ITL 312L
Second-Year Italian Language and Culture II

G. G. Belli | Capitolo 5

Charles Eliot Norton.
Letter to America.
8 December 1856.

We have had a great day here today, for we have got up the column in honor of the Immaculate Conception on its pedestal in front of the Propaganda.

Since Fontana put up the obelisk in the Square of St Peter's there has been no such undertaking here; the column is of cipollino, a beautiful piece of marble, once a part of some ancient ruin, but for hundreds of years it has been lying on the Quirinal.

It is said that the Pope, tired of seeing it lie there, established the dogma of the Immaculate Conception in order to make use of the column.

There was little ceremony today, but the raising was a great and ingenious work, and perfectly successful. The Pope was not present, and I hear that his presence was feared on account of his evil eye.

He is a known gettatore.

Queen Christina looked on from the Spanish palace, and did no harm. There is no likelihood of trouble here this winter; the people, to be sure, are very poor, but also very broken up.

They hate this column on which money is wasted while they starve; how much more [they hate] the Cardinals and the priests.

G. G. Belli.
Cosa fa er Papa?
1853.

Cosa fa er Papa? Eh ttrinca, fa la nanna,
Taffia, pijja er caffé, sta a la finestra,
Se svaria, se scrapiccia, se scapestra,
E ttiè Rroma pe ccammera-locanna.

Lui, nun avenno fijji, nun z'affanna
A dirrigge e accordà bbene l'orchestra,
Perché, a la peggio, l'urtima minestra
Sarà ssempre de quello che ccommanna.

Lui l'aria, l'acqua, er zole, er vino, er pane,
Li crede rrobba sua, E' tutto mio;
Come a sto monno nun ce fosse un cane.

E cquasi quasi godería sto tomo
De rrestà ssolo, come stava Iddio
Avanti de creà ll'angeli e ll'omo.