Manrico Bissi – president of Archistorica
The exhibition kicks off this morning, Saturday 20 April Piacenza Medievalis. The second edition of the event, organized by the Archistorica and Gens Innominabilis association with the collaboration of the Municipality of Piacenza, is dedicated to the 650 years since the death of the poet Francesco Petrarca.
The video was presented during the first morning of appointments “On the trail of Petrarca. Fourteenth-century Piacenza in the eyes of the Poet” created by Manrico Bissi, president of Archistorica with video makers Gianluigi Ruzzenenti and Silvano Tinelli.
FRANCESCO PETRARCA IN PIACENZA – the video
“Piacenza was a protagonist city in medieval history – explains Manrico Bissi – it was a banking and financial capital. There were important events with the presence of eminent figures on a political and cultural level and Petrarch was one of them. We know from sources that the poet wrote a letter from Piacenza in the Kalends of June 1351.
On this historical basis, local sources have reworked a tradition, sometimes with narrative and non-historical contours, according to which Petrarch was invited by the podestà on behalf of the Viscontis to hold a lectio magistralis at Palazzo Gotico”.
This very event is at the center of the video. “We recalled the event, allowing ourselves a lot of poetic license, but trying to reconstruct the participation of the Piacenza nobility invited to a court event, sponsored by Visconti officials, among this nobility were the Anguissolas. Petrarch was a very good friend of Bernardo and Lancelot Anguissola who appear in his correspondence” says Bissi.
Among the curiosities of Petrarca’s presence in Piacenza there are also those related to gastronomy. “According to legend – continues Bissi – the famous Piacenza tortello was born to delight Petrarca during a reception that Bernardo Anguissola gave at the castle of Vigolzone”.
Between historical processions, tournaments, shows and visits, “Piacenza Medievalis” continues until tomorrow afternoon.
Tags: Piacenza Medievalis Petrarca tortello born delight poet
