The investigators remember they have been invited by Miss Cavollaro to the premiere of Aida. he invitation is for tomorrow evening, January 12th.
During the trip between Lausanne and Milan there is not much time to study the scroll thoroughly. Apart from that, the group is feeling tired from the events in Lausanne. To make the first progress in studying the scroll, the investigators will have to spend a few hours in a quiet place where they can concentrate.
The station looks like a bomb has hit it. Rubble lies about in heaps. Gray dust covers everything. The train stops, breathes its last gasps of steam, and all falls quiet. Nobody is on the platform: the station is remarkably empty. Eventually, two drowsy-looking porters appear with baggage carts, and then subdued groups of people shuffl e past to dutifully welcome relatives and friends. The porter explains that the new government has decided that the station’s décor be substantially changed, and much of it is being pulled down before the upgrading can begin.
Milan is the biggest city in northern Italy, the capital of the region called Lombardy, and after Naples the second- most populous city in Italy. Milan has a long and celebrated history. In the 4th century it was made capital of the Holy Roman Empire, and so was pivotal to the development of early Christianity. In the following centuries its power grew and it continued to dominate local politics, culminating in the period from the 14th to 16th centuries when the Visconti and Sforza dynasties created the city anew, expanding and rebuilding in accordance with long-term plans. Il Duomo, the magnifi cent cathedral, was begun in 1387. Milan’s prosperity declined with the Spanish conquest of the 17th century and subsequent rule of the Hapsburgs into the 19th century. The advent of the Risorgimento (mid-19th century) and the unification of the regions of Italy into a single kingdom saw Milan develop once more into an intellectual and cultural focus of the country. By the 1920s it was well-established as the center of big business in Italy. About 1890, Marxism was introduced to Italy, and it is illustrative of the ideological liberality of the Milanese authorities that papers such as Avanti!-Giornale Socialista could enjoy wide readership without fear or repression. As well as being receptive to new ideas, Milanese also enthusiastically pursue the latest styles. Milan is the fashion center of Italy, so there are a seemingly disproportionate number of wellfrequented clothing retailers in the central business district. In 1897-99 the Edison Co. installed electric streetcar lines in the streets of Milan, which converge on the Piazza del Duomo much as irregular spokes about a central hub. The Duomo can be considered the very heart of Milan, its imposing beauty allowed space by the piazza before it. The streets that lie close by are packed with four- and fi ve-story buildings, giving the impression of a series of geometrically regular and intersecting valleys. Da Vinci’s famous painting, “The Last Supper,” can be found in the church of Santa Maria Delle Grazie, a ten minute tram-ride from the Piazza del Duomo. The picture depicts the moment after Christ has uttered the words: “One of you will betray me,” and the surrounding groups of disciples look suitably amazed.
In 1923 Milan, much construction is underway. Buildings are going up or are being extended. The Duomo is having a facelift and workers scurry up and down scaffolding lugging pieces of pink and white marble to be replaced or cleaned. Some of the multitudinous statues are being removed as well. On the outskirts of town, the University of Milan is under construction. Italy is in the midst of political change in 1923, as Benito Mussolini continues his rise to power. Milan was his base until his move to Rome in October 1922, and the Blackshirts had their first rally here in 1919. In 1923 they are active in the streets. Reports from the period speak of them forcibly administering castor oil to those with socialist leanings or found drunk in public. The Fascist Voluntary Militia is formed on February 1st, 1923. There is a rise of nationalism. Foreign visitors did not necessarily see this as a bad thing. In 1926 Rose Wilder Lane, daughter of Laura Ingalls Wilder, wrote of Mussolini “it’s amazing, what he’s done”.
The ambiance in Milan is strange. No one seems to have much energy even for gossip, but that limited talk centers on Caterina Cavollaro. It does not take much time for the group to catch a casual conversation, even from English tourists speakers. Though stories differ, most agree that when she disembarked from the Orient Express, a black car was waiting to collect her. She got in, and has not been seen since. By the late afternoon papers, the first fears that she has been abducted are being voiced.
Opera Star Missing!
Fears of Abduction
Police have expressed fears that soprano Caterina Cavollaro may have been abducted from Milan’s Stazione Centrale. The singer has not been seen since she alighted from the train from Paris yesterday at 1pm. Since then she has not returned to her apartment or attended rehearsals at La Scala, where she is due to sing the part of Aida, which opens tomorrow night. Arturo Toscanini, music director of La Scala, has confirmed that he has had no contact from the singer since she departed Paris. Police request that any members of the public contact them if they have any information on the whereabouts of Signorina Cavollaro. We heartily urge all Milanese to join the search for our most beloved star.
OOC: Those who have French can understand the written italian. However, talking with people is more complicated. Anyone with Italian or willing to pick Italian? |
