Doctor Antonio: A Tale of Italy

by Giovanni Ruffini, Christine M. Kulper (Illustrator), Bryony C. Hassan (Afterword)

First published in 1855, this completely re-formatted edition of Doctor Antonio, published in the year of the 150th anniversary of the unification of Italy, has over 75 original illustrations by a Ligurian based artist and an afterword introducing the Riviera of Giovanni Ruffini.

�I shall love you to my grave. But my country has claims on me prior to yours, [···] I must go and do my duty to my country!"

Stranded by a coach accident in a small Osteria on the Italian Riviera, Sir John Davenne and his beautiful, delicate daughter Lucy come to terms with this strange land, its people and their customs. Under the guidance of the mysterious Doctor Antonio they slowly grow to love the country and its people; even as it is being torn apart by the unification struggle. Reaching an explosive climax against the back drop of the uprisings of 1848, this tale of love and loss on the Riviera presents a rich tapestry of Ligurian life and English society in the mid nineteenth century.

Writing from exile in England, Ruffini combined a keen eye for the quirks and mores of the English aristocracy with an exile's longing for his homeland. Both are drawn with skill and affection and he adds contemporary commentary on the many injustices of the age. Today it gives us a window into the past and is a wonderful example of classic writing from the golden age of Victorian fiction.

Genres: Italy

450 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1855

About the author

Giovanni Domenico Ruffini (1807, Genoa – 1881) was an Italian novelist, poet and patriot of the early 19th century. He is chiefly known for having written the draft of the libretto of the opera Don Pasquale for its composer Gaetano Donizetti and the novel Doctor Antonio, which helped to spread in Europe the Italian Risorgjmental situaton.

In 1833 Ruffini had been condemned to death along with his brother Jacopo as enemies of the state for their patriotic ideas inspired by Giuseppe Mazzini. His brother died in mysterious circumstances while being interrogated by police. Later Giovanni went to exile and escape death. He begun travelled all across Europe. In 1843 he went to Paris and begun to work for Donizetti as a librettist . Donizetti told him exactly what he required for his latest opera project, Don Pasquale, but not that he intended to re-use music already written for other purposes. Ruffini duly wrote the draft libretto from the original text dating back to 1810, but Donizetti changed so much of Ruffini's version that librettist became angry and refused to allow his name to be mentioned in the programme for the première at the Théâtre Italien in Paris 3 January 1843.

Although Ruffini refused acknowledgement of his work for the libretto, Donizetti paid him 500 francs, which was competitive for both the length and the genre at the time. Ruffini also reportedly enjoyed working with Donizetti in the early stages of their collaboration, though he wrote to family and friends that the composer continually pressed him to work faster.

In 1855 he published the novel Doctor Antonio, his greatest commercial success, an apparently straighforward XIX centuy novel which actually had the intention to denounce the social and political situation just before the Italian independence and spread the Risorgimental ideas in Europe. He later published Lavinia (1959) and Vincenzo (1863), his last work. Saddened by the numerous premature family's losses he never wrote anything since, and return in Liguria, where he died in 1881.

Reviews

[James Vasey · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Victorian-era romance set in northern Italy which was almost single-handedly responsible for an influx of wealthy tourists and the creation of the Riviera we still see today. This apparently traditional love story also contained a back story of the revolution instigated by Giuseppe Garibaldi which brought about the unification of the states which became Italy. The author's descriptions of Liguria are almost idyllic as Monet's paintings; after the artist was also drawn there not long after its publication.

[Viola · Rating 3 out of 5]

Libro molto prolisso e poco scorrevole, l'autore non può senza dubbio essere annoverato tra i migliori scrittori della sua epoca. Anche l'obiettivo politico viene perso di vista fino all'ultima parte del libro. L'ho letto perché sono affezionata a Bordighera.

[Jessica DMJ · Rating 2 out of 5]

read for MA thesis about Cornelia Turner

[Sergio · Rating 3 out of 5]

Una figura di uomo indimenticabile, una lettura piacevole e istruttiva