The Basilica of the Island of San Giulio
An eternal diary that goes from the begging of the XVI Century to the end of the XVII Century, that how one can define the Basilica of San Giulio placed right on the Island of San Giulio.
Today, the small graffiti and signatures left by the monks of the Basilica from centuries ago, are little works of art that still create curiosity in historians and tourists alike.
The writings, all on the clothes and the background of the frescoes thus respecting the faces of the Saints, are like a diary that tells small facts, episodes, local and international events. There are testimonies that go from the poor girl from Borgomanero that was thought to be possessed all the way to the One Hundred year war.
The oldest one of these graffiti states that in the days 21, 22, and 24 of April 1513 Impetuositas ventorum, pruina maxima, nix maxima (strong gushing winds, high quantity of snow)
There are also some that tell funny stories: from the stealing of candle holders to funerary inscription, but also news from the plague and other epidemics all the way to weather reports. It is thanks to these that we discovered that the winter of 1513 was quite harsh for the town of Orta, lasting all the way till April.
This amazing diary has been written for centuries, like an eternal opera that has never seen an ending. The magistrates, even after their death, passed along these traditions to their successors. The frescoes, even though they were scratched, they were always respected in their beauty.
How to get there
The only way to access the island is by boat (wasn’t hard to guess). The boats are all docked at the main square of Orta, the Piazza Motta, and they depart every 5 minutes for the island.
See also:
Questo articolo è stato interamente preso da Il curiosone – Facebook
Il loro articolo ha il titolo “un diario vecchio secoli – i graffiti della Basilica di San Giulio”, voglio qui ringraziarli non solo perchè mi hanno permesso di riportare qui le loro parole, ma per tutte le ricerche che fanno per non lasciare che certe storie finiscano nel dimenticatoio!
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