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The appointed governor of the Dorias
The
extensive lands between Puglia and Basilicata were administered by
governors appointed by the noble proprietors that lived elsewhere.
Very often this type of government sparked off abuse of power and
impositions which in turn drove the local communities to rebellion,
pleas and extenuating legal initiatives.
Melfi
At the beginning of the XVIIIth century D. Giannandrea Doria Landi
was Prince of Melfi. He preferred to live in Rome while the Governor
General appointed by him was the Marquis D. Luca Ottavio Restori who
resided in Melfi.
The heavy taxation imposed on the community by the latter, spurred
Doctor Angelo Antonio Della Monica o La Monica (1688-1753), to write
and publish a pamphlet in Naples in defence of his University - the
title of the political leaflet was: Brief Note concerning the facts
and motives of the Commune of the Magnificent and Faithful City of
Melfi against the Governors of the State responsible for the heavy
imposition of taxes by the governors of Prince Doria. And how did
it all end up? Fabulously well for the City of Melfi because it won
its legal battle.
But the most important result was that Della Monica inspired a new
political and cultural activity that rendered Melfi one of the most
lively centres in Lucania during the periods between the Age of Enlightenment
and Romanticism.*
This tiny city in the deep South, almost completely forgotten after
the reign of Frederick I of Swabia
suddenly sparked off its orginal participation on the political scene
not only in Italy but also in Europe.This corner of Southern Italy,
between Lucania and Puglia demands one thing from the curious visitor:
the ability to look closer, to see beyond the veils and discover the
links between reality, people, situations, tales, landscapes. Only
in this way will the visitor discover this region beyond the usual
clichés.
*
Raffaele Nigro has written extensively about this topic
in The Culture in Melfi, bibliograhical note on the literature of
Lucania - Edizioni Interventi Culturali, Melfi, 1978
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