Day 13: It doesn't help to know Italian if you have laryngitis

It doesn't help to know Italian if you have laryngitis.  My cold never got very bad but it went staight to my throat and I'm croaking like a frog, assuming you can even hear me.  When I arrived in Rome today, I took a taxi to the b&b, but knowing I couldn't talk.. I not only wrote the address on a piece of paper, I wrote, in Italian, that I had laryngitis and that I needed him to wait outside the b&b so I could drop off my luggage and then he was to take me to the Risorgimento museum.  The driver said "Anch'io"  which means "Also me!" and we proceed to cough and croak together for the rest of the way here. 

Today I met Lucio Ferri... my hero.  He was so nice to come all the way from Milan to meet me in Rome.  We went to the archives of the Risorgimento where I pretended to be a real historian.  Actually, I did find something and so did Lucio.  I didn't find any source documents, he had already pulled them before I arrived.  But I helped look through them and found an article written in a Lucanian newspaper or journal of some kind.  I couldn't tell you what it said but it was written by his great-great-uncle, Carmine Ferri. 

And Lucio found the originals of some information that he already knew... but he did read to me about the trial of the Carbonari men in 1822, and how Francesco Paulo DiGrazia was killed.  I think I have this correct, but I'll copy Lucio and he can correct me if I'm wrong.  The story is that these men first escaped from Laurenzia (or Anzi, I can't recall) and on the way into hiding  at the church in Calvello, they ran into a man, not a Bourbon, innocently minding his own business... Francesco Paulo DiGrazia.  Yes, that's what the official trial document said.  It also said that Mazziotta, the leader, ordered him to be killed because they were afraid he would turn them in.  Lucio says that, yes, he was from Calvello and the reason he isn't on the plaque of those Calvellesi killed in 1822 was because the plaque was a testiment to the Carbonari cause.  They apparently killed him quite brutally.. first trying to shoot him and when that didn't work, beating him with stones and finally knifing him.  I know that the Carbonari and also the brigands played a big role in freeing Italy, but I just can't make myself like them.  I wonder who's side I would have been on in 1860?

I do have to say that I can't blame them for wanting a revolution.  The Bourbon's had taken over after Napoleon and the Bourbon King had professed to support a constitution... it was trickery, however, because he then left to go to Austria where he faked that the Austrians forced him to give up the idea of a constitution and then he came back with Austrian troops who proceeded to help him squash the liberals... cruelly killing, executing without fair trial, etc.

We still don't know if or how Francesco was related but I now know that if I can find the death record in Feb 1822 in Calvello or Potenza, it will probably have other people's names listed: parents or family members.  Lucio says I can email him the record from an internet office across the street from the town hall... and he will translate it and help me while I'm there if I need help following up on a clue.  He is sure we will find good information in Potenza if not in Calvello.

Lucio was very kind to me, and I know I was very difficult to understand as I croaked out my questions during lunch and our coffee afterwards.  I wasn't easy to hear, much less understand in English.  He thinks he doesn't speak English well, but I would give my eye teeth to be as fluent in Italian as he is in English...  I didn't even attempt to speak in Italian which wasn't very polite of me... but it would have been painful to hear me croak out words that are meant to be beautiful, musical and lyrical.  (Its bad enough that on a good day I speak with a midwest nasal twang).

Lucio also said we will be surprised to see what a small town Calvello is.  There is not much happening there but I did get an email from the representative of the local tourist folk history person.  She said she is at our disposal for the two days we are there and offered to take us to the festa of San Antonio Abate on Sunday evening.  I haven't heard anything from the town hall or from any of the Di/DeGrazia, Gallichio or Trinchitella's... Lucio said to not get my hopes up.  When he called to ask about Di/DeGrazia's, they told them it was impossible, there were too many! 

I took a taxi back to the b&b and the driver also laughed with me when we both croaked and coughed.   Obviously this cold wet weather isn't helping, although this evening was dry and clear (I am still an optimist)  Alessandra would be happy to know that I confidently communicated the address of the B&B... settantadue... and the cab driver repeated seventy two?   in English!  This reminds me of the time were were in Paris, and walked into a store.  The clerk said Bonjour and I said Bonjour back and she immediately switched to English.... There is no hope.  My brain and ears may know Italian but my Irish tongue is revolting against speaking Italian.

Tonight I have the apartment all to myself, all night.  Very quiet and relaxing.  Maybe I will attempt Calvello history part 2.  Here are pictures at the archives:

Lucio Ferri

The archives

A transcipt of the trial of the Carbonari in 1822... you can kind of read Carlo Mazziotta.  I didn't think it was read-able, so I didn't take more pictures of this document.  I could clearly read Francesco Paulo DiGrazia on the original and it would have been fun to try to translate this myself someday.

PS:  Lucio has now written two books:  The first book is what brought me to know him.  It is the story of his family in Calvello: Una Famiglia, Tre Paese ed il resto Niente

Just recently (maybe I inspired him to research this?) he wrote another book http://www.ibs.it/code/9788890334719/ferri-lucio/sciamarro-la-vera-storia.html  It is the story of the carbonaro in Calvello and murder of Francesco DiGrazia.  He sent me the preliminary text (which I used Google to translate).  The internet is an amazingly wonderful thing, isn't it?