgrim prayer and suggestions for intention, itinerary, maps and detailed directions to the prime places to visit in that person's life (many documented for the first time). Also provided are sidebars on religious art and artists and a four-day retreat in Rome. The book was reissued in a Jubilee edition in 2015.

Lucinda Vardey is a teacher, retreat guide and writer of spiritual subjects. Born in England, she now lives in Canada with her husband, John Dalla Costa, and in Italy where they run a retreat house in Tuscany. She lives part of the year in Tuscany and has led Italian pilgrimages for over six years.

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Benedict the Moor – Saint

Devout son of slaves was canonised by a Pope

Benedict the Moor was recognised for his
compassion towards the poor and his forbearance

An Afro-Sicilian Franciscan friar known as Benedict the Moor, who was made a saint nearly 300 years after his birth, was born on this day in 1526 in San Fratello in Sicily.

Benedict was the son of African slaves who had been captured and taken to work in San Fratello, which is a small town in the province of Messina.

His parents were given Italian names, Cristoforo and Diana Massaneri, and were converted to Christianity. They were granted freedom for their son before his birth because of what was then described as their loyal service to their master.

Benedict is also sometimes referred to as Benedict of Palermo, Benedict the Black, or Benedict the African. He worked as a shepherd during his youth and often gave the money he had earned to the poor.

Although Benedict did not attend school and was illiterate, he became well known for his charity.

As an adult he was publicly insulted because of his colour and his forbearance at the time was noticed by the leader of an independent group of hermits. They were living on Monte Pellegrino, an isolated rocky promontory on the northern coast of Palermo, following rules that had been written by St Francis of Assisi.

Benedict was invited to join the community and he gave up all his earthly possessions. He worked as the cook for the community and went on to become their leader when he had reached the age of 28.

A statue of Benedict the Moor at the
Minneapolis Institute of Art 

In 1564, Pope Pius IV disbanded all independent groups of hermits, ordering them to join established religious orders. Benedict was assigned to the Franciscan Friary of St Mary of Jesus in Palermo.

He started as a cook, but was soon appointed as a master of novices and later as a guardian of the community, although he was a lay brother rather than a priest. He helped the order to adopt a stricter version of Franciscan rule and became respected for his intuitive knowledge of theology and scripture.

It is claimed that he kept seven 40-day fasts throughout the year and slept for only a few hours each night. 

He was often sought after for counselling and developed a reputation for being able to heal the sick.

When Benedict died at the age of 65 it was claimed he had passed away at the very hour, and on the very day, that he had himself predicted. 

At the entrance to his cell in the Franciscan friary there is a plaque inscribed with the words: ‘This is the cell where Saint Benedict lived,’ which gives the dates of his birth and death.

After his death, King Philip III of Spain ordered a magnificent tomb to be built to house Benedict’s remains in the friary church in Palermo.

Benedict was beatified by Pope Benedict XIV in 1743 and canonised by Pope Pius VII in 1807. It is claimed his body was found incorrupt upon exhumation at the time. His major shrine was in Palermo, but the church and his relics were almost completely destroyed during wildfires in 2023.

He is remembered for his patience and understanding when confronted with racial abuse and taunts and, because of this, he has been declared a patron saint of African Americans. Several Catholic parishes in the United States are named after him.

San Fratello sits on a spectacular rocky outcrop in
countryside from which many emigrated to the US

Travel tip:

San Fratello, where Saint Benedict was born, is a municipality in the Nebrodi mountains in the northeast corner of Sicily. It was founded by the Normans in the 11th century. Their Gallo-Italic dialect is still spoken in the area. Situated about 110km (68 miles) east of Palermo and about 90km (56 miles) west of Messina, it takes its name from three pious brothers: Alfio, Cirino and Filadelfo, in whose honour a festival is held annually on May 10. It is said that the village sits on the site of the ancient Greek city of Apollonia, exactly on the summit of Monte Vecchio where the ruins are visible. The area has become increasingly prone to landslides, with more than one third of the population forced to evacuate the village in 2010, when extensive damage occurred. The village currently has just under 4,000 inhabitants but was once home to more than 10,000, its numbers diminishing in the early part of the 20th century when many residents left the area to emigrate, especially to the United States, where it is estimated there are 5,000 people who can trace their roots back to San Fratello. These include the ancestors of the American actor Al Pacino, whose father, Salvatore, returned to visit the area in 2002.

The Monte Pellegrino promontory seen across
the harbour at Palermo in western Sicily

Travel tip:

Monte Pellegrino, where Saint Benedict once lived with other hermits,  is an isolated carbonate rock promontory on the northern coast of Palermo. It is 606 meters above sea level, making it the highest peak in the area, and it has become one of Palermo’s most  frequently represented symbols. It was described by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, the German writer and polymath, as the most beautiful promontory in the world and is seen by many Palermitani as giving protection to their city. The mountain is home to the Sanctuary of Santa Rosalia, a pilgrim hermitage named in honour of Rosalia, patron saint of Palermo.  Called Monti Piddirinu in Sicilian dialect, it is a mountain range 609 metres high, characterised by steep slopes over whose surfaces the water does not flow, but instead filters through numerous cracks and crevices.

More reading:

Saint Rosalia, the Norman noblewoman credited with saving Palermo from plague

Why hundreds of thousands take to the streets of Catania to celebrate Saint Agatha

The Caravaggio masterpiece depicting the burial of Santa Lucia

Also on this day:

1752: The birth of composer Niccolò Antonio Zingarelli

1951: The birth of singer-songwriter Francesco De Gregori

1960: The birth of businesswoman Daniela Riccardi

1963: The birth of journalist and politician Irene Pivetti

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3 April

Alcide De Gasperi - prime minister who rebuilt Italy

Christian Democrat founder was jailed by Mussolini

Born on this day in 1881, Alcide De Gasperi was the Italian prime minister who founded the Christian Democrat party and led the rebuilding of the country after World War II.  An opponent of Benito Mussolini who survived being locked up by the Fascist dictator, he was the head of eight consecutive governments between 1945 and 1953, a record for longevity in post-War Italian politics.  Although Silvio Berlusconi has spent more time in office - nine years and 53 days compared with De Gasperi's seven years and 238 days - the media tycoon's time in power was fragmented, whereas De Gasperi served continuously until his resignation in 1953.  As prime minister, De Gasperi was largely responsible for Italy's post-War economic salvation and for helping to hold the line between East and West as the Soviet Union established its border on Italy's doorstep.  Read more…

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Alessandro Stradella – violinist and composer

Talented musician lived for romance and adventure

Baroque composer Alessandro Stradella, who led a colourful life courting danger while producing more than 300 highly regarded musical works, was born on this day in 1639 at Nepi in the province of Viterbo, north of Rome in the Lazio region.  After an affair with the mistress of a Venetian nobleman he was attacked in the street and left for dead by two hired assassins, but he lived on for another few years to compose more music.  Five years later he was stabbed to death in Genoa, but the identity of his killers was never confirmed.  Stradella was born into an aristocratic family and by the age of 20 was making a name for himself as a composer.  He moved to Rome where he composed sacred music for Queen Christina of Sweden, who had abdicated her throne to go to live there.  It is believed he tried to embezzle money from the Roman Catholic Church. Read more…

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Maria de’ Medici – the tragic daughter of Cosimo I

Grand Duke grief stricken after death of clever child

Maria de’ Medici, the beautiful eldest child of Cosimo I de’ Medici was born on this day in 1540 in Florence. The apple of her father’s eye, she was one of the brightest of the Grand Duke of Tuscany’s children, but she was destined to lead a very short life.  Maria was the daughter of Cosimo I and Eleonora di Toledo and was Cosimo’s first legitimate child. He had fathered an illegitimate daughter, Bia de’ Medici before his marriage to Eleonora but she had died young.   Maria was educated with her brothers and was reputed to have been so clever that when her  brother, Francesco, didn’t understand his Greek lesson, his tutors would ask Maria to explain it to him.  She grew up to be an elegant, highly educated, and decorous young woman according to contemporary accounts and a marriage was arranged for her with Alfonso II, Duke of Ferrara. Read more… 

Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco – composer

Versatile musician wrote for stringed instruments and for films

One of the most admired composers of the 20th century, Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, was born on this day in 1895 in Florence.  He composed more than 100 pieces of music for the guitar, many of them written for the Spanish guitarist Andrés Segovia.  Because of anti-semitism in Europe, Mario emigrated to the United States in 1939 where he went to work for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, composing music for about 200 films.  Mario was descended from a family of bankers that had lived in Siena since the Jews were expelled from Spain in the 16th century.  He was introduced to the piano by his mother and was composing music by the time he was nine years old. His mother recognised his musical talent and encouraged him to study the piano and composition under well-regarded musicians.  Mario came to the attention of the composer and pianist Alfredo Casella, who included some of his work in his repertoire. Read more…

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Maria Redaelli - supercentenarian

Inter fan who was the oldest living person in Europe

Maria Angela Redaelli, a supercentenarian who for 10 months was the oldest living person in Europe and for 14 months the oldest living person in Italy, was born on this day in 1899 in Inzago in Lombardy.  She died in 2013 on the eve of what would have been her 114th birthday, at which point she was the fourth oldest living person in the world, behind the Japanese supercentenarians Jiroemon Kimura and Misao Okawa, and the American Gertrude Weaver.  Kimura died two months later at the age of 116 years and 54 days, which is the most advanced age reached by any male in the history of the human race, according to verifiable records.  Okawa and Weaver survived for another two years, Okawa reaching 117 years and 27 days, which made her the fifth oldest woman in history at the time, although she was later overtaken by the Italian Emma Morano, who lived in Pallanza on Lake Maggiore until she was 117 years and 137 days.  Read more…

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Book of the Day: Alcide De Gasperi: European Founding Father, by Daniela Preda

Alcide De Gasperi is universally recognized as a Founding Father of Europe, but his enlightened action in favour of European unification is little known outside of Italy.  At the beginning of the 1950s, he became one of the most steadfast advocates of a European federation as a response to the problems of peace in Europe and Franco-German reconciliation. Foreseeing the limits of functional integration, he strongly supported the creation of a European political community as a framework in which to insert the nascent communities. After retracing the fundamental stages in the Europeanist education of the political leader from Trentino, Alcide De Gasperi: European Founding Father focuses on his determination in fighting to give constituent power to the European Defence Community (EDC) Assembly, to convene the ad hoc Assembly, charged with studying and drawing up a treaty for the European Political Community, and to gain approval for the treaty.

Daniela Preda is a full professor at the University of Genoa, where she teaches contemporary history and history of European integration.

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2 April

Giacomo Casanova – adventurer

Romantic figure escaped from prison in a gondola 

Author and adventurer Giacomo Girolamo Casanova was born on this day in 1725 in Venice.  He is so well known for his affairs with women that his surname is now used as an alternative word for ‘womaniser’.  Yet Casanova’s autobiography, The Story of My Life, has come to be regarded as one of the most authentic sources of information about European social life produced during the 18th century.  Casanova was widely travelled, had several different professions and was a prolific writer but he spent a lot of his time having romantic liaisons and gambling.  The Venice into which he was born was the pleasure capital of Europe, a required stop on the Grand Tour for young men coming of age, because of the attractions of the Carnival, the gambling houses and the courtesans.  Read more…

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Francesca Cuzzoni - operatic soprano

Diva who came to blows with rival on stage

Francesca Cuzzoni, an 18th century star whose fiery temper earned her a reputation as one of opera’s great divas, was born on this day in 1696 in Parma.  Described rather unkindly by one opera historian of the era as “short and squat, with a doughy face” she was nonetheless possessed of a beautiful soprano voice, which became her passport to stardom.  However, she was also notoriously temperamental and jealous of rival singers, as was illustrated by several incidents that took place while she was in the employment of George Frederick Handel, the German composer who spent much of his working life in London.  Already established as one of the finest sopranos in Europe, Cuzzoni was hired by Handel in 1722.  Handel at that time was Master of the Orchestra at the Royal Academy of Music, the company set up by a group of English aristocrats to stage Baroque opera. Read more…

Gelindo Bordin - marathon champion

First Italian to win Olympic gold in ultimate endurance test

Gelindo Bordin, the first Italian to win the gold medal in the Olympic Marathon, was born on this day in 1959 in Longare, a small town about 10km (six miles) south-east of Vicenza.  Twice European marathon champion, in 1986 and 1990, he won the Olympic competition in Seoul, South Korea in 1988.  Until Stefano Baldini matched his achievements by winning the marathon at the Athens Olympics in 2004 and claiming his second European title in Gothenburg in 2006, Bordin was Italy’s greatest long-distance runner.  He attained that status somewhat against the odds, too, having suffered a serious intestinal illness at the age of 20 and then being hit by a car.  Bordin’s victory in Seoul at last made up for the disappointment the Italy team had suffered 80 years earlier when Dorando Pietri crossed the line first in the marathon at the London Olympics of 1908 only to be disqualified. Read more…

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Achille Vianelli - painter and printmaker

Artist from Liguria who captured scenes of Naples

The painter and printmaker Achille Vianelli, whose specialities were landscapes and genre pictures, notably in his adopted city of Naples, died on this day in 1894 in Benevento in Campania.  For a while he worked at the French court, giving painting lessons to King Louis Philippe. Some of his works have sold for thousands of euros.  Vianelli was born in 1803 in Porto Maurizio in Liguria. When he was a child, his family moved more than 1,200km (750 miles) to the other end of the Italian peninsula to the coastal town of Otranto in the province of Lecce, where his father, Giovan Battista Vianelli, Venetian-born but a French national, had been posted as a Napoleonic consular agent.  Achille spent his youth in Otranto before, in 1819, he moved to Naples. His father and sister moved to France, although they would return to Naples in 1826. Read more…

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Book of the Day: The Story of My Life, by Giacomo Casanova. Introduced by Gilberto Pizzamiglio

Seducer, gambler, necromancer, swindler, swashbuckler, poet, self-made gentleman, bon vivant, Giacomo Casanova was not only the most notorious lover of the Western world, but a supreme storyteller. He lived a life stranger than most fictions, and the tale of his own adventures is his most compelling story, and one that remained unfinished at the time of his death. The Story of My Life is a selection of stories that contains all the highlights of Casanova's life: his youth in Venice as a precocious ecclesiastic; his dabbling in the occult; his imprisonment and thrilling escape; and his amorous conquests, ranging from noblewomen to nuns.

Giacomo Casanova (1725-1798) was born in Venice, the son of actors who wanted him to become a priest. Instead he had numerous occupations, and is remembered as one of history's great lovers.  Gilberto Pizzamiglio is Professor of Italian Literature at the University of Venice.

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