Literary Italy

This episode is not exactly a sonnet, but today Anne and Jim have fun / suffer the passion of reading Francesco Petrarca, more commonly known as Petrarch in the English-speaking world. Also, they pine to see Arezzo again (or Avignon for the first time!). So much longing, such intensity of feeling. Plus, memories of Arqua Petrarca and Padua. Who's buried in Petrarch's tomb (trick question!)? And what's up with the cat mummy?
Referred to sometimes as the father of humanism and the Renaissance, Francesco Petrarca (Petrarch in English) is best known for his lyric poetry, which established a model in Europe for centuries. Petrarch was born in the city of Arezzo, about an hour southeast of Florence, where his father had fled after, like Dante, he was exiled from the city of Florence. Petrarch was a prolific traveler, and spent much of his adult life in many of the major courts in both Italy and France. This may have contributed to his vision of Italy as a cohesive political entity, rather than a fragmented collection of warring factions, as it had been for centuries. A renowned scholar and advocated for a study of the classics, Petrarch is best known for his book of poems, the Canzoniere, or Rime Sparse (Scattered Rhymes), a collection of 366 poems, most of which are love poems dedicated to Laura, his beloved.
Petrarch spent the latter part of his life in a small town called Arquà (now called Arquà Petrarca in the poet’s honor), about a half-hour southwest of the city of Padua. Literary tourism to Arquà Petrarca has existed for centuries, one of the earliest examples of a museum dedicated to a writer. Here you can visit Petrarch’s final home and his tomb. Unlike Dante’s tomb in Florence, the tomb in Arquà does indeed hold his body, however when it was exhumed in 2003 in anticipation of the celebration of the 700th anniversary of the poet’s birth, it was discovered that skull contained inside was not Petrarch’s at all, but that of an unknown woman. Presumably at some point in history Petrarch’s skull, along with several other bone fragments, was stolen, probably to be sold. The museum also includes the mummified remains of a cat, reputed to be Petrarch’s favorite pet, with a Latin inscription that proclaims: “The Etruscan poet burned with twin loves, I am the greater fire, Laura was the second.” Although there is no evidence the cat belonged to Petrarch at all, it makes a fun diversion, and has led tourists to this spot since the 16th century.

Italo Calvino was one of the best known Italian writers throughout the world in the late 20th century. In the 1950's he set about working with Italian folklorists to collect, shape, and assemble Italian fables or fairy tales. The result was Fiabe Italiane (Italian Folktales), a compendium of stories from different parts of Italy. This week we dip our toe into the life and work of this fascinating man.

Mystic, Leader, Writer, Saint, just a general Badass, Catherine of Siena set her fourteenth-century world on fire. In this episode we head back to Tuscany to talk about Catherine, her life, her letters, and her hometown city of Siena. Plus, Chianti! In this episode we speak about this letter of Catherine of Siena to Pope Gregory XI: http://web.mit.edu/aorlando/www/SaintJohnCHI/Church%20History%20Readings/Catherine%20of%20Siena%20Letter%2074.pdf

Back to the medieval! We talk about Saint Francis of Assisi and his Canticle of the Creatures, one of the first examples of written Italian. Anne once fantasized about a sitcom based on his life called Everybody Loves Francis! (Mostly just for the title.) And then take a trip to his hometown of Assisi in Umbria: how to get around, what to see, where to stay, and (as always!) what to eat! Pax et bonum! Pace e bene! Peace and Goodness!
Patron saint of animals and ecology as well as the country of Italy (along with Catherine of Siena), Francis did quite a bit of traveling, preaching as he went. Yet he always came back to his hometown of Assisi. Well worth a visit today not only for its connection to its famous native son, Assisi is a marvelous example of a medieval Italian hilltop town. Francis is buried in the lower basilica of San Francesco in Assisi, where you can also admire the frescoes attributed to Giotto in the upper church that depict Francis's life and miracles. Also in the historic center of Assisi you can visit the Basilica of Santa Chiara, which contains the saint's crypt as well as the crucifix, which, according to the legend, first called Francis to "repair my church."
As we mention in the episode, Francis died in the lower part of the town of Assisi, in this church of the Porziuncola, today enclosed by the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli. We also talked about hiking up to the Eremo delle Carceri, a lovely place in the woods where Francis and his followers would retreat for solitude and prayer.
And we also talked a lot about eating! A great place to eat (and stay) about a kilometer outside of the city walls is the Ristorante La Stalla at Fontemaggio, which, as the name suggests, is housed in a converted stall. You can try local favorites like pasta or meats cooked over an indoor enormous grill. Fontemaggio also has a hotel, hostel and campground.
We read aloud and talk more in-depth about Francis's prayer, The Canticle of Brother Son (or Cantle of the Creatures). You can read the original and an English translation here.