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“Crispoldi mania” has begun: discovering the many faces of this multifaceted character

The project – which involved the municipalities of Spello, Foligno, Bastia Umbra and Magione – was a success and gave rise to a series of studies and events related to Benvenuto Crispoldi.

A real Crispoldi mania was unleashed. The Benvenuto Crispoldi project. Between art and revolution from Spello to Europe. A nostos through the municipalities of Bastia Umbra, Foligno and Magione – recently concluded – which celebrated this multi-faceted character 100 years after his death, was a great success and made the people of Spello and Umbria discover, or rediscover, a niche figure, but one that could still reserve many surprises.
The series of inter-municipal initiatives – four municipalities involved: Spello, Bastia Umbra, Foligno and Magione – brought to light the testimonies left by Crispoldi in their territories, offering different and unpublished readings; studies and findings have also created a permanent itinerary dedicated to the artist, the archaeologist, the mayor and the revolutionary from Spello. With his fellow citizen Irene Falcinelli, councilor for Culture and Tourism of the Municipality of Spello, we took stock of these intense months, which were the starting point for discovering even more Benvenuto Crispoldi: «A real Crispoldite is underway» he tells us.

Irene Falcinelli

Councilor, what is the final assessment of the project? Are you satisfied?

The project concludes magnificently: all those who participated in the celebrations of the 100th anniversary of Benvenuto Crispoldi’s death have developed a great motivation to investigate this character: his action and his role at regional, national and international level. In Spello we organized an exhibition and promoted specific writings to delve into the areas of action of our fellow citizen. Crispoldi has proven to be a figure of particular importance in many respects, so I must say that the outcome of these four months of activity is very positive from every point of view.

Among the many initiatives that you have proposed, has there been one that has attracted particular interest?

They have all had a very high public response. Spello – in particular – appreciated the one dedicated to Spello between the 19th and 20th centuries in which a photographic catalogue was presented, created in collaboration with the Circolo Cine Foto Amatori Hispellum, which tells the story of the city in which Crispoldi moved: a real focus on what Spello was like in his time. There were then two noteworthy events: the opening conference that presented the project, and the study day that focused on the figure of Crispoldi the archaeologist. Scholars highlighted how the research activity was an opportunity to relaunch Spello, also in view of a future perspective. Furthermore, his role as Mayor emerged and how decisive he was in establishing relationships with public bodies, with the Ministry of Education, with the current correspondent of the Superintendency, with the National Museum of Villa Giulia and with architects and officials at a national level. This man, despite coming from a small village, interacted on an equal footing with the highest authorities of the time. It was his strong point.

Porta Consolare di Spello

Did the people of Spello get to know him or was he already famous in the city?

Many knew him only marginally: a street and a public hall are named after him in the city. He was the first socialist mayor of Umbria and among the first 60 socialist mayors in Italy. Elected in 1914, being an exile, he took office in 1915 and remained until 1919. As mayor he had the courage to make even unpopular decisions in support of the poorest population and those in difficulty.

Which ones, for example?

The first that comes to mind is the one regarding Via Giulia. Today it is a street in Spello, very beautiful and residential, 100 years ago it was inhabited by humble people, who shared their homes with animals. This meant that they were in a precarious state of health and the health director at the time had already reported the situation to the previous mayor, who however had not intervened. Crispoldi, however, once he was at the helm of the city, issued a courageous measure: he banned farmyard animals and established that no more than one pig per family could be kept; he did this to protect the health of his fellow citizens, and was also unpopular. He then took care of supporting poor and indigent families, in addition to signing measures in favor of the homeland during the Great War, collecting money and basic necessities. All this was told in the various study days and the Speltans immediately showed admiration and interest in this figure.

Did he also arouse interest among young people?

Yes. Letizia, a Speltan student at the University of Perugia, decided to write her thesis on this character. Being able to reach even the youngest with this popularization action is a source of great satisfaction. I understand that it is a niche topic and a minor figure, but the involvement of other Municipalities in the project has made him more popular.

 

The union with Bastia Umbra, Foligno and Magione was a strong point…

Certainly. The project is an example of good administrative practices united together. This work has allowed us not only to investigate the figure of Crispoldi, but also the historical period of the cities and Umbria that he lived. A lively regional interest has been created and we hope that in the near future, there will be a wider interest, both from a regional and national point of view. Furthermore, we have also created itineraries – available on the site – that unite several municipalities and trace the path taken by this character.

In order not to let all this die, will there be other initiatives?

Obviously, also because, as we jokingly say, a real Crispoldite is underway in Spello. Some citizens have discovered that they have frescoes, inside their homes, made by Crispoldi: scholars have analyzed them and have identified his signature written backwards. Furthermore, it has emerged that several families possess his works that have been passed down from generation to generation and have reached us. But it doesn’t end there. Some 100-year-old bromide photographic plates attributed to Crispoldi have also been donated: these very delicate plates will be further investigated. So now we have a lot of material to study and collect for a possible exhibition or for further investigation, such as his relationship with Gerardo Dottori. There is a lot to do to discover this man and the different fields he touched; we have been given back a much more complex and varied character than the one we knew. The project was only the beginning, we have realized this over the course of these months.