The historic article in the Chronicle of the transfer of the remains of large De Roberto Bellini, who came from Paris, at the monumental tomb of the Tassara in Catania Duomo, where it still rests. The article was written on 26 September 1876 to 15 October 1876 l'illustrazione Italiana and published.
The musician, born in Catania in 1801, had died in Puteaux (Paris) in 1835 and, with triumphant welcome, after 41 years, he returned to his hometown.
Remembering the genius Bellini and De Roberto, today October 15, 2015, after 139 years after the publication of the article, with great devotion.
Catania, September 26.
From month Catania is in an abnormal condition, everyone feels compelled to work to receive worthily the great townsman, and all have worked so much that for the narrowness of the time you are done, miracles. The 21 everything was ready. The trèni and the steamers coming from all directions poured thousands of strangers, and the curious crowd circulated around the city streets adorned with an infinite number of national flags and those of all the Nations of the world. The 22 the ongoing use of foreigners increased again. All the balconies were party wallpaper on the walls, you could see the images of Vincenzo Bellini surrounded by garlands of flowers, and out of all mouths resounded his name; He was a real enthusiasm.
The arrival of the ashes was set for six; the cars were the curious to the ground, to martyrs square and the station.
All the ships were pavesati. Eyes were turned on that corner of land where appeared the team; as the Minister of agriculture industry and Commerce had promised the Town Hall along with the Gates which was to bring the bones of Bellini, was going to the team that was in Taranto.
At 4 pom. Bow of a ship sticking out from the Earth Lasta, all hearts palpitarono; was Robert Guiscard. The announcement ran in a baleno.per town. The two cannon that went by land, they had a’ echo Beach and in all hearts. But the disappointed expectation of the team produced a bad impression.
Missing a long time all’ now established, and Guiscard are advancing very slowly. Elle 5 hours minus a few minutes the Corvette was at the height of the Lantern.
Then began the salve. Was the cry of joy that Catania issued getting his son; was the greeting he sent. – The Commander answered Hello, wrapping themselves in thick smoke of its cannons. Regularly shone a fire, and after a 12 seconds you could hear the distant tonar bronze. It was still far more than 4 kilometers. The route was to the South, then was brought to the Southwest. It continued thus until he arrived in the direction of the old pier. Then he advanced in the direction of the port; which was beginning to cover themselves with boats that went to the meeting of the Corvette and then held behind.
Meanwhile continued the cannonade from the ground. When the ship turned down the port they heard a thunderous handclapping, drooped hats and handkerchiefs fluttered. The members of the Committee were collected on the casseretto Board and officers saluted the crowd together seize crammed to the Lantern, the pier, on stages, at the Windows and in the boats.
At 5 1/2 Guiscard dropped anchor. They finished the Hi, but the twinkling of Palms continued more gushing. As soon as the Gates stood, the band struck up the Royal anthem and other gangs continued their concerts.
Meanwhile annottava. It began to turn on the lights. In 5 minutes the sea was covered with red dots vagolanti. At 6 hours and 10 Bengal fires lit up the Lantern. Large wood fires glowed on the coast and from’ top of the Saviour, multicolored rockets sailed in the air, the grenades erupted and mortaletti were joined by their clanging the enchanting scene. The Messengers, warning of r. Marina, Bengal fires was lit, and the same Guiscardo. Then gradually the fires went out, the boats set out to land the curious and the crowd cleared the Harbor to throw himself in the streets.
The lighting of this was magnificent, all the houses shone the light ridondavano, Pacini and Bellini gardens flags there waved and bands will entertain people with music by Bellini. In Piazza degli Studi was erected a stage on which was discovered a transparent. Papisardi, representing the apotheosis of Bellini: Group of angels that lead Bellini in the sky, and the weeping melody who escapes. Vocal and instrumental concerts were held up on that stage, the last of which was the apotheosis of Bellini, dramatic scene placed in music by master P.
To finish the evening lit up by fires of Bengal via Vittorio Emanuele, at whose end you saw up a large lyre and a triumphal arch.
But if the party was over, people wanted to watch the landing of the ashes, and changes brought to the port. The ship burial was detached from the ground and the coffin was placed in the cab of the former s. p. q. C, that moved followed by crowd shouting: long live Bellini! — To Porta Uzeda you heard the cries of: down with the horses! us Bellini! From Porta Uzeda to the Aci port cries doubled: Unshackled! Via the horses! The people of Catania Bellini! Yay Bellini! The coach could not go farther; broke horses, he designed a huge cry, people rushed to the helm. To the square of the village cannot be understood other shouting: long live Bellini! and among them: Viva la France! Viva Paris and Catania! Frantic hands waving hats and handkerchiefs, people came to balconies, Windows lit up. It was a real triumphal March. At 2 the carriage arrived at the village, and the coffin was displayed in the chapel.
Tomorrow, 10 a.m. and 1/2, the relics of Bellini were solemnly handed over to the Mayor and the City Council.
– All deputations of associations, domestic and foreign; the representatives of scientific and artistic bodies; the representative of r. House, General de Sonnaz, etc., etc., you came together at 11 and 1/2 at Town Hall. The Professor Abel read a speech that was applauditissìmo.
At 3 all the deputations and representations, the militia, the officiality of the army, the General staff of the ships ' Gates ' and the Messengers arrived at the square of the village, who was given the name of Piazza Bellini. At 3 and 3/4 ebony with silver sarcophagus was placed over a wagon with three orders. The first was kind of a great chariot, supported by four
wheels. On stand out front was the statue of the melody, behind a trophy of flags of Nations and cities where Bellini took the laurels. The first stand had been erected the second order covered by a blanket of black velvet embroidered with the name of Bellini in silver. The blanket was supported by festooned hanging from the necks of four swans, places the upper corners of the second frame. The third order was composed of ten representatives caryatids supporting the scores of Bellini and a stretcher on which was the sarcophagus. After some hesitation by the latter had to strengthen the stretcher; a’ other stop came under the Arc de Triomphe, erected on the square to get the photograph.
Finally the procession Yes poses in motion. I opened a pelottone of police on horseback, followed the clerics and representatives of the nautical Institute, University, society of the sons of Etna, children work, citizens ' Circle, the circle of the workers, the company's artistic-musical Academy, flora, etc.; Finally a battalion of line with music and flag. The sides of the wagon pulled by three horses handmade by guided quadrilles footmen in costume of the fourteenth century, two Gardner wore their banners in the city. Behind the cart was Bellini's family, that is, brother, sister and a nephew; the Mayor, the prefect, the representative of r. uffizialità body, army, judicial and consular representatives of the University Senate and of Parliament, senators and congressmen, Skippers of vessels, the officers of r. Marina, decorated order of Savoy, SS. Maurice and Lazarus, the Crown of Italy, the mayors invited etc., etc.
It was after a second battalion with music, another band and a company of infantry.
During transport the bands playing funeral marches. From balconies poured down the flourished, bouquets, wreaths, the sonnets. At 6 the wagon arrived at the Cathedral, in whose pediment in a black blanket was written;
This basilica — where they sleep forget — the bones of many Kings — will become this day famous — to the tomb — of — Vincenzo Bellini. (m. a.) [Mario Rapisardi, n.d.r.]
The coffin was carried into the Church which was carpeted, black velvet, black gauze curtains hanging arches, the apse was occupied by a stage where 200 guys sang a beautiful coro del maestro Coppola. The casket was placed on a catafalque in two orders. The first rested above a staircase of three steps, was carpeted with Myrtle and cypress that drew of Gothic arches spanned by genii in silver. The second order was covered with black velvet with musical trophies in sterling silver. On it was placed the coffin covered by a blanket of white satin with gold embroidery. In bronze tripods burned incense, and the entire Church was lit up.
That night, at the garden, where a huge crowd had gathered Bellini, you blew chunks of Bellini greeted by applause and repeated applause.
On Sunday, 24, the Church was converted into a chapel. With assistance of the Archbishop and the representative R. House you sang great Requiem mass of maestro Coppola, directed by himself. The setting is really great. The dirges and celestials there abound, the choirs are great as well; and which, together with the magnificent grounds of’ Agnus Dei and of the Miserere, is a collection worthy of who wrote it and what it is intended.
He was then figure the Tomb, by sculptor Tassara, composed of a basement where you stuck a bas-relief depicting a scene of the standard. The base is an urn, on which the Genius of melody lays a wreath. The whole is surmounted by an arch that ends with one cross arms equal, and at the bottom a bas-relief represents the apotheosis of Bellini. The apotheosis and the genius are in plaster, not being checked marble ones. At the foot of the monument is the Tomb on which is written: BELLINI.
In the evening the Messina band struck up the pirate air: in the furor of storms, which was repeated eight times.
Finally brightened in Bengal fires all the way Tanwarajit Etnea, and dissipated the smoke he read of the Arc de Triomphe on behalf of Bellini, which now rests in the land that saw him be born.”
[Year III. – # 51, 15 October 1876]
FEDERICO DE ROBERTO was born in Naples in 1861, by Frederick senior, former staff officer of the Kingdom of the two Sicilies and the noblewoman from origins of Catania, but born in Trapani, Marianna Asmund.
He moved with his family to Catania in 1870 after the young Federico suffered the painful loss of her father, run over by a train on the tracks of the station in Piacenza. Since then, except for a long period of Milan and a shorter in Rome, jealous and possessive woman lived in the shadow of Federico Marianna Asmund.
In Catania enrolled at ’ Technical Institute “Carlo Gemmellaro”, attended the course in physical sciences, natural sciences at the University, and was therefore a first scientific training, which helped early interest in classical studies and literature, enlarging its culture to Latin.
His literary debut came with the wise Giosuè Carducci and Mario Rapisardi. Controversy, published in Catania by Gandi in 1881.
Was soon known in intellectual circles for his work as editorial consultant, critic and journalist in the pages of two downloads that came out in Catania and Rome: the Don Quixote and Fanfulla della domenica.
The first was also Director from 1881 to 1882; the second wrote from 1882 to 1883 under the pseudonym of Hamlet.
For Publisher ’ Gamboa founded the fiction series of “Houseleeks” and he know Cam and rod with which formed a firm friendship.
In 1883 he collected in a volume entitled Arabesques, all his writings on art and literature and in 1884 started the collaboration, using his real name, with ilFanfulla, and this partnership lasted until 1900.
An important moment for the formation of the writer was the meeting, during a stay in Sicily, with Paul Bourget (1852-1935), in those days very known for his psychological studies and for novels, in which he analyzed minutely the conscience trying to arrive at a “moral Anatomy”.
Decisive was for De Roberto moved to Milan in 1888 where he was introduced by Rod in the circle of Sadiq, and Arrigo Boito, Giuseppe Giacosa and Giovanni Camerana, increasingly consolidating his friendship with same Verga and Capuana.
During the period of his stay in Milan he collaborated with Corriere della Sera and published several collections of short stories and novels, including what is considered his masterpiece, the Viceroy, in 1894.
In 1897 he returned to Catania, where he remained until his death, except for brief trips to the continent. In Catania had a job as a librarian and lived essentially secluded and disappointed at the failure of his narrative.
While this fell silent he addressed his intellectual work to journalism and criticism, among which include the studies on Giacomo Leopardi and especially on the Rod that judged always his master. In 1915, at the outbreak of the first world war was interventionist.
The death of Rod in 1922 the De Roberto reorganised accurately the works of the great writer, his countryman and started a biographical study and critic that was interrupted by his untimely death in Catania for a bout of phlebitis on July 26, 1927. Even on his deathbed Dallaway did not have adequate consideration, because his death was overshadowed by the one immediately after (July 27) by Matilde Serao.
The narrative techniques of Dana are functional to the narrative impersonal but other than those of the cane. Firstly there is the regression of the narrator in reality; There is instead, like Mastro-don Gesualdo, free indirect discourse but to a large extent the narrative is based on dialogue and on the presence of descriptive captions. The narrative tends to make his theatrical technique; in the preface to the minutes Dallaway says: "The absolute impersonality cannot be achieved that in the pure dialogue, and the ideal of objective representation is the scene as you write for the theater."
SOURCE AND PHOTOS “The ITALIAN ILLUSTRATION ’”, http://francescopaolofrontini.blogspot.it, AA. VV
