Story
The action of the poem begins with the arrival of a messenger in Rome with the news that Vienna has been besieged by the Turks. Meo Patacca, the greatest of all swordsmen in Rome, gets the brilliant idea to amass a troupe of brave and battle-hardened mercenaries (Sgherri arditi e scaltri) to break the siege and save the city. Nuccia, with whom he is in love and wants to marry, begs him not to leave and go to war. In a tearful scene, she manages to make him waver in his intentions and that leaves him worried and anxious.
He walks around in the city, meditating on the next move and finds himself in Piazza Navona with its fountain (canto 3, octave 21):
| Original | Roughly translated |
|---|---|
| Ce so' poi sopra quattro cantonate, | On top there’re four sections, |
| Et altrettante statue, una pe' parte; | And equal number of statues, one in each part; |
| Ce stanno iofamente qui assettate | They’re here beautifully sitting |
| Se i posti da sedè glie fece l'arte. | As if Art placed them there in their seats. |
| Questi so' fiumi con le fogge usate, | Those are rivers each with his attitude, |
| Assai famosi in tell'antiche carte: | Very famous in the ancient maps: |
| Nilo, Gange, Danubio, e c'è di più, | Nile, Ganges, Danube, and there's more, |
| Detta rio de la Platta, il gran Pegù. | Known as Río de la Plata, the Great Pegù. |
And then, later in the same canto, octave 29:
| Original | Roughly translated |
|---|---|
| Et ecco, che già tutto v'ho mostrato, | And now, that I've shown you all, |
| Sol resta a dirvi, che fu autor famoso | It only remains to be said, who’s the famous sculptor |
| Di quest'opera granne, (et io m'inchino | Of this great work, (and I bow |
| Alle sue grolie), il Cavalier Bernino. | At his glory), Cavalier Bernini. |
Read more about this topic: Meo Patacca
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