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MEETING
ANNALISA CIMA
Brano
scelto da / excerpt from Il vecchio vate e la giovane Saffo
(Edizioni Baldini & Castoldi, Milano: in preparazione)
Who
is Annalisa Cima? Annalisa was born in Milan. Her family,
owners of a paper mill, were originally from Lecco. Her
paternal grandmother’s family was originally from
the French-Piedmont region and her maternal grandmother
was of Austrian-Jewish ancestry. In fact, Alice Anna Schlesinger,
Annalisa’s maternal grandmother, was a member of
one of the most illustrious families that fled from Vienna
during the Nazi era.
Francesco Cima, Annalisa’s beloved grandfather, was
an enlighted entrepreneur and a Gobettian anti-fascist
who was forced to seek asylum in Switzerland during the
war. He was an intelligent and educated man, a sort of
understated patron of the arts, a rarity.
It is in referring to the grandfather she always adored
that Annalisa immediately begins her autobiography, focusing
on the aspirations and passions felt during her youth.
I think we should let her tell us:
“I have spent too many years alone to be objective
in describing myself”,says Annalisa. “Therefore,
I will try to remember what my grandfather used to tell
me. He would say that it is difficult to understand great
souls, because they hide, although one can usually figure
them out by paying attention to details. I have never
been interested in being famous, and I have always tried
to hide, but I don’t know if this is enough to be
a great soul; what I do know is that it is important to
me to do good and that I always keep in mind that everything
passes, everything fades away, only deep feelings, caused
by heartfelt emotions, don’t end. They change, but
don’t die.
I have always sought the friendship of those who are similar
to me, who love beauty, so that I wouldn’t lose my
inborn sense of aesthetics and ethics. That’s what
my grandfather used to say about me.
I was very lucky to grow up with my grandparents, surrounded
by extraordinary people: my grandparents, so peaceful
and good-natured, Angelica, my generous and motivated
teacher, my beloved Colombina, our cook, who saw the birth
of my father and died in our house; Giuseppe, our driver,
and all the other household help.
I was born in Milan, in Via Cosimo del Fante, but I spent
my childhood in a true garden of Eden: in my grandparents’
house, in the country, in San Giovanni Bianco. It was
surrounded by a huge park with a small lake, local trees,
a small grotto, tree-lined paths, a fountain, a small
stable with a real pony, squirrels and turtle-doves which
inhabited the beautiful gardens.
Living in this happy environment made the outside world
seem dangerous. I still live in a dream, one that has
not been spoiled by gossip and lies.
“Yes, the world has always scared me, because of
its inconsistency and aggressiveness, because life is
too short and full of too many problems that need to be
solved and on which we could spend all our time. As a
child, when I was asked what I wanted to be, I would answer:
I want to become a philosopher, a saint or a poet. The
elderly, detached and peaceful, have always been my favourite
interlocutors. Materialism and careerism, which I often
found in my peers, persuaded me to distance myself from
them. It takes a lot of courage to make choices where
one must give up things; you are often left with yourself,
but solitude can be beautiful, when one is with a book,
a real friend or one’s own thoughts.
“Hypotheses of love” was the title of one of
my poetry books, with a preface by Marisa Bulgheroni;
maybe that’s the way it is: in my opinion, life is
an endless hypothesis of love, in friendship, passion,
memories or desires. What’s the use of intelligence,
which my grandfather often called upon? To joyously live
memories and know more, to have a fulfilling present and
a project-filled future. Lastly, I expect a lot from others
because I expect a lot from myself”.
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Francesco Cima, il nonno
prediletto da Annalisa
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Il nonno Francesco Cima,
la nonna Elisa e la zia Maria
a San Giovanni Bianco, 1922
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L'istitutrice Angelica tra
Francesco alla sua sinistra e
Annalisa
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La villa di San Giovanni Bianco
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