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Slow Tuscany
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> Count Ugolino
Count
Ugolino: «It was the fast more than the pain...»
Damiano
Andreini
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Usually
the space of these articles is never concerned with topical
news, but this is the case in which the opportunity is too appetizing
(excuse me the phrase…): just a few days ago, in the XIII century
Church of San Francesco, in Pisa, some of the most mysterious
and debated remains of our history are being exhumed.
They are the bones of the Count Ugolino della Gherardesca, supposed
to be buried there since 1289, together with the bones of other
four people - his children and nephews. In the history, the
story of the Count Ugolino is immediately connected to the fall
of the Pisa naval strength in the XXXIII century, when its fleet
was at his highest splendor and it was present in all the Mediterranean
ports, from Provence up to the farthest and richest Palestinian
towns. From the half of the century his supremacy was threatened
by the near powers of Genoa (the second naval power), Florence
(just at the beginning of his splendorous growth) and Lucca.
In 1284 Genoa defeated the fleet of Pisa, thereby driving it
to an absolute decline. At that time, the Count Ugolino, who
is already 70, is at the head of a tenth of galleys at the mouth
of the Arno river, to prevent Genoa's direct attack to Pisa.
The successful outcome of his defense gains him the appointment
of "Podestà" from Pisa town, whose citizens acclaim him as the
"saver of their land". Nevertheless Pisa is largely weakened.
He therefore decides to give some castles to the two close rival
powers - Florence and Lucca, so as to maintain quite their aggressive
intentions. The event is badly welcomed by a few rich families
in Pisa, who take the opportunity to accuse him of betrayal
and take him, after his removal, to the tower of Cavalieri Square,
where he will be closed into, together with his children and
nephews (just at a walk from the famous Leaning Tower).
Once the doors are crudely closed from outside, the Count Ugolino
and his heirs will starve inside up to death. Most of us may
have forgotten the historical aspect; but the other story, the
one nobody could forget - struck with terror and aversion -
tells of a further event: Ugolino, during the last days of his
life, would feed himself on his children's own meat….. I remember
that when I was a child, my friends and I always were afraid
of walking by the "Tower of the Hunger". For seven centuries
Tuscan children have been thinking to Ugolino della Gherardesca
like to the symbol of cruel monstrousness. How much truth is
there? Dante Alighieri, in his "divine" Commedia, tells
about his meeting with Ugolino in the deepest meanders of the
Inferno (Inferno, XXXII - XXXIII cantos) while Ugolino gnaws
the skull of his political enemy in life, the Archbishop of
Pisa, Ruggieri, who contributed to make him shut up into the
tower.
Such is his eternal torment, but at the arrival of Dante, he
starts telling his story, his sin (the betrayal of Pisa) and
the latest tragic events of his life: in the extreme filial
love they have for their father, who bites his hands for the
forthcoming death, the children, who think he is suffering hunger,
offer themselves to be eaten by him. Ugolino, to avoid further
desperation to them, will no more express his pain and withdraws
into his sufferings. After a few days, the children die of starvation,
one after the other. The tragic event, that Ugolino tells to
Dante, ends with these words: "poscia, più che 'l dolor poté
il digiuno" ("then, it was the fast more than the pain").
According to many people, this last verse would hint to a supposed
act of cannibalism, the interpretation transmitted since ever.
After said that, Ugolino no longer talks to Dante and gnaws
again the skull of his adversary in life, the Archbishop Ruggieri.
Reading again and again the verses of the Inferno, that Dante
dedicated to his meeting with Ugolino, I feel that in the words
of Count Ugolino a strong and despairing tenderness towards
his children is rather present, while looking at them dying
in an awful and unjust way ("… I have been calling them for
days after they died…").
Dante himself, who was contemporary with the Count, appears
to feel a deep commiseration to those young people and he only
blames their father for betraying Pisa, in giving the castles
to the enemy ("aver tradito te [Pisa], delle castella [cedute
a città nemiche]"), therefore he believes he may have been
condemned to the Inferno just for this reason. "più che il
dolore, poté il digiuno…" is the verse that the Count pronounces
to mean his death, which arrived, alas, only when the starvation
was so stronger than pain, that he had no more strength to call
his children.
On the other hand, the torment suffered by his rival Ruggieri
is certainly worse than his own: as Dante says, Ruggieri was
really responsible of a true mean act, so that he was to pay
for ever for the heavier consequences. It is to be noticed an
eventual hint: is an almost 80 years old man of the XIII century
able to chew something harder than a thin soup? Rather, much
more easier for rats: they yes, which have strong and sharp
teeth… All in all, waiting to know the outcome of the on going
exhumation in Pisa, I think we can have again our calm sleeps.
Damiano Andreini |
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