Posts written by Serena

L’Esilio di Napoleone all’Isola d’Elba

Posted by Serena 2 Comments
Jan 25 2012

Napoleone Bonaparte, who was born in Corsica in 1769 and died in exile on the island of St. Helena in 1821, was once the Emperor of most of Europe. In 1814 he was forced to downsize somewhat, becoming instead emperor of the little Isola d’Elba (Island of Elba) 10 km  off the Tuscan coast, which covers an area of just 223 square kilometres. Following his disastrous Russian campaign and defeat at the Battle of Leipzig, the coalition forces, consisting of England, Prussia, Russia, and Austria, conquered Paris in March 1814.

Napoleone was forced to abdicate and choose between Corfu and l’Isola d’Elba as his place of exile. Napoleone choose the latter, and during his 10 months as emperor of Elba brought revolutionary changes to the lives of the local population.

When he arrived on Elba on the 3rd of May 1814, he brought with him a flag of his own design which he presented to the islanders as the bandiera dell’Elba (flag of Elba – see photo below), which is still Elba’s official flag.

 

On disembarking, he was received with great enthusiasm by the population and presented with the ‘keys’ to the island’s main town, Portoferraio, by the mayor. As the the town keys didn’t actually exist, it is said that the mayor used the keys to his cantina (cellar) and painted them gold! A procession was then formed which went up to the local church where a Te Deum (Thanks giving mass) was celebrated.

Following an uncomfortable first night at the Biscotteria, the council hall, Napoleone decided to restore some buildings for his own residences. The first, situated on the coast, was La Villa dei Mulini (The Villa of the Mills), which was built, as the name suggests, on the site of 4 mills. For his summer residence he chose La Villa di San Martino (see below), in the wooded valley of San Martino. Both these buildings are now museums.

An abandoned church was transformed into a theatre called il Teatro dei Vigilanti (still in use today) in order to host sumptuous feste e balli in maschera (parties and masked balls). Even today these events are still engraved in the memory of the islanders.

However, Napoleone didn’t spend all his time (and money) simply restoring buildings for his personal use. During his stay on the island he carried out a series of improvements to the way things were run, from the control of stray dogs to the administration of public health and a more efficient bureaucracy. He had new wider roads built  to allow the passage of carriages, and promoted the island’s iron mining industry. He also built a small glass and ceramic factory that didn’t meet with much success. The port and the merchants profited from the continuous arrival of important guests and the large quantities of supplies needed to sustain the court and garrison.

Napoleon’s wife, Maria Luisa, daughter of the Austrian emperor, never set foot on l’Isola d’Elba. However, three women did come to visit him: his mother Letizia, who is said to have fallen in love with the island; his favourite sister, Paolina Borghese, who brought to this little island a taste of the latest fashion from Paris; and for just a few days Napoleon’s Polish mistress, Maria Walewska, with their son Alessandro.

Despite all the work he poured into this little island, Napoleone had not abandoned hope of a return to the European scene. Having intuited that his enemies were planning to send him to a more out of the way and less pleasant exile, Napoleon started planning his escape from Elba. On the night of the 26th of February 1815 he took advantage of the absence of the British colonel Campbell, captain of the fleet that guarded the former French emperor, to carry out his escape plan at the end of a masquerade party. Napoleon boarded the French brig Incostant, which in the previous 10 days had been repainted and refilled with water, food and weapons. He was followed by a small fleet containing a total of 1,100 men. The convoy travelled westward separately in order not to attract attention.

Napoleone left l’Isola d’Elba for ever, but the Elbani (the people of Elba) never forgot him. Every year on the 5th of May, the anniversary of Napoleon’s death, they celebrate una messa di Requiem in suo suffragio (a requiem mass for his repose).

Preposizioni Articolate – part 2

Posted by Serena 1 Comment
Jan 23 2012

Here’s part 2 of my blog  dealing with preposizioni articolate (articulated prepositions). You will need to read the introduction to part 1 for an explanation.

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Di (of, than, about):

di + il = del e.g.: l’albero è caduto a causa del vento (the tree fell down because of the wind)

di + lo = dello e.g.: il miele è più nutriente dello zucchero (honey is more nutritious than [the] sugar)

di + la = della e.g.: il tavolo della cucina è troppo piccolo (the kitchen table is too small – literally: ‘the table of the kitchen is too small’)

di + l’ = dell’ e.g.: stavamo parlando dell’ultimo film di Leonardo Di Caprio (we were talking about Leonardo Di Caprio’s last film – literally: ‘we were talking about the last film’ etc.)

di + i = dei e.g.: la terra dei nostri avi (the land of our ancestors)

di + gli = degli e.g.: Posso avere l’orario degli autobus? (Can I have the bus timetable? – literally: ‘the timetable of the bus’)

di + le = delle e.g.: gli Appennini sono più antichi delle Alpi (the Apennines are older than the Alps)

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In (in, inside, within, at, to):

in + il = nel e.g.: Giorgio è nato nel 1980 (Giorgio was born in [the] 1980)

in + lo = nello e.g.: siamo arrivati nello stesso momento (we arrived at the same time)

in + la = nella e.g.: guarda nella borsa! (look in/inside the bag!)

in + l’ = nell’ e.g.: il cappotto è nell’armadio (the coat is in/inside the wardrobe)

in + i = nei e.g.: ho fatto quello che potevo nei limiti delle mie capacità (I did what I could within the limits of my capabilities)

in + gli = negli e.g.: David è andato negli Stati Uniti (David went to the United States)

in + le = nelle e.g.: nelle grandi città c’è troppo traffico (in the big cities there is too much traffic)

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Su (on, in, about):

su + il = sul e.g.: ho letto un articolo interessante sul giornale di oggi (I read an interesting article in today’s newspaper – literally: in the newspaper of today)

su + lo = sullo e.g.: sullo sfondo si vedono le Alpi (in the background you can see the Alps)

su + la = sulla e.g.: ha scritto un libro sulla caduta dell’Impero Romano (he wrote a book about the fall of the Roman Empire)

su + l’ = sull’ e.g.: ci sono molte mele sull’albero (there are lots of apples on the tree)

su + i = sui e.g.: ieri ha nevicato sui monti (yesterday it snowed on the mountains)

su + gli = sugli e.g.: ho visto un documentario sugli struzzi (I saw a documentary about [the] ostriches)

su + le = sulle e.g.: spremi un po’ di limone sulle fragole (squeeze a bit of lemon on the strawberries)

Preposizioni Articolate – part 1

Posted by Serena 1 Comment
Jan 20 2012

A preposition is a word that describes a relationship between other words in a sentence. The most common Italian preposizioni are, in alphabetical order: a (to, at, in), con (with), da (from, by, since, to, at), di (of, than, about), in (in, inside, to, within, at), per (for, to, by), su (on, in, about), tra/fra (between, amongst). These nine words are called preposizioni semplici (simple prepositions). Some of them, when preceding the definite article ‘the’ (il, lo, la, l’, i, gli, le), always combine together to become preposizioni articolate (articulated prepositions). Let’s have a look at how to form them by studying some examples of their usage:

A (to, at, in):

a + il = al e.g.: Mario è andato al mare (Mario went to the sea)

a + lo = allo e.g.: Laura si guarda allo specchio (Laura is looking at herself in the mirror)

a + la = alla e.g.: hanno bussato alla porta (they have knocked at the door)

a + l’ = all’ e.g.: hanno portato Mario all’ospedale (they’ve taken Mario to the hospital)

a + i = ai e.g.: hai dato da mangiare ai gatti? (have you fed the cats? Lit.: have you given food to the cats?)

a + gli = agli e.g.: il professore ha spiegato il teorema di Pitagora agli studenti (the teacher explained Pythagoras’s theorem to the students)

a + le = alle e.g.: stamattina mi sono alzata alle 7 (this morning I got up at [the] 7 o’clock)

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Con (with) – this preposition only combines with two articles, il and i:

con + il = col e.g.: Mario è uscito col cane (Mario went out with the dog)

con + i = coi e.g.: i carciofi stanno bene coi piselli (artichokes go well with [the] peas)

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Da (from, by, since, to, at):

da + il = dal e.g.: Mario è andato dal dottore (Mario went to the doctor)

da + lo = dallo e.g.: hai preso la tua sciarpa dallo zaino? (have you taken your scarf from the rucksack?)

da + la = dalla e.g.: sono appena ritornata dalla banca (I’ve just come back from the bank)

da + l’ = dall’ e.g.: è dall’una che non prendo un caffè (I haven’t had a coffee since [the] one o’clock)

da + i = dai e.g.: a Natale sono stata dai miei (I spent Christmas at [the] my parent’s [house])

da + gli = dagli e.g.: Cortona è stata fondata dagli Etruschi (Cortona was founded by the Etruscans)

da + le = dalle e.g.: i negozi sono aperti dalle 9 a mezzogiorno e mezzo (the shops are open from [the] 9 to half past 12)

Sant’Antonio Abate

Posted by Serena 1 Comment
Jan 18 2012

On the 17th of January the Catholic Church commemorates Sant’Antonio Abate (Saint Anthony the Abbot), patron saint of animali domestici (pets and farm animals), macellai e quelli che lavorano il maiale (butchers and those who process pork), and coloro che sono afflitti dal fuoco di sant’Antonio (those who suffer from shingles or herpes zoster, commonly known in Italy as Saint Anthony’s fire).

Sant’Antonio Abate was born in Egypt in 251 AD. Following his parents’ death he chose to become a hermit and he lived in the desert for over 20 years, where he fought the devil who both tempted him with angelic voices and tortured him with fire. Word soon spread and many admirers and would-be disciples came to look for him. He miraculously healed people, and instructed his followers to base their lives on the Gospel. His disciples created two communities on both sides of the river Nile, where they lived in caves. Anthony died ultracentenario (over a hundred years old) in 356 AD, and his disciples buried him in a secret place, but in 561 his remains were discovered, and his relics began a long journey from Alexandria to Constantinople, ending near Viennes in France in the XI century. In this place, a monastery dedicated to Sant’Antonio Abate was founded.

Soon many people, particularly those suffering from shingles, began to come to the monastery to be healed. The condition of shingles was treated with pork fat, which helped to reduce the burning pain, and for this reason the monks were granted permission to keep pigs. The pigs were fed by the whole community and could run free in the village as long as they wore a bell around their necks. This led to the tradition of representing Sant’Antonio with a piglet at his feet (see photo below). For this reason Anthony is also known as Sant’Antonio del Porcello (Saint Anthony of the piglet), which helps to distinguish him from the later and more famous Sant’Antonio da Padova (Saint Anthony from Padua). In the south of Italy, in order to avoid confusion, Sant’Antonio Abate is called Sant’Antuono.

Sant'Antonio Abate 1

Sant’Antonio Abate represented with a piglet at his feet, and holding the Tau stick of a hermit, a bell, a Bible and fire.

This traditional representation of Sant’Antonio gradually led to the erroneous belief that he was the protector of pigs, and hence all farm animals, swineherds, butchers, and so on. It is for this reason that Saint Anthony’s image is traditionally placed inside or above the entrances of stables in order to protect the animals. Legend has it that on the night of the 17th of January farm animals gain the power of speech. On this date farmers stay away from their stables because overhearing the animals speaking can bring bad luck. On Saint Anthony’s day in many churches here in Italy a mass is celebrated to bless domestic animals, and people are allowed to take their pets to church.

festa_s_antonio_cascia

Pecore (sheep) being led through the streets of Cascia (Umbria) on Saint Anthony’s day.

Sant’Antonio Abate’s name also has a strong link to fire. According to a legend, Sant’Antonio travelled to hell in order to try and rescue some souls from the Devil. At a certain point his piglet, which used to follow him everywhere, began running around and creating havoc. Anthony used this opportunity to steal some fire from the Devil with his bastone del Tau  (the Tau stick, symbol of the hermits), which he then brought back up to earth and donated to humanity by setting fire to a stack of wood. This would seem to be a Christian version of the Greek myth of Prometheus who brought fire to mankind from the underworld. On the night of the 17th of January, in order to commemorate Saint Anthony, it is traditional in many parts of Italy to light the falò (bonfire). Last night we went to watch the falò di San Niccolò (San Niccolò is the name of the quartiere where the falò takes place here in Pontremoli). I’ll be writing a blog about this event in the near future.

Innovazioni Italiane – Part 3

Posted by Serena No Comments
Jan 16 2012

This is my third and final blog about innovazioni italiane (Italian innovations) from the last 150 years since Italy’s unification.

Here are another four important innovations that have been ‘Made in Italy’:

1. Vibram -  A mountaineering accident, in which six alpinisti (mountaineers) froze to death due to lack of adequate footwear, was the stimulus for the development of a new type of sole. In 1936 the mountaineering expert Vitale Bramani developed climbing boots that would deal with all conditions, both on ice and rock. With the collaboration of Leopoldo Pirelli he perfected a sole made of vulcanised rubber that used a grip which became known as carrarmato (tank). The brand name Vibram was inspired by Vitale Bramani’s name.

2. Cambio per bici (bicycle gears) – These days when we ride a bicycle we take it for granted that, by moving a lever on the handlebars, we can change gears to make it easier to go up a hill. Less than a hundred years ago, however, things weren’t quite so simple: at that time changing gear involved getting off your bike and loosening the nuts on the rear wheel in order to move the chain by hand onto another cog, then tensioning the wheel and tightening the nuts before setting off again. It was the Italian cyclist Tullio Campagnolo who revolutionised the world of cycling with a number of innovative modifications. One of these was the cambio a bacchetta commonly known as the ‘dérailleur’ mechanism, which Campagnolo perfected in 1935. This mechanism enabled the cyclist to change gears by means of two levers without having to dismount the bike . (see photo below)

Atala_Cambio_Corsa_Drivetrain

3. Mater-Bi – In the early 1990s, mindful of the problems caused by the difficult process of recycling plastic, and the consequent impact on the environment, the Italian chemical colossus Novamont  developed a new kind of plastic called Mater-Bi. Invented by Catia Bastioli, Mater-Bi differs from the old types of plastic in that it is biodegradable. This new plastic is obtained from materials such as amido di mais, di grano e di patata (maize, wheat, and potato starch), and decomposes naturally into water, carbon dioxide, and methane due to the action of micro-organisms.

4. MPEG – MPEG is currently the most commonly used standard for compressing digital video. The name MPEG is an acronym for Moving Picture Experts Group, the company co-founded and chaired by the Torinese engineer Leonardo Chiariglione. In the 1980s Chiariglione, disillusioned by the failure of the International Radio Consultative Committee (CCIR) to adopt a single world standard for high-definition television (HDTV), followed in the footsteps of the Joint Photographic Experts Group, which had succeeded in setting international standards for the storage of still pictures in an image format which is commonly known by the acronym JPEG. Here is an interesting article about the birth of the MPEG: Chiariglione.org

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