“ I will tell the truth” Interviewing Giordano Bruno

Bellarmino was not the actual executioner of the Nolan ______

GUIDO DEL GIUDICE

nterviewing Giordano his life for the freedom of I Bruno is something speech ended up which has always compromising the apostolic fascinated me. As I couldn’t spread of his philosophy. imagine his face, I always This is why, reading his wanted to try to recreate his words, we can give him voice and finally rip off the credit, not by raising gag, that sad symbol of the impressive simulacra for a tradition which has always sacrifice, which should be celebrated him as a martyr useful to get to know his but ignored him as a extraordinary thoughts. Not thinker. If the myth of the vice versa. Thus, an “martyr of the free imaginary interview seemed thoughts” has endured till to me the ideal way of nowadays, it’s not just expressing in the most clear because of the torture he and concise way the basic went through. Many other ideas of Bruno’s GUIDO DEL GIUDICE, gallant and indomitable philosophy. “I WILL TELL THE TRUTH”. people suffered worse fates. INTERVIEWING GIORDANO It has not been easy, though, People like Giulio Cesare BRUNO finding the right setting. As Vanini, Jan Hus or other , Di Renzo Editore, 2012, he was always on the road, perfect strangers forgotten pp. 128. Giordano Bruno had very even by history. But the few contacts, even where he burned Guido del Giudice is one of the stayed longer. Being alive one of the main main scholars in the world who convinced of the fact that studies the works and philosophers of all time, a “every land is homeland for philosophy of Giordano Bruno. prophet moved by an Author of several essays the true philosopher”, he enthusiastic desire of being (among which “The dispute of used to keep moving, listened. He decided to face Cambrai” and the curatorship looking for a base of the torture when he realised of “Summa of the metaphysical operations for his missions: that he couldn’t do that terms”), he also created the teaching and getting civil anymore. Fate and history most complete website about and religious reforms. led him to a weird destiny: the Nolan. So, apart from the convent the fact of having sacrificed of S. Domenico, where he

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studied and stayed for a and hard torture for the determine which is the good while, the place where he prisoner, though he never Church and which is the stayed longer (almost eight managed to subdue the evil one. It’s not my duty to years!) were, unfortunately, indomitable character of the say whether the fairest the ’s jails. Nolan, as he was convinced Church is the Catholic, the I got the hint for the of the importance of Calvinist or the Lutheran. I realisation of the project supporting the basis of his am ready to confront and during my studies about the philosophy, till the extreme state my mistakes. I am a trials and the protagonists of consequence. philosopher, not a the trials. In jail Bruno met theologian. But when you the two most important Bruno: What an honour! ask me to repent, because I representatives of his Order: The most Reverend General supported the heliocentric the General Master of the Father is deigning me of theory, because I showed , Ippolito visiting my humble cell the of the universe, Beccaria, and his Vicar, even today! are basically telling me: Paolo Isaresi, chosen by the Beccaria: You’d better stop repent of being Giordano panel of judges of the joking. Repent! Bruno! Then I can’t help Roman Holy Office to carry Bruno: Why am I supposed but telling you: I don’t out the last effort to to repent? Because I came know why I should repent! persuade the stubborn to tell the truth? What sort Because I am myself? heretic. of Mercury would I be if I That’s impossible. There couldn’t have been a admitted that it was all Beccaria: You’re still being better occasion to express false? It’s not my duty to unreasonably assumptive! his actual ideas! Despite the fact that we Besides this, the research on have been sympathetic with Beccaria led me to finding a you: nobody else has had as new, interesting, truth. many chances of Often ignored by redemption as you did. We biographers, this inflexible were hoping that your clear and merciless Dominican intelligence would make stood out for the severity you understand your used to persecute his mistakes. brother, way before Bruno: Let’s be honest, Cardinal Roberto Ippolito. You are playing Bellarmino started to be the cat-and-mouse game. considered the actual You are trying to unnerve “executioner” of the story. me by alternating tortures He was the one who had with mercy, sympathy and insisted for the continuous asking for my repentance.

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Ettore Ferrari. The trial to Giordano Bruno in front of the , bronze bas-relief, Rome, Campo de’ Fiori. In the previous page, same author, bronze monument portraying Giordano Bruno.

But I won’t fall in your no basis? Bruno: Listen, Paolo. There trap! Your aim is clear now: Bruno: My philosophy are some ideas which what you actually want is a makes my soul fly higher everyone, who has got to a complete, unconditional and magnifies my intellect! certain point of renunciation to my ideas. It is trust in the physical and philosophical maturity, Beccaria: We just want to intellectual skills of the true can’t give up on, unless you make you realise how man, not the beast. want to question your entire absurd your theories are. Isaresi: Is it possible that existence. One has to You are a great man, you, always ready to choose. One has to decide Giordano, you know dissimulate, can’t come to which are the things we perfectly the Scriptures, terms on some part of your can’t give up on and which has no secrets for thoughts? Even when your ones we can question. You you: why can’t you realise life is threatened? If it is can say whatever you want the vacuity of your ideas? true what you say, that no on the cornerstones of my How can you waste your God will ever account you philosophy, but there is knowledge with such for whatever lie, why can’t nothing to do: I can’t give fantasies? Don’t you realise you abjure, to save your up on my ideas, or I that your hypothesis have life? wouldn’t be who I am!

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From left: Saint Roberto Bellarmino, Bottega ligure, XVII century, oil on canvas; Giordano Bruno in engraving.

February 17, six in the which he hated, came from hear this nail piercing my morning. The Comforting the body of the Master who tongue and the blood Fathers of the had lived, waited on, hand flowing hot, almost Archconfraternity of S. and foot, in a French comforting, from my lips, Giovanni Decollato went to embassy. During the whole along the neck, drenching take Giordano of the journey from the jails of Tor my clothes. If I try to speak, quondam Giovanni Bruni, di Nona to the scaffold in no voice comes out: just and apostate from Campo de’ fiori square, in blood! Every effort to emit Nola, shutting his tongue in front of the Theatre of sounds leads to more blood. the gag because of the Pompey, the comforters In streams,a dark red. Every terrible words he said, and sang their litany, trying to drop is an idea, a piece of brought him to the location make the convict truth, which flows luxuriant of the torture. acknowledge his mistakes. to clot on my naked body, The French ambassador had which they are now tying to openly asked for the stakes Bruno. “What do they want a stake, among piles of to be done during the night now? I can hear them fagots. On this stake you and in the part of the square reading their psalms, will only burn my worldly which was farther from his suggesting me to repent. body, but my ideas will house. I wonder whether he Here my nightmare is survive. You won’t manage knew that on that morning coming true! I wish I could erasing every sign of my the smell of burnt flesh, answer, but I can’t speak. I thought and memory!”

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