first printed map of Ireland, 1590 |
Over 700 million Irish -and those of Irish descent- scattered in all corners of the globe will be enjoying a long weekend on March 17th full of festivities and parades in honor of St. Patrick’s Day . For the first time Italy will be celebrating the day too, for March 17th has been proclaimed a National Holiday in honor of the country’s 150th anniversary of unification .
Italy and Ireland have shared connections for a long time.
Irish pilgrims, saints and scholars gravitated toward Rome while legend tells us that even the patron saint of Ireland -Patrick-was originally from Italy. In the ancient basilica of St. Stefano Rotondo set in the quiet of Rome’s Caelian hill there are curved
walls frescoed with gory scenes of martyrdom and also a plaque
commemorating Brian Boru’s son, King Donnchadh of Munster,
who died during a pilgrimage to Rome and was buried here in 1064.
Monumental graves in front of the altar of St. Pietro in Montorio
on the Janiculum are testament to a group of exiled Irish Earls
led by Hugh O’Neill who fled to Rome in 1607.
Irish pilgrims, saints and scholars gravitated toward Rome while legend tells us that even the patron saint of Ireland -Patrick-was originally from Italy. In the ancient basilica of St. Stefano Rotondo set in the quiet of Rome’s Caelian hill there are curved
walls frescoed with gory scenes of martyrdom and also a plaque
commemorating Brian Boru’s son, King Donnchadh of Munster,
who died during a pilgrimage to Rome and was buried here in 1064.
Monumental graves in front of the altar of St. Pietro in Montorio
on the Janiculum are testament to a group of exiled Irish Earls
led by Hugh O’Neill who fled to Rome in 1607.
model St. Patrick's Brigade uniform 1860 |
The first printed map of Ireland appeared in “Le Isole piu famose del mondo” in 1590 where Venetian cartographer Tommaso Porcacchi showed Hibernia laying on its side. In the 18th and 19th centuries many Italians migrated to Ireland including Charles
Bianconi who organized an entire transport system for Ireland
including coaches which crisscrossed the country and a system
of postal stations, inns and mail delivery. Even today Bianconi
Inns can be found in smaller Irish towns .
Among the Irish saints and scholars who were regularly “exported” to Italy many left indelible marks on the Eternal City . One was Franciscan Luke Wadding who set up St. Isidore’s Church and the Irish College. Dominican priest Joseph Mullooly excavated under San Clemente‘s Cosmastesque pavements to find an earlier 4th century church and, on a still lower level, a pagan Mithraic temple and Roman houses. Besides being an amateur archaeologist, Mullooly was also an important figure in a little-known chapter of the Risorgimento which gives Irish and Italians a common reason for
celebrating this March 17.
Pope Pius IX |
In 1860 along with Paul Cullen, head of the Irish College in
Rome, Mullooly was the mediator between Austro-Irish officers
and the papal government for the formation of the St. Patrick’s
Irish Brigade. Prior to 1860 Pius IX and his counsellors had
doubts concerning the enlistment of Irish soldiers to defend
Papal territory.
Rome, Mullooly was the mediator between Austro-Irish officers
and the papal government for the formation of the St. Patrick’s
Irish Brigade. Prior to 1860 Pius IX and his counsellors had
doubts concerning the enlistment of Irish soldiers to defend
Papal territory.
But by January 1860 Pius IX had changed his mind due to the seriousness of the situation in central Italy and sent Count Charles MacDonnell,an Austrian officer of Irish descent, to Dublin to organize the volunteer movement.
During the summer of 1860 over 1,000 Irish volunteers travelled from Ireland to Italy where they participated in the battles of Spoleto, Castelfidardo, Ancona and Perugia.
During the summer of 1860 over 1,000 Irish volunteers travelled from Ireland to Italy where they participated in the battles of Spoleto, Castelfidardo, Ancona and Perugia.
Fighting valiantly against enormous odds they wrote a short but glorious chapter in the history of the Italian Risorgimento to be remembered during this year’s Unification celebrations .
You can order a copy of my book on this subject directly ...there are less than 100 copies left.
You can order a copy of my book on this subject directly ...there are less than 100 copies left.
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