Museo: Mostra TRA ULIVI E MARE - Alla scoperta di Armando Perotti, con lettere e ricordi

Armando Perotti: A Very Special Apulian!

Hi friends! I'm Armando Perotti, but my mom, Fulvia Miani, affectionately called me... Dodo! Want to know my story? I was born in Bari in 1865 and have always deeply loved my land, Puglia! I lived in a time of great change: while Northern Italy grew with factories, the South was still tied to agriculture and faced many difficulties. Even Bari was changing: the historic center preserved traditions, while the Murat district and the port pushed the city towards the future. I recounted all of this in my books and newspapers, trying to save traditions from oblivion. In 1910, I was also elected city councilor and proudly defended my city. Today, thanks to my writings, you can discover what Bari and Puglia were like so long ago, and you can learn about the stories and traditions that make our land so special!

Camillo Gaetano Perotti. Let Me Introduce My Dad

I want to tell you the story of my dad. His name was Camillo Gaetano Perotti, and he was a very brave man! He was born in Turin, a long time ago, and as a young man, he fought as a soldier to defend his homeland. You know? He took part in important wars and later became an officer. Have you already studied the First Italian War of Independence of 1848? But he wasn't just a soldier: he was also a brilliant teacher! He taught Topography and Geodesy, difficult words that have to do with maps and measuring the planet Earth. Then he became a colonel and commanded a very famous fortress, the one in Gaeta. There he met a special prisoner, Giuseppe Mazzini, a patriot to whom he showed great respect. When he left the army, we came to live in Cassano delle Murge. Dad became mayor and brought drinking water to everyone! He was also an important councilor in Bari and was always a just man, and I have always been very proud of him!

Fulvia Miani. Mom, a Woman with a Big Heart

My mom, Fulvia Miani, was an extraordinary woman. Her family had ancient origins and came from Veneto, but moved to Puglia many years ago. Mom was born in Polignano a Mare and, at just nineteen, married my dad, Colonel Camillo Gaetano Perotti. They also lived in Gaeta, where she became known for her kindness and courage. She even helped Giuseppe Mazzini, who was very grateful to her. But Mom never stopped! She was a very talented writer and signed her articles with the name "Voluntas." She told beautiful stories and spoke about the poorest people because she wanted to help them. She founded a school for sailors' daughters, led the Red Cross, and, during the First World War, organized aid for soldiers and their families. She was always a strong and generous woman. I will remember her like this, with a big heart and a pen in her hand.

Studies. A Poet Instead of a Sailor

I was born in Bari on February 1, 1865, although many say I came into the world in Cassano delle Murge. From a young age, I studied diligently and, at just sixteen, I obtained my high school diploma. I dreamed of becoming a sailor and traveling the world, as my father and grandfather had done. But Dad didn't want to hear about me leaving. So I stayed on land, looking at the sea from afar and dreaming of it in my verses. "One less sailor, one more poet," said my mom. And she was right! I continued to study: in Rome I also worked as a journalist, in Florence I graduated in literature, and in Perugia I graduated in law. But do you know what my true passion was? Poetry! I wrote my first verses at fourteen and never stopped! At twenty-two I published Sul Trasimeno, my first important collection. Then, in 1890, Il libro dei canti was published, which made me known as a poet. Writing was my way of telling the world, my dreams, and my emotions.

Commitment to Bari. Between Books and Poems: My World

In the first decade of the twentieth century, I lived for a period in Castro, in Salento. In Castro, I wrote many poems and a book that is very dear to me: Bari Ignota. But my heart soon brought me back to my city, where I began working at the Sagarriga Visconti Volpi Library. At first, I was a librarian, then in 1921 I became its director! I loved books and I committed myself to enriching the library and making it increasingly important. I didn't just deal with books and poems: I wanted to make Bari a better city! In 1910, I ran for municipal elections and was the most voted, even more than the future mayor! In the city council, I gave a speech to praise the city's growth, and in 1913 I organized the great celebration for the centenary of the Borgo Murattiano of Bari. I wrote for many newspapers and magazines and published other books of poetry and history. And I also wrote texts for lyric dramas. My love for my land and its stories never faded.

Love for Puglia. My Land, My Heart

I traveled a lot, touring Italy in search of inspiration and a cultural homeland. But every time I returned to Puglia, because I knew that's where I truly belonged. I looked at my land with curious eyes: the narrow streets of Bari, the boundless countryside, the stories that people told. So I began to write about them, to preserve the memory of a Puglia often forgotten. I didn't just want to describe it, I wanted to give it a voice, to make its traditions and legends known. After my dad's death, I sought comfort in writing and in my land. I took refuge for a long time in Castro, in Salento, and it was there that some of my works were born. But I often returned to Cassano, especially in the summer, where the "Casina du' Generale" was located, the country house that my father had built at the foot of the Murgia, near the Convent of Santa Maria degli Angeli. And there, many times, my mother was waiting for me. My Puglia was more than just a place: it was home, roots, inspiration. And with my words, I tried to pay tribute to it forever.

Guardian of Memory. Protecting the Past to Build the Future!

I loved my land and its history. For this reason, I spent a great deal of time in the Sagarriga Visconti Volpi Library of Bari. I frequented it since its opening, and later I even became its director! Among the books and old manuscripts, I learned how important it was to remember and protect the past of my Puglia. But preserving memory wasn't enough for me: I wanted to defend it! I committed myself to protecting important places, such as the old port of Bari and the Castle of Barletta. One of my biggest battles was against the construction of the Margherita Theater. That theater was to be built right in the old port, a place full of history and tradition. I wrote articles, gave speeches, tried to stop the project... but in the end, the theater was built anyway, on pillars in the sea! Even though I lost that battle, my commitment never stopped. I knew that to truly love a place, you had to know it and protect it. For this reason, my whole life was dedicated to recounting and defending Puglia!

Sincerity. Writing as I Speak, Saying What I Think...

I liked to say things as they were, without beating around the bush. I wrote as I spoke, with sincerity, because I thought that truth was more important than any fine speech. Even when I wrote letters, I didn't use difficult words just to make a good impression. When I met Fortunata Consiglio, who later became my wife, I wrote to her in a simple and direct way, just as I would have done with a friend. The same was true for my friendships: with my dear brother-in-law Nicola Consiglio, I could speak freely, without fear of saying what I thought. Sincerity was the basis of every true relationship. Hundreds of postcards, sent to Fortunata from Bari, Cassano delle Murge, and Castro, tell my everyday life through simple and affectionate words. In those postcards, there was all my life, made of ordinary moments that for me were poetry. I didn't just want to write beautiful poems or stories, I wanted my words to be true. Because only those who always tell the truth can truly be heard.

Love. Fortunata, My Inspiration

Love has always been an important part of my life, but I didn't like to fill pages with grand romantic words. I preferred to show affection with actions, in small everyday gestures. The most special person for me was Fortunata Consiglio. She wasn't just my wife, she was my partner, my confidante, my support. We wrote to each other often, because even when we were apart, we wanted to stay close. Our letters were simple, direct, without too many elaborate words, but full of truth. In a letter, I told her: "You will have noticed that I am a poor letter writer. I don't know how to express my feelings with words, but with actions." This was my way of loving: not with elaborate phrases, but with the sincerity of every day. Fortunata understood me and inspired me. Our love was a refuge and a strength that filled my life and my works.

Friar Menotti. A Great Friend Between Laughter and Poetry

Among the people who have marked my life, one of the most special was Friar Menotti. His real name was Menotti Bianchi, a man of faith, but also a great lover of culture and literature. He had a lively intelligence and a pungent irony that made every meeting an opportunity to reflect and smile. We exchanged letters and ideas, discussed poetry, history, and current events. But the funniest thing was that I often ended up as the protagonist of his cartoons! With his pencil, he was able to capture my gestures and character with wit and affection, transforming them into small satirical masterpieces. Our bond was made of mutual respect and a complicity that went beyond words. He had the wisdom of a friar and the spirit of a poet, I had the curiosity of a researcher and the irony of a chronicler. Together, with our pens - and his pencil! - we recounted our era with truth and lightheartedness. Our friendship was a continuous dialogue between culture, faith, and humor. And every time I reread one of his cartoons about me, I can't help but smile.

Friendships. A Bond That Transcends Time

My life was enriched by so many friendships. Encounters, exchanges of ideas, sincere affection: all of this made my journey more intense and meaningful. I was never alone in my thoughts and in my writing. Among my friends were great intellectuals, teachers, writers, artists, and journalists. We shared a passion for culture, Puglia, and its history. After my passing in 1924, it was they who wanted to keep my voice alive. Thus was born the Committee for the publication of the works of Armando Perotti, thanks to the initiative of friends and colleagues who wished to preserve my work. Among them were Giuseppe Petraglione, Francesco Colavecchio, Luigi De Secly, and Michele Viterbo, who collected and published my writings in a large posthumous anthology, Poesie (1926). That book was not just a collection of verses, but a bridge between me and the readers, a testament to my soul and my love for my land. And so, thanks to my friends, my words were not lost.

The Final Years. A Poet Never Dies

In 1921, I was appointed Director of the Sagarriga Visconti Volpi Library in Bari, a position I held with dedication, despite my health beginning to falter. In the fall of 1923, the problems worsened. I continued to travel between Bari and Rome seeking treatment, always supported by my Fortunata and my family. My brother-in-law, Nicola Consiglio, noted every detail of my condition with the care of someone who loved me. Despite the fatigue, I never stopped loving culture: I still participated in public events, kept my passion for writing alive, even though time and strength were beginning to fail me. I passed away on June 24, 1924, in my maternal home in Cassano, next to my mother and Dr. Paolo Fasano, friend and family doctor. The entire community paid tribute to me, and my body, after an initial rest in Cassano, found its final resting place in the Monumental Cemetery of Bari. On my tombstone in Bari, the words of Augusto Cerri recall my love for my land and my vision for the future of Puglia. A dream that, I hope, continues to live on.

Armando Perotti. Witness of the Past, Teacher for the Future

My life has been dedicated to my land, its history, its traditions, and its people. I wrote for the love of Puglia, to preserve its memory and to give it a voice through poetry, research, and dissemination. I was not just a poet, but a careful observer, a narrator of my time, a guardian of the past projected towards the future. In my works, I have recounted Bari and Puglia with passion and rigor, so that no one would forget the value of their roots. Benedetto Croce wrote of me: "I truly do not know what other regions of Italy have had the fortune of an illustrator who combined such human warmth and noble intellect with the affection for the memories of his region." Today, my cultural heritage lives on in books, writings, and in the memories of those who continue to read my words. The story I told is still here, for anyone who wants to discover it and make it their own. Apulia has been my muse and my greatest love. I hope to have given back to it, with my voice, at least a part of its timeless beauty.