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    Paper bifolio, 311x224 mm, ff. 79r-80v
   ASV, Arch. Nunz. Napoli, 329, f. 79r‑v

   In April 1830, the poet Giacomo Leopardi (1798-1837) definitely abandoned Recanati and moved to Florence, where he lived until 1833, except for a brief period of stay in Rome. His stay in Florence is characterized by physical and moral suffering: Leopardi’s energies slowly decline as well as the constant weakening of his will to live, especially after his sad love affair with a noble woman from Florence. The poet’s only comfort that kept him from resigning himself to desperation was his friendship with an exile from Naples, Antonio Ranieri, burdened by unhappiness.

   In 1833, he followed Ranieri to Naples, on his return to his homeland. For four years, the poet was lovingly cared for by Paolina, his friend’s sister, without drawing any physical benefit from the mild Neapolitan climate. Neither the moral sufferings cease and on the 27^th May 1837, he writes to his father Monaldo: «My incurable physical sufferings have reached with my age a level that cannot be higher: I hope that once overcome the weak resistance of my dying body, they shall lead me to the eternal rest I warmly invoke every day, not for heroism, but for the harshness of the pain I suffer». On the 14^th June 1837, he died all of a sudden only at the age of 39, hit by an attack of asthma.

   Leopardi’s letters are definitely one of the most significant in Italian literature, which allow us to capture the most intimate aspects of the poet: his sensitiveness, humanity, his thirst for life and affection, his pain and his unhappiness. The letter hereby published is unknown both for Moroncini and for the later collections. The poet asks for the intervention of Gabriele Ferretti (1795-1860), nuncio to the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies (1833-1837) and future cardinal  (1839) to resolve a personal economic problem (line 5): Eccellenza Rev.ma. Io dimoro, come Vostra Eccellenza Reverendissima sa, da lungo tempo in Napoli; e per errore mi hanno compreso fra i contribuenti alle spese della guardia civica di questa capitale. In oltre sono venuti i Gendarmi dove abito ed hanno esatto finora carlini sedici. Mi raccomando all’Eccellenza Vostra Reverendissima tanto - per la recupera di detta piccola somma quanto per la mia totale esenzione da tal contribuzione, che come suddito di Sua Santità (D. G.) non mi appartiene, e l’otterrò dalla giustizia dell’Eminenza Vostra Reverendissima (As His Most Reverend Excellency knows, I have lived in Naples for a long time; and by mistake they have included me amongst those who contribute to the expenses of the civil guard of this capital. In addition, the Gendarmes came to where I live and have until now collected sixteen carlines. I implore His Most Reverend Excellency both - to get back this small amount of money and to be totally exempt from this contribution that as subject of His Holiness (D.G.) I am not obliged to pay, and I shall obtain this from the justice of His Most Reverend Excellency).  

   The poet is poverty-stricken and in order to live he is obliged to ask his friends to help him. As we can see from his Letters, his life in Naples is always precarious on an economic level.

   In the fond Arch. Nunz. Napoli, 329, f. 78r there is the rough copy of the letter with which the nuncio intervenes towards the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies in favour of the poet. We quote the most significant passages: L’arcivescovo di Seleucia, nunzio apostolico, dopo aver presentati gli atti del suo ossequio a Sua Eccellenza il sig. principe di Cassaro, ministro Segretario di Stato degli affari esteri, si dà l’onore di rappresentarle che il sig(no)r conte Giacomo Leopardi, suddito pontificio, ha la di lui assistenza per essere liberato dalle vessazioni che soffre trovandosi compreso nella classe de contribuenti per la guardia civica d’interna sicurezza, benché non sia mai stato chiamato a farne parte attiva. A dir vero il sig. conte Leopardi non può, né deve far parte della guardia sud(detta), perché, oltre d’essere suddito pontificio e residente alla Torre del Greco per curare la sua salute molto deteriorata, è tanto piccolo di statura e sì mal conformato, che nemmeno nelle più critiche circostanze dovrebbe essere chiamato a prestare servizio militare. Per questi fortissimi motivi il sottoscritto prega l’Eccellenza Vostra a voler praticare i suoi valevoli ufficii presso chi si conviene, acciò il sig. conte Leopardi, come è stato reputato incapace a far parte della guardia civica, sia cancellato dal registro de contribuenti per la stessa ragione [...] (The Archbishop of Seleucia, Apostolic Nuncio, after paying his homage to His Excellency the Prince of Cassaro, minister Secretary of State of the foreign affairs, has the honour to inform that Count Giacomo Leopardi, a papal subject, gives his approval to be freed from the oppression he is suffering having been included in the class of the taxpayers for the civil guard of domestic security, even if he has never been called to have an active role in it. To tell the truth, Count Leopardi cannot, nor should he be part of the aforementioned guards, because besides being a papal subject and residing at Torre del Greco only to cure his illness, very deteriorated, his is so small and so deformed, that he could not be called to do his military service not even in the most critical circumstances. It is for these very strong reasons that the undersigned prays His Excellency to practice his valuable duty over whom is concerned, so that Count Leopardi, being unfit to become part of the civil guard, is cancelled from the taxpayers’ register for this very reason [...]).