The heat, a heat of hell, the breath is lacking, the sun slips over the world (the few arcades they built the Piedmont after 1870), the shadow that suddenly becomes a precious resource, unavailable, except in the narrow streets of central neighborhoods, or churches. But even many churches and monasteries, as well as shops and offices, from noon to 3 pm were closed. The Sleeping Beauty "city-church" of the Popes, where the only events were processions, novenas, the new indulgences and sacred representations, did not have to look after a lot of productivity, much less in summer. With the summer heat
Rome became a dead city. The dog days of July and August afternoons scares Pope, the Sacred College, nobles, diplomats, prelates, priests, monks, peasants. The first, which may, under the pretext of the danger of cholera or malaria, fleeing in summer houses, maybe to Castelli. But the latter, which can not be holed up at home, pretending not to be. "A English Steps, if you see someone walking, you or a cat or a Frenchman," is ironic that people reported with taste of Ideville Henry, in his diary diplomatic Roman (edited by G. Artom, Milan 1966).
This was Rome in the days of summer outdoors. A beautiful hell. And in the flames of heat that is raised by the "cobblestone", silence reigned, broken only perhaps by a cat's meow, the flapping of wings of a pigeon, and the gushing of a thousand fountains that delight and refresh all or village square, a wealth that has always made Rome a unique city. A quiet
that in a city accustomed to living away from home can never be total. Thus, a real plague are the noises of young people in the courts, under a fig tree in the shade or on the streets, heedless of the prohibitions of the older, shouting, joking, arguing, playing bowls, ruzzica, morra, and throw stones. And what terrible damage to the nerves, to cause uncontrollable anger, those who want to relax, to shutter down, the "nap". The following sonnet expresses well the angry exasperation of a typical Roman disturbed by the cries and noisy games of arrogant young men in the house.
.
CAGGNAROLI affecting OR A LI CALLE
futtuti bastard, you adess'adesso
sbiggnate the nun there everyone,
Vieng down ccristo, and vve n'ammollo ttanti, all
Below the weight and de ggionta below. What
sso! mmai fussim'ommini de ggesso,
plants lli Below the fronnetta ahead! Look
sconciature de garganta!
Fùssiv'arti accusations ttanto is istesso. You
ggià from the viggilia de Sanpietro
that vve Tiengo seggnati one by one
ggonfiavve de pe er dedietro cups.
Pregat'Iddio, fijjacci de nisuno,
pregat'Iddio arisfassciamme of a glass, and
vvedete la fin de'm riduno.
October 1, 1831
.
version. To those who make noise in the hot hours. Fuckin little bastard, if not spun off everyone, now go down, for Christ, and there I give a lot [of sganassoni] strength and with the junta. What! I was not even a man of chalk [so numb to everything and unable to react] to plant them still as a statue with a lot of fig leaf in front! You dirty looks that I like to bully! Even if you were so high [that children] would be the same. E 'already from the eve of St. Peter that I have cataloged, one by one to make you sit the swollen barrel. Pray to God, figliacci anyone, pray to God to break the glass again, and you will see what will your gang.
.
In an essay titled Afa. Anthology sull'insopportabile hot Roman Luigi Ceccarelli (known as Romania under the pseudonym "Ceccarius") brought together the various synonyms mentioned by the linguists Roman. E 'sultry, but also Bafa, or even callaccia SBAFO , the air muggy oppressive heat stifling and enervating (G. Vaccaro, Vocabulary bellano Roman and Italian-Roman, Rome 1969). Does the Chiappini, so callaccia is the heat, the heat uncomfortable, the heat ( Vocabulary Roman, Rome, 1992). AFA, however, Rome, or rather had, the antidote to "the west wind." A breeze that blows from west to Rome and that is the sea that is raised to sunset refreshing air of the red-hot summer afternoons. And 'one of the climatic characteristics of the city, because of its location between the sea and hill ranges, but the continued pervasiveness of this new development on the coast and the western districts of the city, is gradually altering the configuration of the land, and the "west wind" can not now reach more to the center of the city (F. Ravaro Dictionary Roman, Rome, 2000).
So you want is any kind of breeze or gust of air that in Rome there is even a "dead de 'Twenties" (neighborhood Rule, S. Caterina della Rota). Where, in every season and time of day you should notice sensitive il soffiare dei venti (A Rufini, Dizionario etimologico-storico delle strade, piazze,borghi e vicoli della città di Roma , Roma 1847).
E Ceccarius fa bene a ricordarsi di due versi del grande Zanazzo, il più belliano degli studiosi ed eredi del Belli, tratti da una sua poesia del 16 aprile 1882 (G.Zanazzo, Poesie romanesche , a cura di G.Orioli, Roma 1968), in cui nelle segrete Camere pontificie la spossatezza domina perfino tra Li servitori in anticammera durante er Concistoro delli Cardinali :
.
Che sbafa! Che callaccia! Opri le porte
armeno gioca l’aria…
.
Belli, who was shivering and died with a heating pad in hand, dedicated to the hot summer and two sonnets realistic, but curiously written in the middle of winter, on 7 and 8 February. And then, between the rigors of freezing, there must be an evocation of (M. Teodone), if not of an acute desire, technically well-served by the system of notes and variants of "ready rhymes" that could occur in any Year-very organized sonnets
.
ER CALL
Uff! that bbafa of hell! callaccia that!
I nun I arzato a detonation and ggià sso rags
That Shakes llasseme-oh right! ssento sluggish, which
nnun zo de bbona bbraccia the move. I'm co
nnott'e PDATE them smoke in my face,
sudanno to ggocce worse than a cow that
Inzino me clings to his shirt
on the skin. Um, you nun ze Term of hunting. I
ttempo to heart ventajjo ffamme wind, water and
to bbeve sguazzamme to the Funtana:
tAll is worse because ppoi squajjo me.
P'er maggnà, ccrederai? campo de bread. And you say
nnun ggnente der travajjo
de ste provided, and ste ste flies zampane.
Rome, February 7, 1833
version. The heat. Ugh! AFA of hell! What heat! I did not make the slightest movement, and yet I'm already tired: oh, that apathy! I feel a weakness that I can not even lift his arms. Night and day I have hot flashes on the face, sweating by drops worse than a cow, so that even my shirt sticks to the skin. Um, if this situation lasts it out. Time wasted on me the wind with her fan, drinking water, and splashing in the fountains, it's worse, because then I melt. As for eating, you believe that?, I live with bread. And do not say anything about the hassle of these fleas, flies and mosquitoes.
.
In a crescendo of dramatic emphasis that has pointed vaguely Dante, Belli foreshadows a small "end of World "-style folk legend - also supported by some doctor - that the summer heat would bring even the terrible fevers contagious (the" bad air ", in fact) of which Rome then was infested before the great reforms of the unitary state, a Because of the marshes that surrounded it, unhygienic living conditions and the resulting weakness to infections affecting the population, in total disregard of the Church.
ISTAT
'Na caliggine as in the nu cuest'istate
nemmanco remember me 'Grandpa.
day if everything was craving, and the nights
who blessed him and rrequia ppijja sleep!
The herbs in campaggna, paren Abbruscato:
river er er is if he sees That Shakes jje fonno:
ffornasce I know the roads wide open, and iff
Diria that vvadi to ffoco Monno er. Nun
find that cave ccani mascilenti
sdrajati in 'gate and signs' ggni courtyard, the language co
de fora by their teeth. Nun
rains dda PPIU the half dd'aprile:
nun rispireno PPIU mmanco the winds ...
Ah! May God give sce scampi frebbile calor!
Rome, February 8, 1833
version. Summer. Such as a haze in the summer not even remember my grandfather. All day you desire, and who has blessed night sleep and take rest! The herbs in campahna seem to burn: the Tiber water is so poor that you see the bottom, the roads are wide open furnaces, and it seems that the world to catch on fire. Do not see anything but emaciated dogs in each Sun beds and patio door, with his tongue out of the teeth. It never rains in mid-April, no longer even breathe the winds ... Oh God save us from the feverish heat!
"July 12, 1845. From 6-9 we had a hot and sometimes he did ascend the thermometer above 28 degrees (degrees Reaumur, equal to 35 ° C. Ed). ascended to the 7 degrees 28.6 (equal to 36 ° C, Ed). Since 1842 we did not have such a warm (N. Roncalli, Chronicle Rome 1844-1848, vol I, Rome 1972. And yet, the historian wrote in Gregorovius Logs Roman August 19, 1861: "The extraordinary heat has ruined my work, the results of 44 days are very narrow (Ceccariuis). To us moderns, with the increase in average temperatures the last few decades, seems like a warm normal occurs every summer. However, if he lived today in Rome in the summer Gregorovius write only thanks to the air conditioning!
Another diary. "June 26, 1801: here is since yesterday in a great heat." "July 1, 1801: hot huge." Prince Chigi, who recorded in his diary with obsessive fixation aristocratic any changes in heat and humidity, sought refreshment at the fountain di piazza del Popolo. Ebbene, per assicurarsi che ci fosse un refolo di vento vi immergeva, essendo il dito troppo proletario, la punta del bastone: osservando che una parte si asciugava prima dell’altra si accertava della direzione e dell’esistenza stessa del vento.
E dal caldo veniva il colera, si pensava allora. "26 luglio 1831: oggi è cominciato un triduo nella chiesa dell’Anima con indulgenza per implorare la cessazione del flagello del cholera, che ha penetrato in qualche parte degli stati dell’Imperatore. 6 agosto 1835: oggi è cominciata una divozione di dieci giorni in 16 chiese dedicate alla Madonna, oltre alla chiesa di S Rocco, con indulgenza plenaria per chi v’interverrà 7 volte, ad effect of prayer for the removal of the disease that threatens us. "August 9, 1835 is recognized as inadequate the 16 churches for the indulgence, there are other 8 were increased, the most extensive. At the same time he announced the reduction from seven to 5 times for gaining the (C. Fraser, Diary of Prince Agostino Chigi 1830 to 1855, with an essay on the life of historical sights of the ancient Rome (Toledo 1906).
short, always the usual, the King Papi! Cholera fought not with the medical or hygiene, but images of massive prayers. Triduum and novenas, rather than agricultural pipes. last minute discounts on indulgences, rather than extract quinine. So, you know, sick or healthy, they would all go to hell anyway.
For this, cholera terrorized all, priests, nobles and people. And the concern of Chigi was almost a premonition: his wife died of cholera during the epidemic of 1837, and he died in 1855, probably affected by the same disease (Ceccarius). And that the Roman summer amounted to disease, it also says the terrorist Belli in s. The bad air (June 5, 1845) that today would be furious, the Office of Tourism. And if we think the current Roman Summer, how far the Rome of today epidemics skullcaps!:
.
run away, dislodged, furistieri:
fora, eg, CCAR, cch'entra ISTAT.
Soon, you bundle, sgommerate, because
mmommò Rroma to know affaracci serious.
...
What a callus is a cqui er reviews> univerzale:
air de lujji August and kill everyone.
.
So, from mid June to late September emptied Rome of Pope, the Sacred College, prelates, diplomats, aristocrats and wealthy bourgeois, because - other than winter - it was believed that the "malaria" infuriated with cholera and other soft in the middle of summer. All those who could went to the castles and villas of Albano, Castel Gandolfo, Frascati, or swims. Malaria, in the strict sense, then, was typical of the Roman summer, the campaigns being marshy and infested with mosquitoes. No Roman district was exempt, especially in the periphery (Ceccarius).
Therefore, when a people becomes a minimum wealthy, suddenly made a show to "go on holiday," Castles, such as "Sister Irene" in the following sonnet, which is not having a coach there is in private care. "Longings of the holiday," he had called Goldoni, scratching himself the typical petty-bourgeois pretensions of neo-rich:
.
CHECK OUT THE EP THE HOLIDAY
Sor'Irene and CCUSA? ss'arivà ffora? And
ss'è lléscito, indove? Eh ggià to Ffrascati,
a criminal imbarzimati cqueli beautiful. Here
cqua that vvor of dd'èsse siggnora. But
ssa That Shakes Below is ste sciarle vventun'ora,
them ggià horses are attacked?
Indeed, in du ner leggno vvisto shoo 'the friars
Pressco of anna iff devours them?
J'hanno put the stuff, eh sor'Irene?
bbrava Oh, but that jj'avverto VVO ppiove:
see that tAll Be cuperto bbene.
Oh, ddunque, arived, and let us co cquesto
bbon viaggio, sce dii le su’ nove,
se diverti, s’ingrassi, e ttorni presto.
24 settembre 1835
,
Versione . La partenza per la villeggiatura. Signora Irene, si va di nuovo fuori, è così? E dove, se è lecito? E già, a Frascati, con quel bel clima balsamico. Ecco che vuol dire esser signora. Ma sa che con queste ciarle siamo arrivati alle 21, e i cavalli sono già attaccati? Anzi, in carrozza ho visto due frati che la premura di andare si divora. Le hanno caricato i bagagli, eh, signora Irene? Oh, brava, ma l’avverto che sta per piovere: veda che tutto sia coperto bene. Oh, dunque, arrivederla; e do this with a good trip, and s'ingrassi back soon.
.
And the people? The only cool was that he was allowed to go to see the noble carriage 'is refreshed with interesting and spectacular walks on water in a flooded Piazza Navona (where to get wet, however, were only the wheels and the feet of horses). Otherwise a nice slice of watermelon, very rarely an ice cream, sorbets because offered by "walking sorbettari of the Center is expensive. Otherwise, it was industry to avoid the sun acrobatically walking along the "shadow lines" of the palaces. But with a bit of Democratic wins in Paris and London of your dreams, romanissimo because they could enjoy the right to "trap". By long tradition, the great aristocratic buildings with multiple doors were burdened by a singular right of way: anyone who could come in, probably under the watchful gaze of doorkeeper, he could go long, cool corridors, courtyards and gardens, and exit from another door . Even in the largest of all, the tower block papal del Quirinale, the young "cascherino" the baker with the bread to be delivered, the laundress with a basket or child of the people with bare feet, could enter alle Quattro Fontane and out the door of the date, virtually the Trevi Fountain. The Belli himself writes in the sonnet Road cuperta .
vvienì Cuattro by the ar-Funtana
ssempre cuperto, Ffuntan to achiev-de-Trevi
porton der Pope enters ar ..
... How did you come to the Panettaria
... Runaway give Porton de date.
M. Bosi you mention in the essay is a privilege lost: the transitions of the gates in "Strenna of the Romans", Rome 1972. So the common people avoid the heat and sun, and "cut" winding paths under the blazing summer sun in the center of Rome. And even though the civic guards and watched the "illustrious Bishop of the streets" in theory, prohibited and punished anything, he could always get a nice foot bath in the thousands of Roman fountains. Hygiene of the State of the Church had everything to gain.
.
IMAGES. 1. Piazza Navona flooded, an old tradition that lasted until the nineteenth century was repeated every summer festival curiously reserved for coaches. 2. The cocomeraro Piazza Navona (watercolor by A. Pinelli). 3. The itinerant exhibition sorbettaro passers ice cream (popular press). 4. Young bowlers. Between screams, comments and arguments, the noise of the outdoor play broke the stillness of the warm afternoons Romans.