MAMT||Museo Mediterraneo dell' Arte, della Musica e delle Tradizioni (EN)
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15 February 2022
Iniziative (EN) -
MAMT – Mediterranean Museum of Art, Music and Traditions
Special visits today to the Museum of Peace - MAMT dedicated to the emotional journey "Antonio De Curtis prince poet". The occasion is the 124th anniversary of the birth of the great artist who left his mark on history. His granddaughter Elena remembers him thus:
"Today my grandfather would have been 124 years old and a question comes to mind: An adjective to describe your grandfather?
Answer: I would say that one adjective would not be enough to describe a basically complex and contradictory man. A lover of life, but a hypochondriac. Sensitive, empathetic, sincere, introverted, womanizer, romantic, misanthrope, thinker, curious, affectionate father, humble, shy, elegant, reserved, generous. In short, I would define him as a democratic prince (I borrow the definition given by Prof. Luigi Caramiello, which I would say fits him perfectly).
Totò aroused the "smile" as well as laughter. The smile is deeper and makes us reflect. He represents the oxymoron par excellence. His biography is a piece of sublime humour, completely voluntary, conscious, deliberate.
A beggar who was also a gentleman, a lazar who was also an aristocrat. He was everything and the opposite of everything. He represented the most authentic and profound character of his city. All the people loved him and continue to love him. Everyone recognises him as a brother, because he showed the nobles how much better the poor people could be, and he showed the "lazzari" how one can be noble in spirit and have the art of living like a true gentleman. Grandfather lived an authentic life and left traces that will remain impressed in our memory.
This reflection is the result of notes collected over time from newspapers and books, so I would like to thank all the Totoisti and give my grandfather a caress saying: I love you very much.
