Prominent people - Arpino (Italy)

Marcus Tullius Cicero was born in Arpino in 106 BC from Helvia Cicero and Marcus Tullius Cicero the Elder. They were part of a wealthy family of the equestrian order. He was one of the most important personalities of Ancient Rome, being a philosopher, a statesman and orator. Since he was a child, he was known for his extraordinary intelligence, so his father brought him to Rome, wishing for him a brilliant forensic and political career. Here, Cicero was introduced into the circle of the best orators of his time, he studied Law and Philosophy. He was officially occupied in his forensic career in 81 BC, thanks to his first public oration, the “Pro Quinctio”. In 64 BC Cicero was elected consul for the first time. He had two marriages, firstly, he married Terenzia, from whom he had two sons, and then Publilia, but both marriages didn’t have a happy ending. During his forensic and political career, he confronted the most prestigious personalities of that time, mainly corrupted politicians. He took part in the ascent of Julius Caesar, criticised by Cicero for his absolutistic ambitions, inconsistent with his republican ideals. After Caesar’s murder, Marcus Antonius took charge of Roma. In 43 BC he ordered the assassination of Marcus Tullius Cicero, accomplished by two hired assassins in the harbour of Gaeta.

Gaius Marius was born in 157 BC in Arpino. He was a well known politician and soldier in Ancient Rome, he was also elected seven times consul of the Roman Republic and he was quaestor in Arpino. He came from a family that was not part of the Roman nobility, nevertheless he knew how to work his way to be powerful. He accomplished that mainly thanks to his military skills. He was head of the army and he lead several battles, his numerous victories made him a wealthy man and, thanks to his fame and to his ability to take advantage from a corrupted and incompetent nobility, he was elected consul fro the first ime in 108 BC. He realised a series of military reforms, among which we remember the one on the enrollment of soldiers coming from the lower classes. His political ideals supported the plebs, but he came in contrast with the aristocratic Lucius Silla, to the point that he was obliged to be exiled in Africa. Then, he was called back to Rome and elected again for the last time but, during his first mandate, he died at the age of 71.

Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa was born in Arpino in 63 BC from a modest equestrian family. He was friends with Octavianus, with whom he participated as official cavalry to the battle of Munda in 45 BC. After their return to Rome, Caesar adopted Octavianus as his legal heir. During his life, he was a Politician, a soldier and architect. He obtained a lot of victories, among which there is the victory of the naval battle of Anzio, against the forces of Marcus Antonius and Cleopatra. In 33 BC he was elected aedile, thanks to which he put in use his architectural knowledge. He started the construction of the aqueduct of Serino, one of the biggest architectural works of the entire Roman Empire, and of the Pantheon, which was subsequently built again under Hadrianus. In 23 BC Agrippa was elected governor of Syria and in that same year, he also became Augustus’ son in law by marrying his daughter Julia. He was consul for three times and died at the age of 51 years in March 12 BC.

Giuseppe Cesari, known as the Knight of Arpino was born on February 14th 1968 in Arpino from the local painter Maurizio di Polidoro and the Spanish noble Giovanna van Mander. Cesari was a painter during the Baroque age and his artistic activity was active mainly in Naples and Rome. He was also involved in the education of new artists that would become famous at a later time, just as Guido Reni and Caravaggio. He moved to Rome in 1582, where he worked on the decoration of the Vatican loggias. In 1583 he was accepted into the Academy of St Luca and later he worked on the church of Most Holy Trinity of the Hills (Trinità dei Monti) and St Lorenzo in Damascus. In 1586 Cesare became a member of the Pantheon Congregation of the Virtuous. When he moved to Naples in 1589, he took part in the decoration of the Charterhouse of St Martin. When he went back to Rome, he participated in the realisation of frescos inside the Contarelli Chapel, in the Church of St Louis of the French, before leaving this job to his apprentice Caravaggio. His art is represented in the most important architectural works situated in the Rome and Naples of that period. In Arpino we can admire his works in the Collegiate of St Archangel Michael, situated in Municipio Square, and in the Church of St Vito located on the Acropolis of Civitavecchia.

St Francesco Saverio Maria Bianchi was born in Arpino in 1743. He was educated in the boarding school of the Saints Charles and Philip, and in 1762 he entered in the order of the Barnabites to become a priest. He had taught in the boarding school of Arpino for two years before moving to Naples where he taught in universities. His dedication to the cultural activity had always been in sync with his religious vocation. As the years rolled by his vocation started to be oriented to mysticism. He was confessor of Charles Emmanuel the Fourth of Sardinia, of his wife Maria Clotilde and of numerous cardinals and bishops. Thanks to his fame, he was called Saint and Apostle of Naples. The tradition wants that, thanks to his benediction, he stopped the lava flowing from the Vesuvio during an eruption in 1804. He was then suddenly afflicted by a mysterious leg illness, due to which he was not able to walk. He died in Naples on January 31st 1815, he was beatified on January 22nd 1893 by Pope Leo XIII and he was canonised on October 21st 1951 by Pope Pius XII.