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Magazine n. 3/2006 |
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1971-2006 LEONESSA, in the name of the history |
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Lieta del fato Brescia raccoltemi,
Brescia la forte, Brescia la ferrea,
Brescia leonessa d'Italia.
(Carducci, Odi barbare, 1877)
Ferdinando Pasotti was inspired by a poem by Giosuč Carducci ("Alla vittoria", contained in the "Odi Barbare") when searching for a name for the company he was founding in 1971. This was not a random choice and one not dictated by school memories or by the importance of a name by which Brescia was already universally known.
This was a name which perfectly mirrored the words of Carducci's poem: Brescia la forte (Brescia the strong), Brescia la ferrea (Brescia the excellent). Pasotti's "Leonessa" was intended as a company desire to be strong in the iron processing market.
With his poetic creation, Carducci wanted to define the leonine courage with which the city fought during the insurrection of the "Dieci Giornate" (Ten Days) for ever. Nevertheless, Carducci, who should perhaps be given the merit of making this glorious definition popular, was not the first to use it: he took it in fact from a verse of Risorgimento poet Aleardo Aleardi who defined Brescia in a song as "Leonessa d'Italia" (Lioness of Italy) for the first time in "Canti Patrii".
D'un de' tuoi monti fertili di spade,
Niobe guerriera de le mie contrade,
Leonessa d'Italia,
Brescia grande e infelice.
(Aleardo Aleardi, Canti Patrii, 1857) |
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