The Distinguished Philanthropist James Grataroli…"Heretic scandalous and infamous…”

A bust placed at the entrance to the University of Basel today testifies to the reputation and esteem in which he was held in the ground Swiss physician and scientist William origins brembane Grataroli.

Its land, San Giovanni Bianco, remembering him rather belatedly, has dedicated the street that runs in the frieze Brembo, retracing the route of the road Priula. More recently Professor Tarcisio Sai glass, In his history of San Giovanni Bianco, has reconstructed the earthly putting into clear light his uncommon qualities of a man of culture.

Born in Bergamo 1516, William belonged to the powerful family of Grataroli of Oneta, owners, against the other, elegant fifteenth-century building now known as “home of Harlequin”.

A family among the oldest in the country, who had built his fortune with the trade of wool and was enriched to the point of becoming the owner of almost all the country of Oneta and extensive grounds surrounding.

The same church in the small town, placed on “by mercatorum” was juspatronato of Grataroli who considered personal property.

The architectural structure of the main, attention to construction details, the uncommon size of the lounges, the merit of the frescoes that adorned the walls, testify to the high level of welfare of this family who over the years had woven more and more intense contacts with Bergamo and Venice.

The frescoes, in particular, un'annotazio deserve it-. Depict subjects of sacred and profane, and are now kept in the sacristy and in the rectory of St. John White.

Notable, breadth and artistic value, is the scene of a jousting tournament that wants to be an allegory pay personified by the hero Achilles and the Christian, Tristano, caught in the climax of the duel-. The winner is, needless to say, good Tristan who plays a Grataroli, as is well-evidenced by the coat of arms “gratarola” (grater) ric co-paludament depicted on his horse.

With elegant frescoes in form and content, reflecting the cultural level of the clients which include among their members, together with businessmen, several priests, doctors, notaries and precisely the physician and scientist Guglielmo, that can be placed among the most illustrious personalities of the European culture of the sixteenth century, but in Italy was persecuted for his ideas neighboring Protestant heresy. The first contacts with the Lutheran and Calvinist doctrines that were spreading in those years in Europe, William had them during their university studies in Padua, were closed with a degree in medicine. Following the new doctor, devoting himself to the profession, first in Milan and then in Bergamo, lost no opportunity to express publicly several times, in words and in writing, his ideas do not fit in with the official doctrine in matters of faith, for which he was repeatedly called to clarify his position in front of the ecclesiastical courts of the two cities.

But the utterances of unorthodox Grataroli did not stop and so intervened against him even the bishop of Bergamo Vittore Soranzo that, after a first yellow card to come back on the right path, in 1550 was forced to command it formally to appear before the canonical authority to retract his statements in an official, contrary to the doctrine of the Church, now in the public domain.

The positions of the Grataroli in matters of faith were largely autonomous and original, although several were the similarities with the Lutheran and Calvinist doctrine. He denied the authority of the pope and the Church, gave no value to indulgences and good works, did not believe in the existence of purgatory, and then felt useless prayers in suffrage for the dead, also denied the presence of the body of Christ in the consecrated.

There was more than enough to guarantee him the burning and even a sincere retraction of all his heresies would have spared a severe punishment.

For this reason the Grataroli refrained from presenting, ma riparò a Tirano, in Valtellina, then under the Grisons, where Protestant ideas were generally accepted.

In Bergamo, the ecclesiastical court, after waiting in vain for the appearance of the accused, judged him in absentia and 23 January 1551 pronounced the sentence, rando declared heretic William Grataroli “stubborn, recidivist, scan-and infamous daloso… a real plague against the faith”, sentencing him to perpetual banishment from the district of Bergamo, penalty of decapitation and the stake if he had been captured, and imposing on his head a reward of five hundred pounds.

Needless to say that the civil justice upheld the convictions, adding just the confiscation of all his property and that of his wife.

It began from that moment for a long period of exile William Grataroli, lasted until the death, which took place in 1568. Persecuted at home, found hospitality and honors in Basle, where he obtained the chair of medicine at the university of that city, distinguishing itself in particular for the theory that physiognomy was then extensively developed by Lombroso.

His personal success was completed with an intense publishing activity that enabled him to disclose the foundations of his knowledge in different fields of medicine, of philosophy and science in general. Among the dozens of works published in those years, there are some that deserve attention today to the relevance of the topics covered. And’ the case of the test on the upgrade and maintenance of memory (Reparanda memory, Augendre servandaque), than on the defense of health (De-tuen health by) and what explains the rules of conduct dell'accorto traveler (Government of all travel).

This work contains some observations that are still valid for today's tourists: not half-tere too much in your own money, Pay attention to the stofanti-, do not trust the first comer, not lose sight of your luggage, do not pick up the provocations, not to exceed the libations, willingly adapt to the customs of the countries you visit, and many suggestions, the result of the personal experience of the author-, accustomed to travel along the routes not too sure of his age. The content of his works and the propensity towards research and progress are of William Grataroli a spirit Renaissance, a modern man, able to evaluate the reality in the light of his own will. A man when it comes to faith and religion chose to follow his own conscience rather than bow to the directives of the hierarchy.

Taken from ... Stories of Brembo – Tarcisio Bottani – Wanda Taufer- Ferrari Editrice