THE HISTORY OF “THE DUKE DE LA PIGNATA”
The Figure of the Duke De La Pignata is based on a curious character that actually existed in Verona at the end of the last century.Siro Zuliani was a simple employee in a business in Verona. He was born on 9th January 1852 in the district of Santo Stefano. However, despite his modest means, he stood out from the other inhabitants of the quarter on more than one occasion.In 1882 a carnival committee organised the release of some hot air balloons in the Arena. On this occasion Siro Zuliani offered a beautiful balloon announcing its departure as the ‘fantastic ascent of the Duke St. Julien’. The idea was a great success and Zuliani was awarded the playful title of Duke.The following year, at his own expense, he erected a plaque in Via Alessio to commemorate the terrible floods that struck the city. The generosity of Zuliani (whose lifestyle and extravagance were on a par with his ‘title’) made the people of Verona curious. It wasn’t long before the story got around that he had found a pot full of marenghi (gold coins) in the cellars of his recently rebuilt house. Siro Zuliani, witty character that he was, went along with the joke and had a huge pot displayed in a window in Via Nuova (today’s Via Mazzini) together with a sign, which read “Here is the real pot that was found by the Duke of St. Stefano”. This was the origin of the title and the emblem of the Duca della Pignata ( Duke of the Pot).However, his career was just beginning. In January 1884 he set up a committee for the Bacchanalia of St. Stefano and St. Giorgio, with the declared intention of organising a Carnival to compete with that of St. Zeno which, at the time, was sadly in decline. The news aroused a great fervour of activity in the city and, within days, four other committees were set up in different districts. While the others battled with serious organisational and financial problems, the St. Stefano committee, thanks to Siro Zuliani’s capable wallet, undertook a series of initiatives.They had the original idea of establishing a heraldry consultancy and of conferring decorations based on the honours that the actual Sovereigns of the period bestowed on their subjects. That is how the title of Commendatore and the Knights Cross came about, imitating the order of St. Stephen of Hungary. The emblem was a cross with a pot embossed in the centre topped by the Ducal Crown. The first person to be awarded the decoration of Commendatore was the Duke’s secretary, Commendatore G.B. Ferigo.Master Francesco Pozza composed the Duke’s official anthem, still sung today, which celebrated the “unforgettable pot” in which the God of Gold used to place the broth that was discovered by an “Italian that never sleeps, a Stephen of Verona”, who was, of course, Zuliani. When the Friday of Carnival arrived with its traditional parade, everyone’s attention was caught by the presence of the Committee of St. Stefano. The group was made up of a riding party, the float with the Pot (this was surrounded by a large group of children, known as pignatini, due to the form of their head dress, who sang the anthem), and the Duke’s chariot, which of course, showed off the insignia of his rank.The next day, posters were put up announcing a wonderful party to be held on the following Monday in the St. Stefano quarter, with a parade through the streets of Veronetta (the quarter beyond the river Adige), illuminations, musical bands, and the distribution of soup and wine in Piazza St. Stefano, where “marvellous machines of surprising motive power will make the Ducal Pot explode, which in turn will throw up tonnes of gold”.The feast of Luni Pignatar was a huge success, as is widely documented by photos and newspapers of the time. Practically the entire city, led by the local authorities, gathered in St. Stefano, where they sang the Duke’s praises. Due to its pomp and splendour (all paid for by Siro Zuliani) the carnival of St. Stefano was the subject of admiration and comment for many days to come. However, within a short time, a tragic event occurred that in some aspects is still inexplicable. On the night between the 19th and 20th March, the Duke committed suicide in a hotel in Mantova, leaving a series of letters to his family and the local authorities (none of which, however, explained the reasons for his action). Today it seems reasonable to assume that in order to pay the expenses for the carnival, Zuliani had undertaken a series of debts far beyond his income and savings (he had won 10,000 Lire five years earlier in the lotto - this was his pot). As a gentleman of the utmost integrity in the 1800’s, he avoided dishonour with a gunshot. However, the death of Siro Zuliani did not wipe out his memory in the quarter. In the years that followed, the feast of Luni Pignatar continued to be organised, albeit in a less ostentatious fashion, and always concluded with an acclamation to the Duke.In 1923, following a long lull at city level, the local Carnival Committees began to reorganise themselves. It seemed right that the St. Stefano committee should restore the figure of the Duke, which had come to be part of the tradition of the quarter. It was decided by election that the title of Duke be conferred on Ercole Germani. For twelve years, he led his court in the parades and at the banquets. However, with the outbreak of the Second World War, the Carnival was again abandoned and remained so until 1948 when the St. Stefano Committee revived the tradition again. In a city that still showed the signs of bombardment, the appearance of the pignatara court, came as a surprise of the people of Verona, and served as an example to all the other quarters. On this occasion the role of Duke was undertaken by Angelo Germani, Ercole’s son, thus establishing the principle of inheritance of the title still in vogue today.Since then the carnival of St. Stefano has never been interrupted. Instead it has been enriched with new initiatives and characters, among them, the God of Gold. Angelo Germani, an almost legendary figure of Verona’s Carnival, led the Pignatara Court for over thirty years. In 1990 (after one regency by Gianfranco Trainotti) the role was awarded to Gianfranco Ballini, who was elected in accordance with the 1923 procedures, used when the hereditary transmission of the title is not possible. The Duke, wearing a blue cloak and top hat, is surrounded by his dignitaries (Gran Ciambellano and Commendatori)) and by the ladies, all strictly dressed in the style of the late 1800’s.
Project:
Alberto Cornaglia
webmaster@ducatosantostefano.it
Text, Researh and Advice:
Carlo Bortolon - Tiziana Gherardi - Franco Ballini
Marilena Garofalo - Marion Hogan - Anna Capasso