Titolo: Illustrious Men

PADRE MARZIO PICCIRILLI ( 1598-1656)

He was the founder of the Confederazione dell’Oratorio di San Filippo Neri of Guardia Sanframondi (Congregation of the Oratory of Saint Philip Neri). In fact, the Oratory and the street that goes from Via Nazionale Fontanella to Piazza San Filippo bear his name.

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Marzio Piccirilli was born in Guardia Sanframondi in 1598, son of Lucantonio and Giulia Guido, during the fiefdom of Marzio Carafa, Duke of Maddaloni. At the age of 12, he lost his father and he decided to enter in ecclesiastical life and then subsequently went on to study civil law and canon law at the University of . In 1623, having graduated, he was relocated first to Marsico Nuovo and then to Rome where was hosted by the Oratorian Fathers. In 1625 at the age of 27 he was ordained, and Father Marzio came back to Guardia with the title of Archpriest. In agreement with the Bishop, Sigismondo Gambacorta, Father Marzio founded the Congregation of the Oratory of Saint Philip Neri, on 30th June, 1638. On 17th August, 1655, Pope Alexander VII, with his papal bull, united the Santuario of Santa Maria Assunta of Guardia Sanframondi and the Congregation of the Oratory of Saint Philip Neri. On 16th May, 1656, he was elected and became a Superior and Parish Priest. In the same year, the plague came to Guardia, he died at the age of 58, as a result of caring for the sick and dying.

FABIO GOLINO DE VESPASIANO (Guardia Sanframondi ?- Napoli 1639)

He was a lawyer of the Foro of Naples in XVII century. He was the author of an important Latin work “'De procuratoribus tam ad iudicia quam ad negotia”. One of the most important streets of the historical center bears his name.

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Fabio Golino, son of Vespasiano, originated from Guardia Sanframondi, even if there is no certain documentation. He was a master of the civil law and a lawyer at the Foro of Naples in XVII century. He was the author of some legal works. In each book, he declares himself as of “Sanframondi Guardie”. His most famous work is “'De procuratoribus tam ad judicia quam ad negotia”. He died in Naples in 1639.

MICHELE FOSCHINI (Guardia Sanframondi 1711- Napoli 1770)

He was a painter, a pupil of Francesco Solimena. His most important works are: La Vergine del Carmine, San Filippo Neri e San Pasquale Baylonne (the painting is in the Cathedral in the town of Nusco), Santa Maria del Soccorso (in the Church of Santa Maria del Campanile of ), la Trinità con l'Immacolata (hanging behind the main altar of the Cattedrale of ), and others painting and frescos are to be found in some churches in Naples: Suor Orsola Benincasa, San Paolo Maggiore and in the Dome. He also was commissioned to work for the Royal Palace of Portici and .

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Michele Foschini was born in Guardia Sanframondi in 1711. At the age of 11 he went to Naples to study Latin, Logic and Maths, but his interest lay in Art and painting and it was this because of his ardent interest in this subject matter, together with a wish that he should not entirely abandon his studies in other subjects that Piccirilli put under the tutorage of the painter Niccolò Maria Rossi. It was thanks to the positive impression that he had upon Rossi, that he was accepted in the workshop of Francesco Solimena, one of the major painters at that time in Naples. His first work “La Vergine del Carmine, which is to be found above on othe the altars in the Cathedral of Nusco. In 1729, whilst back visiting family in Guardia and he painted “La Porziuncola” which represented the life of San Francesco d’Assisi, situated in the Franciscan Monastery of the town. There were frescos and paintings in the cloister of the Monastery too. There are other works by this painter In the Santuario dell'Immacolata di Suor Orsola Benincasa, the Dome of Naples and in the Royal

Palaces of Portici and Caserta. Foschini died in Naples in 1770 circa. One of Guardia’s streets bears his name In his memory.

FILIPPO MARIA GUIDI (Guardia Sanframondi 1752 - Napoli 1837)

He was a mathematician who lived at the beginning of the XIX century. He was a professor in the Royal University of Studies in Naples. He was later to be exiled in Paris. He translated the book “Elementi di Geometria” written by Adrien Marie Legendre. The main street in the historical center of the town bears his name.

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Filippo Maria Vincenzo Ferdinando Guidi was born in Guardia Sanframondi on 22nd January, 1752 the son of Andrea di Girolamo, a local tanner, and Aurelia Genoefa Tessitore di Filippo. His first teacher was a priest of the Golino family, from whom he learnt to read and write. At the age of 10, he continued his studies with his uncle Don Francesco Guidi. He was the friend and colleague of Nicolò Fergola and he worked together and taught with Don Felice Sabatelli at the University of Naples as an astronomy teacher. After the death of Sabatelli (1786), and having been his deputy Guidi is given the post of professor in the Science and Maths faculty. In 1789, Filippo Guidi became Physics and Maths professor at the school of the Ospedale degli Incurabili and then at the R. Accademia di Marina. In 1799, he was forced to leave these posts because his fervent ideals regarding freedom rights and was at first imprisoned and subsequently exiled to Marseille in France. Upon learning that his brother Sebastiano was living in Lyon he moved there. but then, after hearing about his brother’s residence, he moved to Lyon. There, he worked as a maths and physics teacher at the School of Tournon. He also and married Maddalena Lacroix, the sister of a well-known mathematician. At the beginning of 1808, Filippo Guidi was able to return to Guardia and again took up teaching he later on went on the set up the higher secondary school in the town. In 1813, he again left Guardia to go back to his university teaching post in Naples. In 1816, he was nominated professor of Elemental Analysis and then went on to become the Dean of the University by royal decree of King Ferdinando II. He contracted cholera and died on 13th June, 1837.

In his honour, in 1875, it was decided the of Via Piazza Antica be changed to Via Filippo Maria Guidi.

SEBASTIANO GUIDI (Guardia Sanframondi 1767 - Lione 1863)

Brother of Filippo Maria, he was one of the founding fathers of homeopathy in and in France. He was an inspector at the University of France in Paris. One of the town’s squares bears his name.

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Sebastiano Maria Guidi was born in Guardia Sanframondi on 13th January, 1767. After his father’s death, in 1778, he moved to Naples with his brother Filippo, who taught him Physics and Maths. In 1799, he fled the country to avoid falling into the hands of the police because ardently voiced his liberal ideals. He travelled first to Toulon, France then on to Lyon where he was left little option but to take on work in a variety of different fields. Because of his versatile intelligence and vast knowledge be became an assistant to the professor of Chemistry at the university and then later went on to became a professor of Chemistry, Philosophy, Maths, Literature and Civil Law. In 1802, Sebastiano married Lucrezia Scjon. She became ill with tuberculosis and was taken to Naples to be treated by the homeopathic physician Francesco Romani. It was as a result of this that Sebastiano become interested in homeopathy and returned to France to further his knowledge and undertake studies in this field. He began and went on to promote and encourage the use of homeopathy as a means of curing disease, but when the Medical Society of Lyon learned of this they fiercely attacked both Guidi and his more faithful followers. However, and quite the contrary the Homeopathic Society Gallianica had a golden medal specially made for him in recognition of his work in this field. He died in Lyon in 1863. The town of Guardia have never forgotten him and in his memory both one of the town squares and the Elementary and Middle school of the town have been given his name.

FILIPPO DE BLASIO (Guardia Sanframondi 1820 - Napoli 1878)

He was a jurist. During the time that Garibaldi was in government of Garibaldi of the Southern provinces, General Cialdini nominated him firstly, Director of the Dipartimento di Grazia e Giustizia in Naples (September 1860), then as Prefect of Naples Police (November 1860) and then in July 1861 as Secretary of the Ministero dell’Interno e Polizia in Naples.

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Filippo De Blasio was born on 30th April, 1820 in Guardia Sanframondi, son of Geremia and Angela Di Meola. When he was young, he studied at the boarding school of Maddaloni and then he became a pupil of Luigi Palmieri, Pasquale Galluppi and Basilio Puoti in Naples. In 1848, obtained his first post teaching Law. The Bourbonic Government at that time became fearful of his success and ordered that the school be closed. For this reason, he left teaching and he dedicated work to Law Courts. He was immediately chosen to take on roles in politics.On 7th September, Filippo was a member of the commission which had invited Garibaldi to come to Naples and he was nominated Secretary of the Ministero di Grazia e Giustizia. On 21st July, 1861, he replaced Silvio Spaventa as Secretary of the Dicastero dell'Interno e Polizia. He then went on to work with two other juristic consultant for the completion the Italian Civil Code. De Blasio died in Naples on 3rd October, 1878 and was buried in Poggioreale.

ALFONSO SELLAROLI (Guardia Sanframondi 1855 – Napoli 1940)

Artisan and a town clock marker. Toward the end the 19th century, the sophisticated and original mechanisms created by Cav. Selleroli, animated the quadrants and the hands of the clocks of numerous town clock towers in Italy and abroad.

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Alfonso Sellaroli was born in Guardia Sanframondi in 1855. When he was young, he studied at the Institute of Galileo of Firenze and soon, at the age of 19, in 1875 in Guardia Sanframondi he founded a National Factory for monumental clocks towers. For Guardia Sanframondi installed two mechanical clocks: one on the bell tower of the Basilica of San Sebastiano, the other on the bell tower of the Ave Gratia Plena. For Fontana del Popolo (see section Places of Interest) he built a clock and a

hydraulic calendar that worked until 1943, year in which the German military smuggled during the allied army occupation.

Three gold medals were awarded to Alfonso: the first to the Esposizione Generale Internazionale in Anversa in 1894, when he was also given the Diploma of the member of the Academy to the Esposizione Generale Internazionale in Bruxelles; the second to the Esposizione Generale Internazionale in Torino in 1898 - Mechanical device for precision, and the third to the Esposizione Generale Internazionale in Paris in 1900.

Finally, Selleroli is also known as builder of seismographs, telephone and electricals system of all kinds. Some examples are: the special impianto ad onde realized on board of the Edward’s Scarfoglio yacht, capable of transmitting the time to ten clock faces in various parts of ship; The street lighting of Cerreto Sannita completed in 1908.

Selleroli continued to work hard until his death in1940.

ABELE DE BLASIO (Guardia Sanframondi 1858 - Napoli 1945)

He was an anthropologist and he studied the psychology and society of various populations and persons, basing his study upon their skull shape (phrenology).

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Abele De Blasio was born in Guardia on 5th September, 1858, son of Raffaele and Nicolina Marotta. After his studies in the humanities, he moved to Naples where he graduated in Medicine, Surgery, Chemistry and Science. In 1892 in Naples, he founded the first “Ufficio Antropometrico d’Italia” (Anthropometric Office of Italy), improving the method of measurement by Bertillon. He created a new “Antropometro” which was far more efficient at obtaining data regarding about the proportions and measurements via arm span and length of the left forearm. For these reasons, in the 1900s, he was able to teach Antropology at the Universities of Padova, Florence and Naples. In 1904, he instituted a pedagogical school in Naples and he taught there until the abolition of the school (1924). For two years, he was Ethnology professor in the Istituto Orientale of Naples. Abele De Blasio died in Naples on 5th April, 1945.

LUIGI MARIA FOSCHINI (Guardia Sanframondi 1867 - Guardia Sanframondi 1943)

He was a forensic scientist, a Senator of the Italian Kingdom, a counselor of and president of the County Council of Benevento (1892-1914). He was also member of the Board of Directors of the Banco di Napoli (1912-1914) and of the Società del Risanamento (1915-1924).

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Luigi Maria Foschini was born in Guardia Sanframondi on 7th August, 1867, son of Carlo Foschini and Giuseppina Piccirilli, two of Guardia’s oldest families. He was a pupil of Luigi Simeoni from 1890-92. In 1901, he was a member of the Comitato Laico contrary to divorce. In 1896, together with Porzio, Sandulli and other colleagues, he was a collaborator of the “Domenica Giudiziaria” by Alberto Geremicca. Foschini was a follower of Nicotera political ideal (left of the political spectrum) and for this reason he was an orator at many “feisty” assemblies of the Associazione Unitaria Liberale. He was still very young when he became a town counsellor in Benevento, (1892-1914) and then president of the County Council (1914-1923). He was a member of Parliament from 1924 to 1925 and then he joined the Fascist movement. During this time, he became a member of the Commissione Legislativa Affari Interni e della Giustizia and a member of the Commissione per la Revisione dei Codici Penali e di Procedura Civile. In September 1933, in a car accident, he sustained permanent injuries which confined him to a wheelchair. Because of this he was forced to abandon his career. However, because of his prestigious career, Mussolini nominates him Senator of the Kingdom of Italy, on 20th October, 1939. From 23rd January, 1940 to 5th August, 1943, he became a member of the Commissione degli Affari Interni e della Giustizia del Senato. He died in Guardia Sanframondi on 14th August, 1943.

CARLO TESSITORE (Guardia Sanframondi 1896 - Congo 1939)

He graduated in tropical hygiene at the University of Anversa after which he went to The Congo where he practiced his profession as a doctor in tropical medicine.

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Carlo Tessitore was born in Guardia in 1896, but he moved to The Congo to pursue his profession. He wrote for many magazines about exotic and tropical diseases. In June 1935, he was nominated Cavaliere dell’Ordine della Stella Nera. He died in The Congo in 1939 having contracted the Yellow Fever. Abele De Blasio, during his eulogy, wrote: “He was a great scientist who loved his country, a heroic soldier of his ideas, but, especially, he was a believer in God.

PASCASIO PARENTE (Guardia Sanframondi 1897 - Guardia Sanframondi 1979)

He was an attorney and Mayor of Guardia Sanframondi from 16th October, 1934 to 18th December, 1940. During World War I, he served as an officer in the Bersaglieri. During World War II, he was a member of the Servizio Informazione Segreto Militare. He was an examining magistrate of the Tribunale Militare of Lecce. For 30 years, he wrote the newspaper Il Mattino and he was one of the founders of the Sannio newspaper Messaggio d’Oggi.

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Pascasio Parente was born in Guardia Sanframondi in 1897. The Guardiesi remember him for his political and military careers, but also for his entomological collection. This collection was inherited by Diana Marotta and her sons Giuseppe, Fulvio and Sergio and he was donated to the of Guardia Sanframondi in 1990. The collection has 58 showcases; 46 of which contain Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies), 11 contain Coleoptera (beetles) and 1 containing Reptilia (reptiles). The exhibits were garnered from every continent. In 2000, the collection was restored and now, after further restoration, it is on exhibition in the media room in Via Pietralata.

GOFFEDRO COPPOLA (Guardia Sanframondi 1898 - Dongo 1945)

He was a philologist, essayist, politician, professor and dean of the University of Bologna. He was shot in Dongo with Mussolini and other Party officials.

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Goffredo Coppola was born in Guardia Sanframondi in 1898, son of Pietro and Maria Ricca. He studied in Guardia Sanframondi and Benevento, distinguishing himself for his sharp mind. He was also a student at the Facoltà delle Lettere in the University of Naples. In 1917, he was called up as a foot soldier and he took part in both the Battle of Caporetto and the Battle of Vittorio Veneto. After he was demobbed, he dedicated himself to the study of Philosophy and Greek Literature and, after obtaining his degree in 1927, he taught these subjects at the University of Bologna. In 1945, he was also nominated as Dean of the University. Goffredo Coppola wrote for newspapers such as “Il Resto del Carlino”, “Il Popolo d’Italia” and “Il Corriere della Sera”. He was editor of the “Corriere della Sera” from 1943 to 1945. He joined the fascist party and he signed up as a volunteer in the French invasion of Russia, during World War II. On 25th July, 1943, he was wrongly arrested and punished with 45 days detention. After Mussolini’s release, Coppola met him for the first time in Rocca delle Carminate. For this reason, he become interested in politics, in fact he was firstly a professor, dean of the University of Bologna and then president of the Istituto Nazionale di Cultura Fascista. Goffredo Coppola followed Mussolini to Dongo and it was there that he was shot by partisans. His body was publicly displayed in Piazzale Loreto in Milan.

ALFREDO PARENTE (Guardia Sanframondi 1905 - Napoli 1985)

Alfredo Parente was the younger brother of Pascasio, he was a librarian, philosopher, writer, music and literary critic. He was a very close friend of Benedetto Croce. He was the founder of the Rivista di Studi Crociani. During World War II he was a partisan during the Four days of Naples. After the war, he was a journalist for “Il Mattino”, “Roma”, “Il Giornale”, “Il Messaggero”, “Il Risorgimento liberale” and “Il Gazzettino”.

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Alfredo Parente was born in Guardia Sanframondi in 1905, he graduated in Philosophy and at the age of 22, he became tenured professor. He left teaching and

became Inspector of the Superintendence in . He was a librarian and director of the “Società di Storia Patria” of Naples for about 50 years. Parente was one of the main promoters of the renaissance of musical studies in Italy. He collaborated together with Luigi Ronga and Guido Pannain as music critic for the magazine “Rassegna Musicale” and for other magazines such as “La Scala”, “Rivista d’Opera” and “Il Mattino”. He was a collaborator of the Theater of San Carlo and of the “Maggio Musicale Fiorentino” and he wrote the books “La musica e le arti: problemi di estetica” in 1936 and “Castità della musica”. In 1943, he was one of the founders of the Italian Liberal Party and in 1944, he founded the weekly publication “La Libertà”. During World War II, he participated as partisan in the Four days of Naples. In this period, he was a writer for many newspapers such as “Il Mattino”, “Roma”, “Il Messaggero”, “Il Risorgimento liberale” and “Il Gazzettino”. He was a dedicated painter and sculptor. One of his famous works is the sculpture of the Celtic Cross, symbol of Fascism, now placed at the Museum of San Martino of Naples. From 1964 to 1984, he directed the magazine of “Studi crociani”, of which he was the founder. This magazine was fundamental especially for philosophers like Raffaello Franchini, Manlio Ciardo, Adelchi Attisani, Vittorio Enzo Alfieri, as well as critics, historians and literates, like Carlo Ludovico Ragghianti and Bruno Zevi. In 1947, he obtained the post as professor of Philosophy and Methodology in the Istituto Italiano per gli Studi Storici, founded by Benedetto Croce. Parente died in Naples in April 1985.

FRANCESCO LABAGNARA (Guardia Sanframondi 1905 - Guardia Sanframondi 1994)

He was an artist and a designer. He attended the Art School of Paris, where he was able to exhibit many of his paintings. His artistic career took him to Switzerland, Belgium, Portugal and South America. He was called to Madrid to paint a portrait for Juan Carlos, now King of Spain.