The Prince's Insects
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the Prince’s insects the entomological collection by Raniero Alliata of Pietratagliata curated by Fabio Lo Valvo Region of Sicily Nello Musumeci President Assessorato Regionale dei Beni Culturali e dell’Identità siciliana Alberto Samonà Assessore Dipartimento Regionale dei Beni Culturali e dell’Identità siciliana Sergio Alessandro Dirigente Generale Centro Regionale per l’inventario, la catalogazione e la documentazione Selima Giorgia Giuliano Direttore Scientific manager Thanks Fabio Lo Valvo Piera Iacopelli, Faro Vitale, Nino Vitale Graphic design and editorial care (Museo civico di Terrasini) Guido Mapelli Toti Bommarito, Rosangela Randazzo, Patrizia Rugnetta Photos (Museo Regionale di Storia Naturale e mostra Guido Mapelli permanente del carretto siciliano di Terrasini) Clara Mapelli Toti Bommarito For scientific support, entomologists: Vittorio Aliquò, Marcello Arnone, Attilio Carapezza, Responsible for the Procedure Gabriella Lo Verde, Bruno Massa, Marcello Romano, Marcello Alajmo Ignazio Sparacio; the naturalists: Natalino Cuti, Amedeo Falci, Salvo Pasta Print Officine grafiche soc. coop., Palermo Melo Minnella for kind permission of the historical photos taken at Villa Alliata The Alliata Collection can be consulted at the Regional Museum of Natural History and permanent exhibition of the Sicilian cart, Palazzo D'Aumale, Lungomare Peppino Impastato, Terrasini (Palermo) (www.museoartecontemporanea.it/museo_dAumale/) for research and study activities, by appointment, by sending a reasoned request to [email protected]; tel. 0918810989. For scientific information contact Fabio Lo Valvo: [email protected] Gli insetti del principe : la collezione entomologica di Raniero Alliata di Pietratagliata / a cura di Fabio Lo Valvo. - Palermo : CRICD, 2020. ISBN 978-88-98398-20-1 1. Collezioni entomologiche [di] Alliata, Raniero [del] museo regionale di storia naturale e Mostra permanente del carretto siciliano <Terrasini>. - Cataloghi. I. Lo Valvo, Fabio <1961->. II. Alliata di Pietratagliata, Raniero. 595.707448235 CCD-23 SBN Pal0339290 CIP - Biblioteca centrale della Regione siciliana “Alberto Bombace” https://gliinsettidelprincipe.cricd.it/ 1 p. 11 this number indicates index the page of the paper edition in Italian 4 t h e Prince’s insects 4 The Alliata Prince 5 The Villa Alliata of Pietratagliata 6 The entomological (and natural sciences) cabinet 9 Interventions for the protection, conservation and enhancement of the Alliata Collection 11 Entomological publications in which reference is made to the Alliata collection 13 correspondence: notes and drawings 14 the collection 31 taxonomic catalogue 32 testimonials 32 Attilio Carapezza. Memory of Raniero Alliata 34 Bent Parodi. Il Principe mago ( The Wizard Prince) 37 Marcello Romano. Three centuries of Entomology in Sicily 37 Vittorio Aliquò. The stone of memory. Autobiography of an entomologist magistrate the Prince’s insects the entomological collection by Raniero Alliata of Pietratagliata 2 back to index p. 13 the Prince’s insects Fabio Lo Valvo Sicily has always attracted Italian appropriate evaluation by the scientific and foreign entomologists, due to its community. The Alliata collection, naturalistic peculiarities, its insular unlike more widespread collections nature and its long history. Enrico which often only concern particular Ragusa, Luigi Failla Tedaldi, Francesco groups or taxa of insects, concerns Vitale and Francesco Minà Palumbo, entire classes of insects, demonstrating created the best known Sicilian the great passion that Alliata had for entomological collections in the first entomology. half of the last century. Marcello With the death of Prince Alliata, the Romano, in an exhaustive review collection suffered from a long period published “Il Naturalista Siciliano” in of neglect that threatened its integrity 2006, lists the numerous entomologists and conservation. Informed of this, in who, over the years, have explored the 1980, Vittorio Emanuele Orlando, a island creating collections to which, passionate naturalist and mayor of even today, international scholars find Terrasini, and with the support of the useful information for their own re-established Società Siciliana di scientific studies. But there was little Scienze Naturali , proposed to the mention in Romano’s publication, of Chiaramonte Bordonaro family, the collection created by Raniero Alliata Alliata’s heirs, to hand over the between 1920 and 1970, however collection (with the complete library monumental he considered it to be[see and various documentation) to the p. 189], an assessment shared by Regione Siciliana, Assessorato dei Beni entomologists and naturalists alike. culturali , for a subsequent transfer to The Alliata collection, albeit like many the Museo civico di Terrasini , where other historical or current collections, the regional naturalistic collections accumulated tens of thousands of already converged, in view of the insects in hundreds of boxes, was born establishment of the Regional Museum with the main objective of scientific of Natural History. research within a setting that makes it In 1986 the collection was unique in its kind. In addition to his purchased by the Sicilian rigid taxonomic approach that allowed Governement, for 50 million lire, thus him to insert specimens he was becoming public property, and subject collecting, he also added information to protection for conservation and use. on the presence in Sicily and It was entrusted to the municipal annotations, schemes and drawings administration of Terrasini which, in related to his studies. In practice, he collaboration with the sezione per i wanted to give substance to his Beni naturali e naturalistici della compendium dedicated to “Sicilian Soprintendenza per Beni Culturali e Entomological Fauna” to which he Ambientali di Palermo , started the dedicated his entire life and necessary activities for its conservation considering himself “eternal”, he and the study of insects of one of the always considered evolving by inserting most prestigious naturalistic collections new catches and considerations, of Sicily. postponing the publication of the With this publication we want to results to a later time. This however, spread the knowledge of the scientific, never happened, making all his work historical and artistic value of the unpublished, thus preventing the entomological collection of Raniero the Prince’s insects the entomological collection by Raniero Alliata of Pietratagliata 3 back to index p. 15 Alliata, composing in part the imposing according to his objectives, had to be amount of documents, writings and representative of the Sicilian notes [see p. 33], a living image of the entomological fauna seen in a modern passionate study and commitment of evolutionary vision. During daytime fifty years of research. Below is a breaks he devoted himself to painting, selection of the 465 boxes, 31 cards while the night was dedicated to illustrated with photographs in scale esoteric activities. The only affection and enlarged details, supported by his was directed to Helga Johannsen, notes [see p. 63], and the taxonomic whom he married in old age, but catalogue of the entire collection [see p. remained segregated from other 161], where among almost three relatives whom he explicitly distrusted. thousand species, including specimens His married life did not last long due to considered as first reports of species the untimely death of his wife, which present on the island, and finally some worsened his isolation, dying on 9 direct evidence [see p. 185] to narrate October 1979 with only on duty staff in the figure of the Prince. the villa to give comfort. The Alliata Prince Raniero Alliata di Pietratagliata was born in Palermo on 9 June 1897, the fifth son of Luigi, prince of the Holy Roman Empire, Duke of Camastra and Bianca Notarbartolo of Villarosa. His noble position allowed him to live a comfortable adolescence. He spent his childhood in one of the most beautiful villas in the suburbs of Palermo [cf. The Villa Alliata di Pietratagliata on p. 15], where he had the opportunity to mix with the local aristocracy and intellectuals with whom the family used to frequent. This social state played a fundamental role in the cultural growth of Raniero Alliata who, being very curious, listened to and subsequently broadened his knowledge thanks to a large family library. Although the library covered many various topics, his main interests were directed towards the natural sciences, art and esoteric sciences. Sad events experienced by the young Alliata, such as a great loss of money at the gaming tables and the passing of his mother, to whom he was very attached, lead him to the point of being more and more socially isolated. He devoted all his time to cultivating cultural passions and scientific interests, hardly ever leaving his luxurious home. He worked hard to create a collection of insects which, the Prince’s insects the entomological collection by Raniero Alliata of Pietratagliata the Prince’s insects 4 back to index p. 17 The Villa Alliata of Pietratagliata specimens common to the gardens and villas of Palermo: Ficus macrophylla , In 1864, Prince Luigi Alliata di Cedrus sp ., Phoenix canariensis , Sabal Pietratagliata, father of Raniero, bought palmetto , Washingtonia filifera , the eighteenth-century villa, adorned Strelitia sp ., Chamerops humilis , with an external pincer staircase, which Agave sp ., Tilia sp ., etc. Up until 2010 he immediately wanted to modify in there was also a rare