Giuseppe Bardari
Encyclopedia
Giuseppe Bardari was an Italian
lawyer and writer. Although chiefly known today for having written the libretto
for Donizetti's 1835 opera, Maria Stuarda
, he played a prominent role in the judiciary of Naples
in the years leading up to the unification of Italy.
and studied in Monteleone (now Vibo Valentia
) before going to Naples to study law. During his student days in Naples, he also wrote poetry and frequented the city's salon
s where he came into contact with the liberal ideals of the Italian Risorgimento. He earned a reputation as a promising literary figure and was only 17 when Donizetti engaged him as the librettist for Maria Stuarda. It was Bardari's only known libretto. Ashbrook has speculated that the censorship problems he encountered (which resulted in the work being banned in Naples and demands for drastic changes in Milan
) may have led him to pursue his legal career instead.
He returned to his law studies and eventually became a magistrate
in Monteleone. However, he lost that position in 1848 following his anti-government activities during an uprising in Calabria
. He returned to private practice as a lawyer and became a close friend of Liborio Romano
, an important figure in the Risorgimento. Towards the end of Bourbon rule in southern Italy, he returned to public life and became the Prefect of Police for Naples. On 6 September 1860, he published a manifesto announcing the departure of King Francis II
and his court, as Garibaldi
and his troops advanced on the city. In his manifesto, he reminded the Neapolitans of their duties as citizens during the period of change, and urged them to remain calm and support the new government. According to Pagnotta, he was also the author of the King's own farewell proclamation to the Neapolitans, as well as his address to the nations of Europe.
After Naples finally fell under the control of Garibaldi on 7 September 1860, the provisional government appointed Bardari Councillor of the Gran Corte dei Conti (the financial court of Naples, similar in function to the French Cour des comptes). He was also appointed President of the commission administering the former assets of the Jesuit Order
in the territory comprising the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies
. Considered an Italian patriot by Garibaldi despite his service under Francis II, Giuseppe Bardari was on the brink of a new political career in the unified Kingdom of Italy
when he died in Naples at the age of 44.
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
lawyer and writer. Although chiefly known today for having written the libretto
Libretto
A libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata, or even the story line of a...
for Donizetti's 1835 opera, Maria Stuarda
Maria Stuarda
Maria Stuarda is a tragic opera, , in two acts, by Gaetano Donizetti, to a libretto by Giuseppe Bardari, based on Friedrich Schiller's 1800 play Maria Stuart....
, he played a prominent role in the judiciary of Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
in the years leading up to the unification of Italy.
Biography
Giuseppe Bardari was born in PizzoPizzo, Calabria
Pizzo is a seaport and comune in the province of Vibo Valentia , situated on a steep cliff overlooking the Gulf of Santa Eufemia.Fishing is one of the main activities, including that of tuna and coral.-History:...
and studied in Monteleone (now Vibo Valentia
Vibo Valentia
Vibo Valentia is a city and comune in the Calabria region of southern Italy, near the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital of the province of Vibo Valentia, and is an agricultural, commercial and tourist center . There are also several large manufacturing industries, including the tuna district of...
) before going to Naples to study law. During his student days in Naples, he also wrote poetry and frequented the city's salon
Salon (gathering)
A salon is a gathering of people under the roof of an inspiring host, held partly to amuse one another and partly to refine taste and increase their knowledge of the participants through conversation. These gatherings often consciously followed Horace's definition of the aims of poetry, "either to...
s where he came into contact with the liberal ideals of the Italian Risorgimento. He earned a reputation as a promising literary figure and was only 17 when Donizetti engaged him as the librettist for Maria Stuarda. It was Bardari's only known libretto. Ashbrook has speculated that the censorship problems he encountered (which resulted in the work being banned in Naples and demands for drastic changes in Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
) may have led him to pursue his legal career instead.
He returned to his law studies and eventually became a magistrate
Magistrate
A magistrate is an officer of the state; in modern usage the term usually refers to a judge or prosecutor. This was not always the case; in ancient Rome, a magistratus was one of the highest government officers and possessed both judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a...
in Monteleone. However, he lost that position in 1848 following his anti-government activities during an uprising in Calabria
Calabria
Calabria , in antiquity known as Bruttium, is a region in southern Italy, south of Naples, located at the "toe" of the Italian Peninsula. The capital city of Calabria is Catanzaro....
. He returned to private practice as a lawyer and became a close friend of Liborio Romano
Liborio Romano
Liborio Romano was an Italian politician.He was born in Patù, near Santa Maria di Leuca , then part of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. He studied at Lecce and graduated in law at Naples, soon beginning to teach in the same university.Frequenting the Carbonari, Romano adhered to the Risorgimento...
, an important figure in the Risorgimento. Towards the end of Bourbon rule in southern Italy, he returned to public life and became the Prefect of Police for Naples. On 6 September 1860, he published a manifesto announcing the departure of King Francis II
Francis II of the Two Sicilies
Francis II , was King of the Two Sicilies from 1859 to 1861. He was the last King of the Two Sicilies, as successive invasions by Giuseppe Garibaldi and Victor Emmanuel II of Sardinia ultimately brought an end to his rule, and marked the first major event of Italian unification...
and his court, as Garibaldi
Giuseppe Garibaldi
Giuseppe Garibaldi was an Italian military and political figure. In his twenties, he joined the Carbonari Italian patriot revolutionaries, and fled Italy after a failed insurrection. Garibaldi took part in the War of the Farrapos and the Uruguayan Civil War leading the Italian Legion, and...
and his troops advanced on the city. In his manifesto, he reminded the Neapolitans of their duties as citizens during the period of change, and urged them to remain calm and support the new government. According to Pagnotta, he was also the author of the King's own farewell proclamation to the Neapolitans, as well as his address to the nations of Europe.
After Naples finally fell under the control of Garibaldi on 7 September 1860, the provisional government appointed Bardari Councillor of the Gran Corte dei Conti (the financial court of Naples, similar in function to the French Cour des comptes). He was also appointed President of the commission administering the former assets of the Jesuit Order
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
in the territory comprising the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies
Kingdom of the Two Sicilies
The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, commonly known as the Two Sicilies even before formally coming into being, was the largest and wealthiest of the Italian states before Italian unification...
. Considered an Italian patriot by Garibaldi despite his service under Francis II, Giuseppe Bardari was on the brink of a new political career in the unified Kingdom of Italy
Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946)
The Kingdom of Italy was a state forged in 1861 by the unification of Italy under the influence of the Kingdom of Sardinia, which was its legal predecessor state...
when he died in Naples at the age of 44.
Sources
- Ashbrook, William, Donizetti and His Operas, Cambridge University Press, 1983, pp. 583-584. ISBN 0-521-27663-2
- Atti del governo estratti dal giornale officiale di Napoli, Issues 1-27, 1860 (in Italian)
- Fagnano, Claudia, "Vicissitudini di un libretto perseguitato", Il Giornale dei Grandi Eventi, Anno XII, Numero 19-22, March 2006 (in Italian)
- Garibaldi, Giuseppe, Vita e memorie di Giuseppe Garibaldi, Santi Seraglini e Compagni, 1860 (in Italian)
- Pagnotta, Giuseppe Bardari, Giuseppe, 2006 (in Italian)