Plaque

(lost) Byron in Bologna - lost

Inscription

Qui in Agosto e Settembre MDCCCXIX albergò e per la liberta congiurò Giorgio Gordon Lord Byron che alla Grecia la vita All’Italia die’, il cuore e l’ingegno del quale. Niuno surse tra i moderni più potente d’accompagnare alla poesia l’azione. Niuno più inclito e pietoso a cantare le glorie e le sventure del nostro popolo.

A ricordo con gratitudine d’Italiano Francesca Ravaldoni.  Pose MDCCCLXXXVI

{This translates as:}
Here in August and September MDCCCXIX {1819} resided and conspired for the cause of liberty George Gordon Lord Byron who gave to Greece his life, to Italy his heart and genius. No one among the modern poets was more powerful than he in accompanying poetry with action, no one more willing and compassionate in singing the glories and misfortunes of our people.

In memory with the gratitude of an Italian. Placed by Francesco Ravaldoni.  MDCCCLXXXVI.

The photo of the plaque comes from Storia e Memoria di Bologna. The caption translates as "Memorial in honour of Byron written by Carducci, now in the atrium of the palace at 7 via Ugo Bassi. From the magazine “the city life” – October 1920."

Site: Byron in Bologna (2 memorials)

Via Ugo Bassi

Byron spent 1816 - 1823 in Italy in various towns and in 1819 he came to Bologna once or twice in pursuit of his married lover, Teresa Contessa Guiccioli. He stayed at a luxury, elite hotel, L’Albergo del Pellegrino which was at no 7 Via Ugo Bassi, this address. In 1886 the owner, Francesco Ravaldoni, erected a plaque commemorating Byron's visit in the entrance lobby of the hotel.

At the end of the 1920s the road needed widening and the hotel was demolished, and apparently the plaque was preserved. Then in 2008 this new plaque, with almost identical wording to the original, was erected by the commune of Bologna. This new plaque says that the original plaque is preserved at this address. And online we found reference to the original plaque, even a photo. We looked around, inside and out, but could not find it.

We could not have reported on these two plaques without the help of our Italian consultant, John Hartley, to whom, grateful thanks.

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the subjects commemorated on the memorial on this page:
Byron in Bologna - lost

Subjects commemorated i

Lord Byron

Born Holles Street, baptised at St Marylebone church in the same year. Spent ...

Read More

This section lists the other memorials at the same location as the memorial on this page:
Byron in Bologna - lost

Also at this site i

Byron in Bologna

Byron in Bologna

The creators of this plaque have copied the two paragraphs from the original ...

Read More

Nearby Memorials

Buck Hill bastion

Buck Hill bastion

W2, West Carriage Drive

This is really an information board rather than a plaque and has a number of pictures with captions. We have transcribed the main body o...

7 subjects commemorated, 2 creators
Sir John Gurney

Sir John Gurney

EC4, Church Court

We are indebted to Rosemary Jeffreys for the translation from the Latin. The business about "the south part being his own" is partly expl...

1 subject commemorated
John Marshall

John Marshall

SE1, Newcomen Street, 9, Mollison House

We had this entry in our puzzle corner for a while because of the Fs and O in the Roman numerals but Peter Kidd of manuscripts.org.uk con...

2 subjects commemorated
Cetshwayo

Cetshwayo

W14, Melbury Road, 18

English Heritage Cetshwayo, c.1832-1884, king of the Zulus, stayed here in 1882.

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Paddington Station's centenary

Paddington Station's centenary

W2, Departures Road, Paddington Station, Platform 1

1854 - 1954 This plaque was unveiled on 29th May 1954 to commemorate the centenary of Paddington Station, designed and built by Isambard ...

2 subjects commemorated, 2 creators