Ancient Document - Proclamation of Orsini Felice

04The Felice Orsini Sales Affiliation Document: history and symbolism.

 

This document constitutes a valuable and invaluable testimony to secret societies in Italy and sheds light on the rituals and symbolism of the Carbonari specifically. What we have before us is, in fact, an identification document of a member of a Carbonari society, specifically the "Vendita Felice Orsini." As many know, the Carboneria was born during the early Risorgimento uprisings in the Kingdom of Naples in the first half of the 19th century. Founded as a revolutionary movement, the Carboneria initially opposed monarchical absolutism in the name of political freedom and democratic constitutions. In the Italy of the Risorgimento, especially after the Congress of Vienna in 1815, all revolutionary movements, including the Carboneria, had a distinctly patriotic connotation, striving to expel foreign invaders (the Bourbons and Austrians) and reunify the peninsula into a single state. For this reason, Carbonari associations were often linked to patriots, heroes who had given their lives in the name of Italian unification.

Among the inspiring figures was Felice Orsini, already known for his many insurrectionary attempts and who came to prominence in 1858 for his assassination attempt on Emperor Napoleon III. The French monarch was seen as an obstacle to the creation of an Italian state; in fact, as protector of the Papal States, he had overthrown the Roman Republic and restored papal power. Furthermore, his alliance with the Church prevented Piedmontese troops from conquering Rome, a vital objective for the formation of an Italian state. Orsini hoped, with the death of Napoleon III, to unblock the Roman Question (which would ultimately be resolved with the French defeat at Sedan in the Franco-Prussian War and the subsequent entry of Piedmontese troops into Rome) and to foment an anti-monarchical revolution that would spread from France throughout Europe. The assassination attempt failed, but Felice Orsini remained a symbol of the revolutionary movement, thanks in part to the letter he wrote to Napoleon III from prison, which the emperor had published. Felice Orsini himself had also promoted intense Carbonari activity before the assassination, having founded a secret society called the "Italian Conspiracy of the Sons of Death."

Our document comes from a Carbonari association called, precisely, "Vendita Felice Orsini." "Vendita" was the specific terminology used to refer to individual associations; in practice, it was the equivalent of a Masonic "lodge." Specifically, this document served as a pass, a certificate of recognition for a member of that particular vendita who had become a Carbonaro after completing the affiliation rite. The text, in fact, reads:

“ All FBCC brothers scattered across the globe from one pole to the other are ordered to recognize the bearer of this present as our and their brother.”

It is therefore clear that this document was valid for membership not only for the Vendita Felice Orsini but for the entire Carboneria. The text continues:

“This Diploma, signed in their own hand by all the dignitaries, is accompanied by a wax seal bearing the Roman Fascio coat of arms and another smoke seal bearing the title of the Sale, that is, the Followers of the Hero of Italy”.

The dignitaries cited have placed their seals all around the text; their initials can be seen, all preceded by the "M" for Maestro, a term used to identify the hierarchies of secret societies. These are extraordinary testimonies that complement what has been identified as a "smoke coat of arms bearing the title of the Vendita," which still appears, perfectly preserved, at the bottom of the document. The stamp is triangular in shape and bears the words "V. (vendita) Felice Orsini." At the center is a coat of arms with the typical symbols recurring in revolutionary movements: the fasces (which would also have appeared on the now-lost wax seal), a symbol of strength and unity in the struggle, and the Phrygian cap, a clear allusion to the Sans-culottes of the French Revolution, whose principles of liberty, fraternity, and equality also inspired the Carbonari uprisings.

Continuing the theme of symbolism, which makes this document extremely interesting, the three Theological Virtues also appear on the stamp. In fact, they are also depicted on the full-length title page of the certificate. They appear as three young women, likely a transposition of the Three Graces of pagan origin. On the left is Faith, who usually holds a cross, unlike this variant, which instead holds a bunch of ears of wheat. Next comes Hope, who supports herself on an anchor, a symbol of the firmness of her ideals. Finally, Charity, who appears as a woman caring for children. The Theological Virtues have a strong connection with the symbolism of the Carbonari, so much so that they are also the basis of the society's flag. Divided into three horizontal bands, black, the color of coal, represented Faith; light blue, the color of smoke from the stove, represented Hope; and red, the color of fire, represented Charity. The importance of the Theological Virtues for the Carbonari was understood not so much in a religious sense as as in revolutionary ideals. Emblematic, in this sense, is the replacement of the cross with the bunch of ears of corn in the figure of Faith, with a more direct reference to the symbolism of society.

Another significant element is the central panel, which depicts a hermit saint in a scene where figures are burning bundles of firewood. The saint is most likely identified as Saint Theobald, patron saint of the Carbonari. He was born in Provins, France, in 1017 to a wealthy family, but following his religious ideals, he dedicated himself to a secluded life entirely devoted to work and meditation. It's important to add, specifically in reference to this particular document, that Felice Orsini himself had Theobald as his middle name (the name was chosen by his father, who was also a Carbonari). The scene in the background refers more directly to the Carbonari symbolism, with the bundles of firewood (again a symbol of unity and strength in battle) and fire, another essential element: the tied wood represents the unity of the Carbonari, and as it burns in the fire, it transforms into coal, just as the Carbonari's hearts, burning, were ignited by revolutionary ideals.

The bundle of firewood also returns in the lower left corner beneath the figure of a cherub. Two other cherubs, at the bottom center, hold other symbols: the skull, emblem of transience, and a crown of thorns, a reference to the suffering the Carbonaro will endure.

A few words should be said about the technical and formal quality of the document, which is certainly remarkable. The drawings and decorations were created with extremely precise hatching, rendering the figures in exquisite detail. Aesthetically, the decoration is very beautiful, with the elegant frieze on the frontispiece surmounted by the encrypted inscription and the frame made of vine shoots and leaves, creating an extremely vivid and lifelike representation.

Finally, as regards the dating, it should be understood between the year of the attack on Felice Orsini, 1858, given that the patriot was considered a hero ( “The Followers of the Hero of Italy” ) and the period in which the Carbonari societies ceased to have a purely revolutionary character, that is, up until the period of the First World War when they decidedly sided in favour of interventionism.

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