29 July

Pope Urban VIII

Pontiff whose extravagance led to disgrace

The controversial Pope Urban VIII died on this day in 1644 in Rome. Urban VIII – born Maffeo Barberini – was a significant patron of the arts, the sponsor of the brilliant sculptor and architect Gian Lorenzo Bernini, whose work had a major influence on the look of Rome.  But in his ambitions to strengthen and expand the Papal States, he overreached himself in a disastrous war against Odoardo Farnese, the Duke of Parma, and the expenses incurred in that and other conflicts, combined with extravagant spending on himself and his family, left the papacy seriously weakened.  Indeed, so unpopular was Urban VIII that after news spread of his death there was rioting in Rome and a bust of him on Capitoline Hill was destroyed by an angry mob.  Urban VIII is also remembered for the conviction for heresy of the physicist and astronomer Galileo Galilei. Read more…

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Teresa Noce - activist and partisan

Anti-Fascist who became union leader and parliamentary deputy

Teresa Noce, who became one of the most important female campaigners for workers’ rights in 20th century Italy, was born on this day in 1900.  A trade union activist as young as 12 years old, Noce spent almost 20 years in exile after the Fascists outlawed her political activity, during which time she became involved with the labour movement and in Paris and subsequently led a French partisan unit under the code name Estella.  After she returned to Italy in 1945 she was elected to the Camera dei Deputati (Chamber of Deputies) as a member of the Italian Communist Party (PCI).  Working with the Unione Donne Italiane (Italian Women’s Union), she secured changes to the law to protect working mothers and provide paid maternity leave.  Born in one of the poorest districts of Turin, she and her older brother were brought up in a one-parent family. Read more…

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Benito Mussolini  - Fascist leader

Future dictator inspired by his father's politics

Benito Mussolini, who would become Italy's notorious Fascist dictator during the 1920s, was born on this day in 1883 in a small town in Emilia-Romagna known then as Dovia di Predappio, about 17km (11 miles) south of the city of Forlì.  His father, Alessandro, worked as a blacksmith while his mother, Rosa was a devout Catholic schoolteacher.  It could be said that Alessandro's political leanings influenced his son from birth.  Benito was named after the Mexican reformist President, Benito Juárez, while his middle names - Andrea and Amilcare - were those of the Italian socialists Andrea Costa and Amilcare Cipriani.  As a boy growing up, Mussolini would listen to Alessandro's admiration for the protagonists of the Italian unification movement, such as the nationalist Giuseppe Mazzini, and the military leader Giuseppe Garibaldi.  Read more…

Agostino Depretis – politician

Premier stayed in power by creating coalitions

One of the longest serving prime ministers in the history of Italy, Agostino Depretis died on this day in 1887 in Stradella in the Lombardy region.  He had been the founder and main proponent of trasformismo, a method of making a flexible centrist coalition that isolated the extremists on the right and the left.  Depretis served as Prime Minister three times between 1876 and his death.  He was born in 1813 in Mezzana Corti, a hamlet that is now part of Cava Manara, a municipality in the province of Pavia.  After graduating from law school in Pavia, Depretis ran his family’s estate.  In 1848, the year of revolutions in Europe, he was elected as a member of the first parliament in Piedmont.  He consistently opposed Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour, the Prime Minister of Piedmont Sardinia and was a disciple of the pro-unification activist Giuseppe Mazzini.  Read more…

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Book of the Day: Bernini: His Life and His Rome, by Franco Mormando

Sculptor, architect, painter, playwright, and scenographer, Gian Lorenzo Bernini was the last of the great universal artistic geniuses of early modern Italy, placed by both contemporaries and posterity in the same exalted company as Leonardo, Raphael and Michelangelo. His artistic vision remains palpably present today, through the countless statues, fountains, and buildings that transformed Rome into the Baroque theatre that continues to enthrall tourists today.  It is perhaps not surprising that this artist who defined the Baroque should have a personal life that itself was, well, baroque. As Bernini: His Life and His Rome reveals, Bernini was a man driven by many passions, possessed of an explosive temper and a hearty sex drive, and he lived a life as dramatic as any of his creations. Drawing on archival sources, letters, diaries, and - with a suitable scepticism - a hagiographic account written by Bernini’s son, Mormando leads us through Bernini’s many feuds and love affairs, scandals and sins and sets his life against a vivid backdrop of Baroque Rome, bustling and wealthy, and peopled by churchmen and bureaucrats, popes and politicians, schemes and secrets.

Franco Mormando is associate professor of Italian at Boston College and the author of several books.

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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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