Fifty Years Since the Death of Bonaventura Tecchi

Fifty Years Since the Death of Bonaventura Tecchi, the Writer Who First Called Civita di Bagnoregio "the Dying City"

On March 30, 1968, Bonaventura Tecchi passed away. This Friday marks the fiftieth anniversary of the writer's death, the man behind the famous description of Civita di Bagnoregio as "the dying city."

On this significant anniversary, the Municipality of Bagnoregio has chosen to pay tribute to this distinguished native son. In the morning, a wreath of flowers will be laid at the spot that commemorates him near the Belvedere Falcone and Borsellino.

"Bonaventura Tecchi, a source of pride for Bagnoregio, was able to depict the deepest soul of our region in his books. His writings are precious guardians of an identity that we must remember and keep alive for future generations. A great admirer of our Civita, he may have been the first to perceive its profound and unique beauty. That beauty, which today we have succeeded in presenting to the world, enchanting it. Remembering Tecchi today is important to emphasize to the new generations the importance of culture and writing. Writing that has fortunately returned to thrive in the Teverina region thanks to the precious contemporary experience of the Civita Writers," expressed Mayor Francesco Bigiotti in his tribute.

The contrast between sensuality and moral consciousness, between egocentrism and the desire to transcend it, is already present in his early stories (Il nome sulla sabbia, 1924). This fundamental romantic contrast incorporates the lessons of various European decadent currents, albeit filtered through a classical taste that tends to bring the investigation of the subtlest psychological movements back to the clarity of consciousness and the clarity of expression. In his production, alongside volumes of stories and prose (Il vento tra le case, 1928; Tre storie d'amore, 1931; La signorina Ernestina, 1936; La vedova timida, 1942; L'isola appassionata, 1945; Storie di bestie, 1958; Storie di alberi e fiori, 1963; Resistenza dei sogni, post., 1977), his novels I Villatàuri (1935), Giovani amici (1940), Valentina Velier (1950), Gli egoisti (1959), Gli onesti (1965), and Tarda estate (post., 1980) should also be remembered. Tecchi also engaged in extensive essay and criticism activities, primarily focused on German literature (Wackenroder, 1927; Maestri e amici, 1934; Scrittori tedeschi del '900, 1941; Carossa, 1947; L'arte di Thomas Mann, 1956; Officina segreta, 1957; Romantici tedeschi, 1959; Goethe in Italia, 1967), and curated valuable translations.