28 July

NEW - Ischia earthquake

The day calamity and chaos came to Casamicciola

Around 3,000 people are thought to have been killed and many more injured on this day in 1883 after a devastating earthquake shook the island of Ischia in the Gulf of Naples.  Although the earthquake was officially classified as moderate, it caused extreme ground shaking, which led to the collapse of about 80 per cent of the buildings in the comune of Casamicciola Terme, a resort on the northern side of the island.  Most of the houses, hotels, and churches in the town collapsed. There were more than 1,700 fatalities in Casamicciola alone.  The philosopher Benedetto Croce was on holiday on the island at the time and both his parents and his only sister were killed in the earthquake. He was trapped under the rubble for two nights until he was able to be rescued, and it was discovered that he had a broken leg and arm.  Read more… 

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Luigi Musso - racing driver

Wealthy Roman who found expectations hard to bear

Luigi Musso, who for a period of his life was Italy’s top racing driver, was born on this day in 1924 in Rome.  Musso competed six times for the world drivers’ championship, three times for Maserati and three times for Ferrari. He finished third in the 1957 season, driving for Ferrari.  His solitary Formula One Grand Prix victory came in 1956 in Argentina, although he had to content himself with a half-share of the points after being forced to hand over his car to Juan Fangio, the Ferrari team leader, after 29 of the 98 laps, when Fangio’s car failed.  Sadly, two years later he was killed in an accident at the French Grand Prix in Reims, which his girlfriend, Fiamma Breschi, blamed on the ferocity of his rivalry with his fellow Ferrari drivers Mike Hawthorn and Peter Collins.  Born into a wealthy Roman family – his father was a diplomat – Musso grew up in a luxurious palazzo off the Via Veneto.  Read more…

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Riccardo Muti - conductor

Celebrated maestro of the baton

The brilliant conductor and musical director Riccardo Muti was born on this day in 1941 in Naples.  Until 2023, Muti was conductor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and is still the director of the Luigi Cherubini Youth Orchestra, a training ensemble for talent from Italian and other European music schools, based in Ravenna and Piacenza, which he founded in 2005.  Previously, Muti held posts at the Maggio Musicale in Florence, the Philharmonia Orchestra in London, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Teatro alla Scala in Milan and the Salzburg Whitsun Festival.  He was named principal conductor and music director for the Maggio Musicale when he was only 28 and stayed there 12 years.  He was at La Scala for 19 years from 1986 to 2005, his tenure ending amid rancour following a conflict with the theatre's general manager, Carlo Fontana.  Read more…

Vittorio Valletta - industrialist

Agnelli lieutenant who turned Fiat into an auto giant

The industrialist Vittorio Valletta, whose diplomatic and deal-making skills helped him turn Fiat into the beacon of Italy’s postwar recovery, was born on this day in 1883 in Sampierdarena, a port suburb of Genoa famous for shipbuilding.  He joined Fiat in 1921, quickly rising to the top and became effectively the right-hand man to founder and president Giovanni Agnelli, as CEO practically steering the company single-handed through the turmoil of the Second World War.  After Agnelli’s death in 1945 he became president and remained in control of the company until 1966, when he finally handed over to Gianni Agnelli, the founder’s grandson, at the age of 83. Under his leadership, Fiat grew to such a position of dominance in postwar Italy that at one stage 80 per cent of cars bought in Italy were made by Fiat. The company’s factories employed almost 100,000 people, fulfilling Giovanni’s ambition.  Read more…

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San Marino’s liberation from Fascism

The day the people demonstrated against their government

San Marino residents celebrate the anniversary of their liberation from Fascism on this day every year.  The Sammarinese Fascist Party had been founded in 1922 by Giuliano Gozi, a veteran of the First World War who came from a rich and powerful family.  The party was modelled on the Fascist party of Italy and used violence and intimidation against its opponents.  Gozi took the roles of both foreign minister and interior minister, which gave him control over the military and the police. He continued to serve as foreign minister, leading the cabinet, until 1943.  In 1923 Gozi was elected as San Marino’s Captain Regent. The Fascists retained this post for 20 years as they banned all other political parties, although some independent politicians continued to serve in the Grand and General Council of the Republic.  Read more…

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Book of the Day: Benedetto Croce and the Birth of the Italian Republic, 1943-1952, by Fabio Fernando Rizi 

As president of the Italian Liberal Party, Benedetto Croce was one of the most influential intellectuals involved in Italian public affairs after the fall of Mussolini. Placing Croce at the centre of historical events between 1943 and 1952, Benedetto Croce and the Birth of the Italian Republic details his participation in Italy’s political life, and his major contributions to the rebirth of Italian democracy.  Drawing on a great amount of primary material, including Croce’s political speeches, correspondences, diaries, and official documents from post-war Italy, this book illuminates the dynamic and progressive nature of Croce’s liberalism and the shortcomings of the old Liberal leaders. Providing a year-by-year account of Croce’s initiatives, author Fabio Fernando Rizi fills the gap in Croce’s biography, covering aspects of his public life often neglected, misinterpreted, or altogether ignored, and restores his standing among the founding fathers of modern Italy.

Fabio Fernando Rizi was born in Italy and received his PhD from York University. He was President of the Dante Society of Toronto for several years, and worked for the Toronto Public Library until his retirement. His first book, Benedetto Croce and Italian Fascism, is also published by University of Toronto Press.

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Ischia earthquake

The day calamity and chaos came to Casamicciola

The remains of a church in Casamicciola that
was largely reduced to rubble by the quake

Around 3,000 people are thought to have been killed and many more injured on this day in 1883 after a devastating earthquake shook the island of Ischia in the Gulf of Naples.

Although the earthquake was officially classified as moderate, it caused extreme ground shaking, which led to the collapse of about 80 per cent of the buildings in the comune of Casamicciola Terme, a resort on the northern side of the island.

Most of the houses, hotels, and churches in the town collapsed. There were more than 1,700 fatalities in Casamicciola alone.

The philosopher Benedetto Croce was on holiday on the island at the time and both his parents and his only sister were killed in the earthquake. He was trapped under the rubble for two nights until he was able to be rescued, and it was discovered that he had a broken leg and arm.

His daughter later said that he suffered nightmares about his experience afterwards and that he never returned to Ischia. 

But many people who were trapped under the wreckage of the buildings were not rescued and eventually died. 

The earthquake occurred at 20.25 local time and had a moment magnitude of between 4.2 and 5.5. Though this was considered moderate, the ground shaking was judged to be extreme on the Modified Mercalli intensity scale. It is thought that between 2,313 and 3,100 people died as a result.

The island of Ischia lies within the circular area known as the Phlegraean Fields, a volcanic caldera consisting of 24 craters, most of which are submerged under the Bay of Naples. 

The Grand Hotel des Etrangers was one of the hotels
that suffered catastrophic damage in the earthquake 

The island’s highest point, Monte Epomeo, is a geological horst, a block of volcanic material that has been deposited by eruptions.

Since the middle of the 18th century, there have been records of earthquakes affecting the island. 

In 1762, the architect Luigi Vanvitelli said he had experienced two successive shocks on the island, and in 1796, seven people died and 50 buildings were destroyed, after an earthquake.

In 1828, a violent tremor destroyed buildings in Casamicciola and at least 29 people died, including people who had been attending a church service. An earthquake in 1867 was experienced by the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen, while he was staying there.

In March 1881, an earthquake caused 127 deaths and the collapse of about 300 buildings there. During the July 1883 quake, structures that had been damaged in 1881 but had not been repaired, collapsed completely.

In 1883, nearly half of the population of Casamicciola were killed and there were also deaths in Lacco Ameno, Forio, Barano d’Ischia, and Serrare Fontana.

Many Romans and Neapolitans were on holiday on the island at the time of the earthquake and a lot were attending a performance at the theatre. Large gaps appeared in the walls of the theatre and some theatregoers were able to escape through them.

People who were able to flee from the devastation made their way to the sea and were taken to Naples by boats to recover, and give an account of what had happened on the island.

Rodolfo Morgari's painting, Episode after
1883 earthquake at Casamicciola

Soldiers were sent to Ischia to dig for survivors but were unable to reach many of the victims, who died before they could be brought out of the wreckage. Steamers were deployed to go back and forth taking injured survivors to hospital in Naples 

Newspapers came out in Rome with black mourning borders on July 30 to mark the event. The King and Queen of Italy - Umberto I and Queen Margherita - and the Pope, Leo XIII, donated money towards a national fund that was started for the relief of the earthquake victims.

As a result of the 1883 Ischia earthquake, the Italian government issued  codes for antiseismic prevention

Even now, Italians will sometimes say: “Faccio una Casamicciola,” which literally means ‘I make a Casamicciola,’ when they are describing a state of calamity, chaos, and helplessness.

According to the American TV host and actor, Jimmy Kimmel, whose mother’s ancestors were from Ischia, only two of them survived the 1883 earthquake, later deciding to emigrate to the United States.

The artist Rodolfo Morgari depicted the aftermath of the 1883 earthquake in a painting entitled, Episode after 1883 earthquake at Casamicciola, which was exhibited in Turin in 1884.

The town and port, Ischia, seen from the top of the
Castello Aragonese, which stands guard over the area

Travel tip:

Ischia is a beautiful island, just  off the coasts of Sorrento and Naples, with many good beaches for holidaymakers. It has an area of some 47 square  kilometres, rising to a height of 789 m (2,589 ft) at the peak of Monte Epomeo. The vineyards surrounding Monte Epomeo produce excellent wine that is served in the island’s restaurants. The hot mineral springs on the island have been used since Roman times as a cure for ailments and are still recommended for people suffering from rheumatism and arthritis today. An entire circuit of the island’s 34km (21 miles) of coastline on one of the local buses will take about two and a half hours. Ischia is also the name of the island’s main town, the other municipalities being Barano d'Ischia, Casamicciola Terme, Forio, Lacco Ameno and Serrara Fontana. Notable sights include the Aragonese Castle (Castello Aragonese), which was built on a rock near the island in 474 BC, by Hiero I of Syracuse. Nowadays, it is connected to the town of Ischia by a stone causeway.

A view across the harbour at Casamicciola, which
stands on the northern coastline of Ischia

Travel tip:

Casamicciola is the oldest spa town on the island of Ischia and is thought to have once been the site of a Greek settlement. It is home to the hottest spring on the island, Terme Rita, which comes out of the ground at 180F and is said to contain large quantities of Iodine. One of the few hotels that remain standing from before the 1883 earthquake is Terme Manzi Hotel and Spa, which was founded in 1860. After the earthquake, the town was rebuilt and the Art Nouveau architecture lining the waterfront promenade dates from the early 20th century. The town continues to suffer sporadic earth movements linked to activity in the Phlegraean Fields caldera. As recently as August, 2017, it was hit by a 4.3 magnitude earthquake, resulting in the deaths of two people. Casamicciola has a pretty port and marina, which is often populated by expensive yachts. It is also an arrival and departure point for hydrofoils and ferries to and from Naples on the mainland. 

Also on this day:

1883: The birth of industrialist Vittorio Valletta 

1924: The birth of racing driver Luigi Musso

1941: The birth of conductor Riccardo Muti

1943: San Marino’s liberation from Fascism

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27 July

Giosuè Carducci – poet and Nobel Prize winner

Writer used his poetry as a vehicle for his political views 

Giosuè Carducci, the first Italian to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature, was born on this day in 1835 in Tuscany.  Christened Giosuè Alessandro Giuseppe Carducci, he lived with his parents in the small village of Valdicastello in the province of Lucca.  His father, a doctor, was an advocate of the unification of Italy and was involved with the Carbonari, a network of secret revolutionary groups. Because of his politics, the family was forced to move several times during Carducci’s childhood, eventually settling in Florence.  During his time in college, Carducci became fascinated with the restrained style of Greek and Roman literature and his work as an adult often used the classical meters of such Latin poets as Horace and Virgil. He published his first collection of poems, Rime, in 1857.  He married Elvira Menicucci in 1859 and they had four children.  Read more…

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Mauro Giuliani – virtuoso guitarist

Maestro who perfected his technique so that his instrument seemed to sing

Leading 19th century guitarist and composer Mauro Giuliani was born on this day in 1781 in Bisceglie, a small town on the Adriatic coast near Bari in Puglia.  Growing up to become an accomplished cellist, singer and composer, Giuliani toured Europe playing in concerts and he became a musical celebrity while he was living in Vienna. He was  invited to play in chamber concerts in the botanical gardens of Schönbrunn Palace - the main summer residence of the Habsburg rulers - with other top musicians.  Giuliani moved to live in Barletta, also on the Adriatic coast when he was very young, where he learnt to play the cello, an instrument he never completely abandoned. But he began to devote himself to learning the six-string guitar, becoming a skilled performer on it very quickly.  Giuliani learnt the classical instrumental style in Vienna. Read more…

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Adolfo Celi – actor and director

Successful career of a Sicilian who was typecast as a baddy

An actor who specialised in playing the role of the villain in films, Adolfo Celi was born on this day in 1922 in Curcuraci, in the province of Messina in Sicily.  Celi was already prominent in Italian cinema, but became internationally famous for his portrayal of Emilio Largo, James Bond’s adversary with the eye patch, in the 1965 film Thunderball.  He made his film debut after World War Two in A Yank in Rome (Un americano in vacanza), in 1946.  In the 1950s he moved to Brazil, where he co-founded the Teatro Brasiliero de Comedia.  He was successful as a stage actor in Brazil and Argentina. Celi’s big break came when he played the villain in Philippe de Broca’s That Man from Rio. He was cast as the camp commandant in the escape drama, Von Ryan’s Express, in which Frank Sinatra and Trevor Howard played prisoners of war.  Read more…

Peppino di Capri – singer and songwriter

Performer ushered Italy into the rock ‘n roll era

Pop legend Peppino di Capri was born Giuseppe Faiella on this day in 1939 on the island of Capri in southern Italy.  A hugely successful singer, songwriter and pianist in Italy and throughout Europe, Di Capri, affectionately known as the Italian Buddy Holly, had many international hits.  He began singing and playing the piano at the age of four, following in his father’s footsteps, and he provided entertainment for American troops stationed on Capri. His father owned a record shop and also sold musical instruments.  Di Capri studied classical music for five years until he discovered rock music in the 1950s. He recorded his first album in 1958 with his band, The Rockers, and had instant success.  For the next few years, Di Capri recorded some of his biggest hits, such as Voce e Notte, Luna Caprese, Let’s Twist Again and Roberta.  Read more…

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Mario Del Monaco - tenor

Singer became famous for his interpretations of Otello

Opera singer Mario Del Monaco, who was renowned for the amazing power of his voice, was born on this day in 1915 in Florence.  His family were musical and as a child he studied the violin but he developed a passion for singing as well.  He studied at the Rossini Conservatory in Pesaro, where he first met and sang with the soprano Renata Tebaldi, who was to partner him regularly later in his career.  Del Monaco made a big impact with his debut performance as Lieutenant Pinkerton in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly in Milan in 1940.  He became popular with the audience at the Metropolitan Opera in New York in the 1950s, making many appearances in dramatic Verdi roles.  He was one of the four Italian tenors at their peak in the 1950s and 1960s, sharing the limelight with Giuseppe Di Stefano, Carlo Bergonzi and Franco Corelli.   Read more…

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Book of the Day: Poems of Giosuè Carducci, by Giosuè Carducci. Translated by Frank Sewall

Explore the powerful verse of Giosuè Carducci in Poems of Giosuè Carducci, a collection presenting a selection of his most impactful Italian poetry in translation.  Two introductory essays illuminate Carducci's significance within the landscape of Italian literature. The first essay explores "Giosuè Carducci and the Hellenic reaction in Italy," examining the classical influences shaping his verse. The second essay, "Carducci and the classic realism," delves into the realistic elements interwoven with his poetic vision.  This book is essential for anyone interested in Italian poetry, literary criticism, and the intellectual currents of the 19th century. Discover the enduring legacy of Carducci, a pivotal figure whose work continues to resonate with readers and scholars alike. A valuable resource for understanding Carducci's contribution to European literature and his place within the traditions of poetry. This is a reprint of a book first published in 1892, now in the public domain.

Giosuè Carducci was an Italian poet, writer, literary critic and teacher. He was regarded as the official national poet of modern Italy and the first Italian to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature.  

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26 July

Francesco Cossiga - Italy's 8th President

Political career overshadowed by Moro murder

Former Italian President Francesco Cossiga was born on this day in 1928 in the Sardinian city of Sassari.  Cossiga, a Christian Democrat who had briefly served as Prime Minister under his predecessor, Sandro Pertini, held the office for seven years from 1985 to 1992. His presidency was overshadowed by the murder of former prime minister, Aldo Moro, and it was during his time in office that another Italian political heavyweight, Giulio Andreotti, revealed the existence during the Cold War years of Gladio, a clandestine network sponsored by the American secret services and NATO that was set up amid fears that Italy would fall into the hands of Communists, either through military invasion or via the ballot box.  Cossiga, said to have been obsessed with espionage, admitted to having been involved with the creation of Gladio in the years immediately following the end of the Second World War.  Read more…

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Constantino Brumidi - painter

Rome-born artist responsible for murals in US Capitol Building

Constantino Brumidi, an artist whose work provides the backcloth to the daily business of government in the United States Capitol Building in Washington, was born on this day in 1805 in Rome.  Brumidi’s major work is the allegorical fresco The Apotheosis of Washington, painted in 1865, which covers the interior of the dome in the Rotunda.  Encircling the base of the dome, below the windows, is the Frieze of American History, in which Brumidi painted scenes depicting significant events of American history, although the second half of the work had to be completed by another painter, Filippo Costaggini, after Brumidi died in 1880.  Previously, between 1855 and about 1870, Brumidi had decorated the walls of eight important rooms in the Capitol Building, including the Hall of the House of Representatives, the Senate Library and the President’s Room.  Read more… 

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Pope Paul II

Flamboyant pope who helped make books available to ordinary people

Pietro Barbo, who became Pope Paul II, died on this day in 1471 in Rome at the age of 54.  He is remembered for dressing up in sumptuous, ecclesiastical finery and having a papal tiara made for himself, which was studded with diamonds, sapphires, emeralds, topaz, large pearls and many other precious gems.  Barbo was born in Venice and was a nephew of Pope Eugenius IV through his mother and a member of the noble Barbo family through his father.  He adopted a spiritual career after his uncle was elected as pope and made rapid progress. He became a cardinal in 1440 and promised that if he was elected pope one day he would buy each cardinal a villa to escape the summer heat. It was reported that Pope Pius II suggested he should have been called Maria Pietissima (Our Lady of Pity) as he would use tears to help him obtain things he wanted.  Read more…

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Book of the Day: Operation Gladio: The Unholy Alliance between the Vatican, the CIA, and the Mafia, by Paul L Williams

Operation Gladio describes the secret alliance forged at the close of World War II between the CIA, the Sicilian and US mafias, and the Vatican to thwart the possibility of a communist invasion of Europe. Williams presents evidence suggesting the existence of "stay-behind" units in many European countries consisting of 5,000 to 15,000 military operatives. The author's research suggested that the initial funding for these guerilla armies came from the sale of large stocks of SS morphine that had been smuggled out of Germany and Italy and of bogus British bank notes produced in concentration camps by skilled counterfeiters. As the Cold War intensified, the units were used not only to ward off possible invaders, but also to thwart the rise of left-wing movements in South America and NATO-based countries by terror attacks.  Williams argues that Operation Gladio was linked to the toppling of governments, wholesale genocide, the formation of death squads, financial scandals on a grand scale, the creation of the mujahideen, an international narcotics network, and the ascendancy of Jorge Mario Bergoglio, a cleric with strong ties to Operation Condor (an offshoot of Gladio in Argentina) as Pope Francis I.

Paul L Williams, PhD, is a journalist and the author of Crescent Moon Rising, The Day of Islam, Osama's Revenge, The Al Qaeda Connection and The Vatican Exposed, among other books. He has won three Keystone Press Awards for journalism.

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