Daniela Mazzon
Ed. Anordest, Villorba (TV) 2011
pp. 205
The authors, professors at the Liceo Classico Tito Livio of Padua, trace, starting from an accurate archive research, a detailed biography of the author of The Confessions of an Italian. Born in Padua, by Antonio and Adele Marin, the 30 November 1831, Ippolito Carlo Giovanni Battista Andrea Leopoldo Maria, lived there just a year. In November of the 1832, in fact, the family went to live in Soave, due to Antonio's job transfer. And here was born Ippolito Luigi, destined to short life, Elisabetta and Alessandro.
"These births, if the spouses rejoiced, certainly did not make Ippolito happy, who, even as an adult, never bonded with his brothers and sister."
From the 1841 to the 1846 Ippolito attended the Verona seminar. It was then that he began writing the first poems, which he collected in a booklet entitled Poetic compositions made the year 1846-1847. On 13 August 1847 he definitively left that seminary where, with difficulty, he had endured the iron discipline. The 1847-48 school year entered the first year of the Virgil High School in Mantua, where, after his father had inherited a palace, his family had moved there.
The 1848 was the year when the whirlwind of the revolution broke out. His parents considered the situation dangerous for his son and sent him to complete his studies in Cremona. After which, a little over seventeen, Ippolito left to join the patriots of central Italy as soon as possible, at a time in Florence, the 12 February 1849.
He then moved to Pisa to study, and to Livorno where "He took part in the armed resistance of the Livorno population, which opposed the army of eighteen thousand men from Parma [...] to restore the grand-ducal government."
In September of the '49 Ippolito returned to live in Mantua, where in August 1850 obtained the high school license, and then enrolled at the University of Pavia. From here, in the 1852 he moved to Padua, where he enrolled in the third year of the Political-legal Faculty and where, the University, "Soon became the heart of subversive activities. On the walls we began to read patriotic phrases hidden in the initials of words. " Here he wrote some plays, as well as letters, poems and short stories that he published in the city newspapers. He was a frequent visitor to the Pedrocchi café, the literary café of Padua, also called "The coffee without eyelids because it seemed never closed its eyes, since it remained open twenty-four hours a day." The 22 November 1855 graduated.
"After graduating, Ippolito intensified his various literary activities," entering the vein of country novels. The novel "The Advocate" gave him many problems. "It was indeed necessary to defend against the accusation of having treated the Austrian gendarmerie in a way that was not respectful and detrimental to its dignity." Convened in the 1857 by the Criminal Court of Milan, he was sentenced to two months of imprisonment, later commuted to a fine of 25 fiorini.
In Milan “He frequented the salon of the Countess Maffei, a meeting place for writers, artists and patriots where the future fate of Italy was discussed. He met Princess Cristina di Belgioioso and Mazzini Giulietta Pezzi, was sought after and appreciated by everyone. "
The 16 August 1858 completed "The Confessions of an Italian". Struck by the charisma of Garibaldi, the 5 May 1860 from Milan reached Genoa where it joined the Expedition of the Thousand. Of his choice he informed only his brother Carlo. Embarked on Lombard, in addition to the task of daily noting the progress of the expedition, the 8 May "He was appointed steward for the troops that were aboard his own ship. With the appointment, he was also entrusted with a part of the Garibaldian case. "
Once landed in Sicily, appreciated by Garibaldi in carrying out the delicate task of treating the military administration, "The 17 June 1860 Ippolito was appointed Commissioner of 1 ^ class with the functions of Deputy General Intendant of the National forces in Sicily with the rank of Captain," to then become, the following November 2, Military Intendant of 1 ^ Class with the rank of Colonel. He "He did not want to leave Sicily until the accounts of the expedition were ready and the 5 month papers of his administration in order", given that, to discredit Garibaldi, the administrative management of the shipment had been put under investigation.
The 15 December embarked for Naples."After an alternation of orders and counter-orders, Ippolito had to return to Palermo to take over all the accounts with the order to reach Turin quickly." The 18 February 1861 embarked for Palermo, on the "Electric" steamer. After the work, the 4 March embarked on the "Ercole" steamer to Naples. "The ships bound for Naples were all late. But, one by one, they entered the gulf, and then into the harbor, docking between the small Molo Angioino and the Piliero. All but one. "
"No one noticed anything, except the people of the port and, for 11 days, the matter passed in silence. The 17 March was born the unity of Italy. The same day the first brief news of the disappearance of the ship appears on a Neapolitan newspaper. "
No body was found. There were many hypotheses on the causes of the disappearance of the ship. "Garibaldi placed the final seal on the discussions with a letter of condolence addressed to family members."
"The most warm and sincere testimonies of affection and memory came, over the years, from women who, though with different roles, loved him. "
Adele, the mother, "He wanted to be wrapped in the cloak that his son had worn at the Battle of Calatafimi and left it as a pledge of his next return during the last visit."
Gianlorenzo Capano
