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Carlo Emilio Gadda as Catholic and Man of Science: The Case of Quer pasticciaccio brutto de via Merulana Christopher John Ferguson Ph.D The University of Edinburgh 2012 Declaration I declare that this thesis has been composed exclusively by myself, that it is my own work and that no part of it has been submitted for any other degree or professional qualification. Christopher John Ferguson Stoneyburn, 16 th of May 2012. 2 This thesis is dedicated to my mum, my dad and Sarah. 3 Abstract The present study looks at the influence that two of the major cultural forces of the twentieth century had on the output of Carlo Emilio Gadda. It grew out of a search for ways of discussing Gadda and in particular his 1957 novel Quer pasticciaccio brutto de via Merulana that would be accessible to the widest possible audience. Ten chapters in length, the study treats first the influence that Christianity and in particular Italian Catholicism had on the avowedly atheist writer over five chapters, paying attention to the saints and holy places used in Gadda’s output, then moves on to consider the importance of his scientific training as an engineer and his interest in physics in the second half. Aside from examining the text of Quer pasticciaccio and other works such as Cognizione del dolore and La Madonna dei filosofi , I have used biographical information and in particular data gleaned from research in Gadda’s own personal library. The aims of the study are to introduce the reader unfamiliar with Gadda to his work, to offer a new framework by which the Gadda scholar may consider the Gran Lombardo, and to suggest new solutions to the unending puzzle that is Quer pasticciaccio. 4 Gadda texts are referred to in the thesis by the following abbreviations: Acquainted with Grief – AG Cognizione del dolore - CDD Eros e Priapo – EP Giornale di guerra e prigionia – GGP Ingegnere fantasia: lettere a Ugo Betti – IF La madonna dei filosofi - MF Meditazione milanese – MM Le meraviglie d’Italia - MI "Per favore, mi lasci nell'ombra": interviste 1950-1972 – PF The Philosophers' Madonna –PM Quer pasticciaccio brutto de via Merulana - QP Romanzi e racconti I – RRI Romanzi e racconti II –RRII Saggi, giornali, favole, e altri scritti - SGF Scritti vari e postumi – SVP That Awful Mess on Via Merulana – AM I viaggi, la morte – VM Villa in Brianza - VB 5 INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................... 9 THE LIFE OF GADDA .................................................................................................................. 22 A S YNOPSIS OF QP ...................................................................................................................... 25 CHAPTER BY CHAPTER ................................................................................................................ 30 PART ONE: CATHOLIC GADDA .......................................................................... 32 1: THE CASE FOR A CATHOLIC GADDA........................................................... 32 1: 1 A CCORDING TO GADDA ....................................................................................................32 1: 2 THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN GADDA ’S YOUTH : MODERNISM AND SALESIANS .......... 36 2: THE CATHOLIC REFERENCES IN QP ............................................................. 43 2: 1 A NALYSIS OF REFERENCES ................................................................................................. 43 2: 2 I D UE SANTI ....................................................................................................................... 50 3: GADDA’S SAINTS................................................................................................. 59 3: 1 S T FRANCIS OF ASSISI ........................................................................................................ 60 3: 2 S ANTA FRANCESCO E SANTA CRISTOFORO ..................................................................... 75 3: 3 S AN GIORGIO ...................................................................................................................... 84 3: 4 S UMMING UP THE SAINTS .................................................................................................. 97 4: THE CHURCHES .................................................................................................. 101 4: 1 T HE CHURCHES OF ROME AND LILIANA BALDUCCI ..................................................... 101 4: 2 I N AND OUT OF ROME ...................................................................................................... 118 5: RELIGIOUS ART .................................................................................................. 126 6 5: 1 E XAMPLES OF RELIGIOUS ART ......................................................................................... 127 THE TONDO DONI ..................................................................................................................... 128 AURORA ..................................................................................................................................... 131 THE CAPPELLA NICCOLINA , THE STANZE VATICANE , THE SISTINE CHAPEL , T HE ASSUMPTION ............................................................................................................................. 135 SAINT TERESA OF AVILA IN ECSTASY ...................................................................................... 137 5: 2 C ARAVAGGIO AND ANGELONI ....................................................................................... 140 5: 3 T HE PAINTER ’S PALETTE .................................................................................................. 150 5: 4 C ATHOLIC GADDA ............................................................................................................ 154 PART TWO: GADDA AS SCIENTIST ................................................................. 157 1: INTRODUCTION TO GADDA AS SCIENTIST .......................................... 157 1: 2 G ADDA AS STUDENT AND AS INGEGNERE ..................................................................... 169 1: 3 G ADDA ’S COLLECTION OF BOOKS .................................................................................. 181 2: THE STATE OF SCIENCE AT THE TURN OF THE 20 TH CENTURY ....... 188 2: 1 J AMES CLERK MAXWELL .................................................................................................. 188 2: 2 MAX PLANCK ..................................................................................................................... 197 2: 3 A LBERT EINSTEIN ............................................................................................................. 206 2: 3 A RELATIVITY ..................................................................................................................... 207 2: 3 B BROWNIAN MOTION ...................................................................................................... 210 2: 3 C THE PHOTOELECTRIC EFFECT ........................................................................................ 213 2: 3 D EEE EQUALS EMM CEE SQUARED .................................................................................... 215 2: 4 T HE MEANING OF IT ALL ................................................................................................ 217 2: 5 T HE ARTIST AND THE SCIENTIST .................................................................................. 224 3: THE SCIENTIFIC DETECTIVE......................................................................... 232 3: 1 S HERLOCK HOLMES .......................................................................................................... 233 3: 2 C HRISTIE AND SAYERS .....................................................................................................236 3: 3 S AM SPADE (AND FLITCRAFT )......................................................................................... 242 3: 4 F RANCESCO INGRAVALLO – AN INTRODUCTION ......................................................... 247 3: 5 MARTIN BECK .................................................................................................................... 254 3: 6 MRS OEDIPA MAAS ......................................................................................................... 257 7 4: GADDA’S CHARACTERS.................................................................................. 262 4: 1 MORE ABOUT INGRAVALLO : T HE GADDIAN DETECTIVE .......................................... 263 4:2 T HE BACKGROUND VOICES .............................................................................................