Asti, the places of Vittorio Alfieri

Thanks to www.parcoletterario.it: From Palazzo Alfieri to Piazza Alfieri along Corso Alfieri with some deviation

Definitely Palazzo Alfieri (point 13 of the route from east to west along Corso Alfieri) is one of the most important places to rebuild the relationship between the author of Asti and its land as Vittorio Alfieri was born here 16 January 1749. Son of count Antonio Amedeo Alfieri of Cortemilia spent the first five years of his life in this building: in 1754 in fact, He followed his mother, then, in a new home.

In the city of Asti in Piedmont, il dì 17 in January of the year 1749, I was born of noble, affluent, and honest family. And these among their qualities I expressly identified, and my gran ventura ascribe to the following reasons. The birth of noble class, I benefit very precisely in order to then, without the taccia of envious and vile, dispregiare nobility per se only, Discover the ridicolezze, abuses, and the vices; but at the same time I benefit not just the useful and healthy influence of it, in order not to contaminate ever in anything the nobility of art that I professed. The birth of means, Let me free and pure: Nor let me serve other than to true. Honesty then de ' relatives meant that I didn't have to ever blush of being I noble. Waves, any one of these three things were failing to my birthplace, It would need very different minoramento met my works: and I would therefore state for adventure or worst philosopher, or worst men, What perhaps I won't State.

Vittorio Alfieri
from “Life”

In the Palace there is the Fondazione Centro Nazionale di Studi Alfieriani, established by a Royal Decree of the 5 November 1937, consisting of Museum – Library and Archives belong together, conservation and research centre around the life and works of Vittorio Alfieri.

Of course in Garden di Palazzo Alfieri si trova il possente platano.

Immediately after, going Alfieri (then high road), It was the Museum of St. Anastasius ’, now disappeared: in 1907 the Church of s. Anastasio and Monastery were cut down to make way for the present Liceo Classico "v. Alfieri". Today it remains the only Crypt of St. Anastasius ’ (point 11 of the route from east to west along Corso Alfieri)

When Abaza had about seven years: “He was also placed in the monastery, but in Asti same, My sister Giulia”. Giulia era nata, like him, from her mother's marriage with Antonio Alfieri count of Cortemilia, died when the small Alfieri was only one year.

…My sister carnal, Giulia, that was the only padre, and place it in the monastery of Santa Croce, cavandola from Sant'Anastasio in Asti, where had been for more than six years under the auspices of our aunt, the widow of the Marquis Trotti, It was withdrawn. The Giulietta was growing in this monastery in Asti, even more ineducata than me.

Vittorio Alfieri
from “Life”

Aged about five and a half years, with his sister Julia, the mother and stepfather, cavalier Giacinto di Magliano Alfieri, Alfieri si trasferì in un edificio situato all’estremità ovest di Piazza Cagni. Remained there until the age of ten years, When he was transferred to the Academy of Turin, to spend eight years of ineducazione ", as he called that time of their adolescence.

Today, instead of the Palace, in a building erected in 1958, There is the Congregation of the Dominican Sisters.

My sister Julie and I, pursuing the fate of the mother, We were passed from the family home to live with her stepfather's House, which also was more than the father for that time we waited.

Vittorio Alfieri
from “Life”

Una delle due chiese di Asti dove Vittorio Alfieri venne portato per punizione con la reticella in testa fu la Chiesa del Carmine (now disappeared): stood in the square and Cagni was built in 1414 unitamente ad un vasto convento. Soppressa nel 1812 to make way for a military barracks, in 1969 the barracks became the seat of the Istituto Magistrale "Monti".

How many chastisements you could give me, What pained me beyond measure, and sign me sick, and so I was given twice the Sun, He had to send me to the glue mantle by night in Chief, trim that hides almost all of her hair. The first time that I was doomed (nor do I remember more of why) I then saw myself sucked by master hand at the nearby Chiesa del Carmine: abandoned Church, where there were forty people ever gathered in its vastness; However Yes I aflisse but this punishment, that for more than three months then I stood above reproach.

Una tal quale consolazione di quella mia solitudine mi si era andata facendo sentire a poco a poco nell’assuefarmi ad andare ogni giorno alla chiesa del Carmine attigua alla nostra casa; and feel of music, and to see you perform those Friars, (…) and not wanted nothing more than to be conducted morning and day to Carmine.

The ’ Church where he brought the young Vittorio Alfieri with the mantle which covered the hair, “inreticellato, crying, and screaming,(…) along the way you live "was the Church of San Martino (point 12 of the route from east to west along Corso Alfieri): un castigo che il futuro scrittore di tragedie riteneva fra i peggiori che potessero capitargli. The Church, “distante da casa, located in beautiful downtown, and busy on the hour of the day by all means idle of the beautiful world ", It was demolished in 1696 to be completely renewed perhaps barnabite father's design Mazzenta, milanese e consacrata nuovamente nel 1736.

Pure, Since then come to the end in any unusual foul, for iscusa which took me to articulate a most solemn lie to Ms. mother, I was again sentenced the mantle, and more, that in lieu of the deserted Church of Carmine, I led so to that of s. Martino, far from home, located in beautiful downtown, and busy on the hour of the day by all means idle of the beautiful world. Alas, What was my pain! I Prayed, I cried, disperai me, all in vain. That night, I I believed to be the last of my life, not that ever eye chiudessi, I do not remember ever then had nowhere else my pain passed a worse. It was at last time, inreticellato, crying, and I started screaming than by pel arm and pushed forward by the servant's behind, and thus traversai two or three streets, where there was no people, but soon they entered the streets inhabited, that approached the square and the Church of s. Martino, I immediately from Madame villeparisi crying and shouting, by Madame villeparisi let me drag, and walking in fact Tacitus, and good step, and at the level of the elbow to the priest cassock master, at whose side just my stature came . I arrived in full Church, led by the hand as I was orbo, that in fact closed his eyes at the entrance, not the apersi more until I was kneeling at my place to hear mass., Neither open then, I never looked up to mark to distinguish any. And rifattomi the exit orbo, I went home with the death in heart, thinking me disgraced forever.

Vittorio Alfieri
from “Life”

Count Antonio Amadeo also owned a mill and a Silk spinning mill: Yet in April 1778, Vittorio Alfieri nell’atto di donazione alla sorella Giulia, ricordava i "Existing Mills in this Town". Il padre di Alfieri, Amadeo Antonio, had opened in 1737 a small teatro in contrada Maestra not far from Palazzo Alfieri, He had obtained from a trincotto (by piemontese trincot, place where you play the rope ball): in 1741 It was visited by the Duke of Savoy, recatosi anche "in the Palace of the Sig. count Alfieri " e in vari monasteri della città, fra cui quello di Sant’Anna.

Among the properties of Alfieri, the larger block was the proportions, as it is believed, the large building at thecourse angle and at the teatro Alfieri, Alfieri, il quale tuttora ha l’aspetto di una casa-forte. Verso il XVI secolo esso divenne proprietà di un’altra illustre famiglia, the Asinari. The building, in recent centuries, took the name of "Palazzo degli Spagnoli", Why was the seat of Spanish troops.

The father of Vittorio Alfieri, Antonio Amadeo, He died on 5 December 1749 and was buried in St. Francis, the Gothic style church completed in 1499, three naves, con ventidue altari e molti sepolcreti di nobili artigiani. Chiesa e convento dei Francescani furono soppressi nel 1801 to allow room forKindergarten Anfossi (Via Brofferio).

L’itinerario finisce in Piazza Alfieri sotto al Monument to Vittorio Alfieri