In the villa that hosted the “hero of two worlds” in 1867, the “Amici della Lirica Umberto Borsò” are organizing a musical salon, with a historical introduction by Giuseppe Rigoli (Valdelsa Historical Society).
The private Villa Tinti-Fabiani, which hosted Giuseppe Garibaldi in the summer of 1867 while he was organizing an expedition of volunteers against the Papal States and which is part of the “Case della Memoria” circuit, is reopening its doors to visitors with an event that is sure to attract interest.
On Sunday, September 28, in the afternoon, the event entitled “Schubert… nel salotto di Garibaldi”, a multidisciplinary event that includes an introduction to the history (by Giuseppe Rigoli, representing the Valdelsa Historical Society) and a guided tour of the villa, as well as musical entertainment with vocal chamber music performed in the villa’s living room, evoking the atmosphere of a typical 19th-century salon.
This time, the music of the great Franz Schubert will be featured. With his prolific production of “Lieder” (literally songs), he managed to cross the Alps and be published and played in Italian salons, which were generally rather resistant to productions from beyond the Alps. Some of Schubert’s most significant Lieder will be performed for the occasion by baritone Lorenzo Martinuzzi and pianist Pietro Rossi.
Finally, the tour will be enlivened by a snack offered to all participants, featuring none other than the famous “Garibaldi biscuits,” prepared according to the original recipe created at the time of Italian unification (1861) by Jonathan Carr, founder of the Peek Freans company in London.
The total cost for the tour, which takes place in two shifts, the first at 4:15 p.m. and the second at 6:00 p.m., is €12. Places are limited, so booking is strongly recommended. Please indicate the number of participants and your preferred time slot by writing to the following email address: premioborso@gmail.com.
The Villa, located at Via Charles Darwin 26, Petrazzi (parking on Via Chini), still retains all the characteristics of a historic residence, having preserved the atmosphere of the period intact: its nineteenth-century furnishings, a truly precious collection of memorabilia of various kinds (among the most significant: photos, flags of various sizes, prints depicting the main protagonists of the national Risorgimento and the Savoy dynasty) and also some documents, including a letter that Giuseppe Garibaldi wrote on June 6, 1876, from the island of Caprera, in which he asked the recipient to thank the “friends of Castelfiorentino” for the sum of 246 lire collected by the townspeople and offered to Garibaldi.
As you may recall, Giuseppe Garibaldi visited Castelfiorentino in the summer of 1867 while organizing an expedition of volunteers against the Papal States, which would fail a few months later at Mentana. At that time, the owner of the villa was Tommaso Giannini, who had distinguished himself in the recruitment campaign during the Third War of Independence (1866) and therefore represented—like Mayor Antonio Del Pela—a solid point of reference for the Garibaldi movement in the area (as documented by an exhibition held in 2011, 35 volunteers from Castelfiorentino took part in the war of 1866). The Villa di Petrazzi was visited in November 2019 by the great-granddaughter of the ‘hero of two worlds’, Annita Garibaldi Jallet, who was impressed by the love and care with which the owners who succeeded Tommaso Giannini (from Onorato Tinti to the current owner, Leonardo Fabiani) have preserved it over the years.
“We are very happy about the return of this event,” says Francesco Marchetti, Artistic Director of the organizing association, “and to continue this wonderful collaboration with the owners of the villa, which allows us to present the chamber music repertoire in a setting that is perfect in terms of relevance and charm. This time we are presenting the immortal melodies of Franz Schubert (in previous editions it was Verdi and Rossini), a choice that may seem almost oxymoronic. Garibaldi probably would not have approved! Yet it was Schubert who managed to attract the interest of Italian publishers, who, during the years of Garibaldi’s great exploits, published various collections of his compositions, ensuring that his music circulated in the salons of Italy and gradually fueling the fame that made pieces such as the famous Ave Maria and Serenade emblematic.
The evening is sponsored by the Municipality of Castelfiorentino, which has worked hard in the past to have this important historic residence included in the National Association of “Case della Memoria”.
