Federico Rosazza took part in “Giovine Italia”, with the nickname of “Gatto” ( so to avoid being intercepted). Mazzini was called in his correspondence “Emilia”, “Antonietta”, La cugina”. Many other members were in touch with the Senator such as Mr. Campanella and Ruffini Brothers. Giovanni Ruffini in his masterpiece “Lorenzo Benomi” describes the risings from 1833 to 1848.
In this poem Federico Rosazza was mentioned with the name of the character “Alfred”. Federico Rosazza, when he was young, between 1831 and 1832 wrote some poems and articles which were really appreciated by the public of that time. In 1842 he published his novel in two books “ Carlo and Matilde”, telling the love story between a poor Italian and a rich English woman. A copy of the masterpiece is kept into a room of the Castle. He was interested in music and arts. He took piano lessons from Maestro Ronco and he owned a piano keeping them one in each house of his ( one of them is still present in our estate) He had a box stage in Carlo Felice theatre in Genova, in Regio theatre in Torino and to Emanuele one, where in 1866 he watched twelve times the opera “L’Africana”. He bought many paintings and period furniture still present in the Castle nowadays.
After his daughter Ida’s death, died in 1865 because of smallpox, he tried to communicate with her to recover the missing through séances and spiritualism books. He took out a subscription for “Annuali dello Spiritismo – Spritism annuals” ( some volume still stocked at the castle) and he planned with the painter Maffei many séances. He succeeded in keeping in touch with her many times, and Ida pushed him to restore the Castle of Desana, Rosazza city, their native country, and all Andorno valley ( Cervo valley in Biella area). He was a great amateur of botanic science, and he rebuilt the park in the Castle, planting many trees from all over the world. He gave birth to many public works in Biella area.
He planned and esigned the road and the gallery connecting San Giovanni d’Andorno Sanctuary and Oropa one building some extra chapels along the way. He opened some mule tracks used by pilgrims in Andorno and Oropa valleys. He used his granite mine to help during the works, one of the best and most appreciated material all over the world at that time, which was used to build the basis of the Statue of Liberty in New York. His public works gave job to thousands of labourers and chisellers around all Biella area. According to him “ water is life” and for that reason he had fountains and aqueducts built that we can admire nowadays as well. His passion for botanic science arrives to agriculture. He managed all Desana’s lands with rice cultivation and he took care of his vegetable pot around the Castle.
He loved asparagus and strawberries in springtime, potatoes and cabbages in winter, and he used his best vegetables together with rice. During those months when he lived in Turino or Genova, he asked to send by carriage all his favourite products, maize flour, Saluggia beans, butter and all cheese from Piemonte. He loved Nebbiolo wine from Biella ( he was the owner of a winery in Ceretto Castello) and all wines from Alba area. He drank a lot of coffee too. His favourite cuisine was the one by Piemonte and Genova tradition.
His personal providers were : “ Borsalino” for hats “ Levi e sacerdom” in Turino , dressmakers “Overa” for the shoes “Prevot e Rontin” for the skirts He registered each day the weather conditions: maximum and minimu temperatures, rainy days, snow, sunny days etc etc (“ in 1884 12 january the sun rises on my house roof at 9.35 and I can see it from my bedroom door “). To verify his calculations he bought a small machine Biondi brand. Many of his registrations are in the Castle collection of documents.
He was interested in engraving and we can today admire “ la vecchia del lago e l’orso” and “ Agnesetta Rosazza”, two different decorations along the mule tracks he built.
Further info on: Official website of the Republic Senate, Wikipedia
