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Searching for Lionardo DiCapua, Part 6

Lionardo DiCapua, Vetriano Italy

DiCapua compound

Lionardo DiCapua’s story

Pictured above is the DiCapua compound in Bagnoli, Irpino. The plaque was placed in 2017 on the 400th anniversary of his birth. It reads: “In this house on the 10th of August 1617 was born Lionardo DiCapua Renowned Physician, Scientist, Philosopher Opposed to Every Form of Dogmatism, Affirming the Primacy of Liberal Thinking.”

unanswered questions

In the last post, I began listing the reasons why I wrote From Superstition to Science as historical fiction rather than pure history. I listed a few unanswered questions regarding Lionardo’s life, and I’ll continue with the others.

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Searching for Lionardo DiCapua: Part 5

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historical fiction

Some people have asked me why I wrote Lionardo DiCapua’s story as historical fiction rather than non-fictional history. My original intent when I started the project was to write non-fictional history. After researching the available materials, and especially after Adele and I translated Nicollo Amenta’s La Vita di Lionardo Dicapua, I realized that there were periods in Lionardo’s life (and undoubtably some characters) about which nothing was known.

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Searching for Lionardo DiCapua: Part 4

Vetriano Italy

Pictured above is a drawing of Tommaso Cornelio, Lionardo’s good friend and co-founder of the Accademia degli Investiganti.

finding my place

I wasn’t sure where my place might be on Adele (DiCapoa) Lord’s family tree. The oval from the seventeenth century that contained Lionardo’s info united us in a quest that went beyond our blood relationship. We were determined to pursue Lionardo’s history. We began by locating Lionardo’s life story – La Vita di Lionardo DiCapua – in a library in northern Italy. The author, Nicollo Amenta, was an inducted member of the Arcadia in Rome. The Arcadia was a sort-of hall-of-fame of Italian scientists and artists begun by the Queen Christina of Sweden. Amenta wrote his book about fellow member Lionardo after Lionardo died.

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Searching for Lionardo DiCapua (Part 3)

Lionardo DiCapua

ITALIAN CLASSES

The unlikely discovery of the The DiCapua Family Crest.

Adele Lord moved to Seattle from Campobasso, Italy after World War II with her since deceased husband, Will Lord. He had been an ambulance driver for the British Army as it marched up the eastern side of the Italian peninsula. They met and were married in Campobasso then returned to Will’s hometown of Seattle. Adele told me that she began studying English in Italy but really learned it by reading Perry Mason novels.

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