NORCIA —  The dangers posed by last week’s earthquake continue to manifest themselves as the art world tries to find a place for the manuscripts of Giacomo Leopardi, the famous 19th-century thinker whose works are currently being kept near the epicentre of last week’s deadly earthquake.

 Leopardi’s oeuvre is thought to be one of around 250 other important works of art considered at risk throughout the seismic zone in towns like Amatrice, Norcia, Pescara del Tronto and Accumoli, the Minister of Culture Dario Franceschini warned. 

 The first to raise his doubts over the poet’s works was Luca Cristini, director of the Office for Cultural Heritage in the Archdiocese of Camerino, who told Il Messagero: “I would advise the Comune of Visso to safeguard the 27 manuscripts by Giacomo Leopardi, including that of ‘L’Infinito’, which are currently being kept in the Palace of Governors.” 

 Cristini was quick to suggest a potential home for the texts: “An option would be to keep them in the vaults of a bank.” The location would certainly be a practical one, since the Palace stands underneath the church of St Augustine, whose bell gable saw considerable damage during last week’s earthquake. 

 Any further shockwaves would risk damaging the two pinnacles on the monument’s facade, and the church could easily collapse onto the Palace. 

 In addition to the manuscript of ‘L’Infinito’, which contains Leopardi’s own corrections, are also other poems that form part of the poet’s ‘Idylls’, including ‘The Evening of the Feast Day’ and ‘To the Moon’.

“The manuscripts were originally owned by the professor Prospero Viani, a researcher on Leopardi, but more importantly a great collector of his works. When he died, they were recovered by the Comune. The great danger here is if they all end up as part of the rubble.” 

 Cristini goes on to outline other threats to great works of art, among them the original sculpture of the Madonna di Macereto and valuable pieces of 15th century jewellery. 

 Meanwhile, a group of ten Carabinieri from Perugia's Centre for Cultural Heritage has been stationed around Umbria centre in the hope of putting a stop to the looting which made itself rife after the earthquake. The team will be carrying out a total of 40 inspections in the next few days.

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