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October 14, 2020While researching a detail about Pier Giorgio's time in Germany, a letter that he wrote on October 14, 1921 got my attention. It struck me because of how casually he conveyed the breadth of his knowledge of art, literature and geography. Even though he didn't excel academically, I think he could have held his own in any Jeopardy! College Championship.
"Works by Hans Thoma for $200, Alex."
"Dante quotes for $400."
"Cities in Germany for $600."
In just this single letter to a friend, Pier Giorgio mentions travels to Heidelberg, Munich, Stuttgart,
He alludes to Gothic and Romanesque architectural styles and what fine art pieces he has seen. He gives a review of a lecture he attended on Dante and how it simply did not measure up when recited in the German language. He shares that he is reading a book about a key German political figure written by a Dutch countess.
I realize that Pier Giorgio loaded this letter with these sorts of references because he was writing to the family's very good artist friend Alberto Falchetti who would have appreciated such things more than others. Still, these were firsthand experiences he was sharing and knowledge that he acquired from time well spent.
At 20 years old, he was seeing the world and appreciating the finer things about it. All this in addition to his difficult studies for his coursework in mining engineering which he says "makes the time fly." Impressive!
It's easy to focus on his religious practices and athletic skills and forget that there were so many other sides to Pier Giorgio. This, ultimately, is why he is so relatable to so many. And why the answer to countless Jeopardy! questions could be:
Verso l'alto! ///cmw
p.s. "Wheel of Fortune" anyone?