N.B. In translating the text into English, there may be some imperfections. We apologize for the inconvenienceFigure ambiguous charm, was the undisputed protagonist of the tragic vicendeche took place in Grottaglie 800 in the first twenty years and in his dual role as priest-incompatible robber did discuss whether the whole generations. (Painting by Gaspare Mastro)
His name Ciro Annicchiarico and Nicola was born in Grottaglie on 15.12.1775 and Vincenzo D'Alo Ippazia. From childhood he was destined for the clergy and in 1801, age 26, was ordained priest. A man of good education was also master of Gregorian chant in the Collegiate Chapter of Grottaglie and "supporter" of the Jacobin movement. His life was disrupted by a tragic and dark episode, moreover, never explained, occurred on the evening of July 16, 1803 under the arch of the Madonna del Lume, where a hooded figure in white approached and killed the 21-year old cleric Motolese Joseph, son of rich and powerful family.
His name Ciro Annicchiarico and Nicola was born in Grottaglie on 15.12.1775 and Vincenzo D'Alo Ippazia. From childhood he was destined for the clergy and in 1801, age 26, was ordained priest. A man of good education was also master of Gregorian chant in the Collegiate Chapter of Grottaglie and "supporter" of the Jacobin movement. His life was disrupted by a tragic and dark episode, moreover, never explained, occurred on the evening of July 16, 1803 under the arch of the Madonna del Lume, where a hooded figure in white approached and killed the 21-year old cleric Motolese Joseph, son of rich and powerful family.
Don Ciro was accused of the crime probably because, in addition to belonging to opposing political factions, it seems that both were vying for the love the same woman, Antonia Zechariah, known as the curciola. Of this crime he always declared innocent, but the man's father, Nicholas Motolese, thanks to his influential friends to persecute him bitterly. Don Ciro fled the farms of Puglia by then established when his brothers were arrested for aiding and abetting. Sentenced to 15 years of exile, although the evidence against him was not conclusive, he escaped disguised as a lawyer and began to scrub. In 1806, with the advent of the Napoleonic rulers in the kingdom of Naples, but returned to Grottaglie Motolese not won and gave to the Court of Lecce in 1812 issued a new arrest warrant. With the help of a prostitute, that Antonia Achille, the breeze was ambushed during which the police killed the 24 year old Emanuel, brother of Don Ciro instead escaped. Pressed by events and driven by revenge, he organized a band of robbers along with another brother, Salvatore said "anger", and some deserters.
On March 20, 1813, at the chapel of St. Leonardo, killed the father Motolese seizing the other son, Vincent, to whom the ransom was paid a large sum. To defend its freedom and became guilty of other murders, but certainly not all crimes that, as a convenient scapegoat, took him charged. Meanwhile in 1815 the Bourbons were returned to power and "Papa Giru, in 1816, began advocating political brigandage to its old Jacobin ideas. Although in 1817 the various sects of Otranto to the task of organizing insurgent military forces in the area, already is plotting in the shadows behind him. The same leaders Carbonari, lawyer. Smart and Baron Scazzeri, sell his life to the Irish General Richard Church. Abandoned by all, wanders with his gang between Brindisi, nuts and Grottaglie, while imposing forces are used to carry out its catch after strong defense, is at the farm "Scasserba" in agro Grottaglie. On February 7, 1818 "Papa Giru" himself over to the white majority by promising to have saved his life and enlightening interview with the General Church, but both promises are not kept. Conducted in nearby Francavilla is shot, without due process in the afternoon of 8 February 1818.His head, dried and put in a cage, they exposed the clock tower in the square in Grottaglie until May 1819.
Outlaw cruel or romantic idealist; victim or executioner?Who was actually Ciro Annicchiarico?
Surely, like the phenomenon of brigandage, he was mainly the product of an age troubled and contradictory expression of deep malaise which has resulted in social upheaval, political, religious abuses and harassment of a middle class increasingly rich, oppressive and indifferent the needs of a people exasperated by injustice. Today, almost two hundred years since those events whose impetuosity, like a river in flood, swept and cut so many lives, beyond the historical truth or alleged that the transgressive figure of Pope Giru, the priest-brigand, is identified as that hero noir par excellence, crossed the border of reality and time, has become legend.
Cultural Association IL BAGATTO – Via Madonna Del Lume 43 – Grottaglie (Ta) - testi di Anna Montella
http://ilbagatto.weebly.com/ e-mail: ilbagatto2010@libero.it
Outlaw cruel or romantic idealist; victim or executioner?Who was actually Ciro Annicchiarico?
Surely, like the phenomenon of brigandage, he was mainly the product of an age troubled and contradictory expression of deep malaise which has resulted in social upheaval, political, religious abuses and harassment of a middle class increasingly rich, oppressive and indifferent the needs of a people exasperated by injustice. Today, almost two hundred years since those events whose impetuosity, like a river in flood, swept and cut so many lives, beyond the historical truth or alleged that the transgressive figure of Pope Giru, the priest-brigand, is identified as that hero noir par excellence, crossed the border of reality and time, has become legend.
Cultural Association IL BAGATTO – Via Madonna Del Lume 43 – Grottaglie (Ta) - testi di Anna Montella
http://ilbagatto.weebly.com/ e-mail: ilbagatto2010@libero.it
