https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B071FB9SGV
Second Scene
(the above said; Eleanor of Sardinia; his husband
Brancaleone Doria )
As they come in there is a man
playing launeddas, while a mature, nice woman is wearing some coral pendants earrings; the two people are dressed in
Sardinian traditional suits and are very fashion. The furnishings are very
simple: a mirror, four wooden chairs, a table, a stool, a cupboard. In the
middle of the table some flowers and a faience jar of wine.
Eleanor (still
looking herself in the mirror trying to fix the earrings) Come in!
Virgil: May we
come in please?
Eleanor (like
before): Of course you can! Come in and take a sit! I’ll be with you in a
minute!!!
Virgil: Thank you
madam!!!
(they seat around the table while the boys
keeps on playing; after a short time Eleanor seats down with them)
Eleanor (while
sitting): What wind of fortune brings you here? You look as foreigners to my
eyes!
Virgil: You’re not
wrong madam! We’re travelers and we come from very far!
Eleanor: Welcome to
my house! Where are you from? There’s something familiar on you two but I can’t
say more…May I ask your names?
Virgil: My name is
Publius Vergilius Maro!
Eleanor: That’s
why your acquaintance was so familiar to me…I’m honored to have in my house
divine Virgil. What about your silent friend?
Virgil: His name
is Durante Alighiero degli Alighieri…
Dante (shyly):
Please, call me Dante…
Eleanor: Dante
Alighieri!!! That’s unbelievable!!! Brancaleone, have you heard? We have Dante
Alighieri, the Florentine at our desk!!!
Brancaleone (stops
playing, puts the launeddas in the stool and goes closer, taking seat after
shaking hands with Dante) It’s very nice to meet you!
Dante: It’s my
pleasure!!!
Eleanor: There is
Tuscan blood in our veins too! Though you might consider we are political
rivals in some way!!! Please, my dear, take some glasses! We’re going to drink
for celebrate this day!
Dante (confused
and fascinated): Thank you very much;
but please, don’t say I ‘m against
you domina…
Eleanor (fiercely): I’m Eleanor Serra De Bas from Sardinia, daughter to the King of
Arborea, Mariano the Fourth; my mother was Timbora di Roccaberti daughter to
the catalan Viscount Dalmazio.
Dante (standing up surprised, fall on his knees to
kiss her hands): Let me pay the respect you deserve, queen of Arborea…
Brancaleone brings four glasses and smiles at Dante’s
kneeling
Eleanor (helping him to stand up): Oh no, you are my
guest, please. I know you are a great poet! Please have a drink (Dante,
Brancaleone and Eleanor have a drink but Virgil doesn’t)
Dante (drying
his eyes off the tears of commotion and drinking some wine): I’ve known
your great-grandfather Mariano the Third, in Pisa, in 1312; we were both there
to pay respect to the great emperor Henry the Seventh of Luxenburg, the so
called New Moses. His father was Chiano d’Arborea de Serra Bas, married with
Giacomina della Gherardesca, daughter to the Count Ugolino della Gherardesca…
Eleanor: You know a lot of things of my family,
Dante!!!
Dante: You belong to a great family! And Pisa is not
so bad as I painted in my comedy…
Eleanor: Thank you Dante, though I must say that I
feel to belong to Sardinia, more than to Pisa…
Dante: I was wrong and unfair to you country,
beautiful queen Eleanor and I apologize for that. Could you ever forgive me, you and your people?
Eleanor: So many people have been unfair to my country!
And after all, who can say he has never mistaken?
Virgil: I think we need to go my son…
Dante (standing up and tendering the launeddas to Brancaleone)
For the love I promise to take to your
country, please play for me once again!
While Brancaleone restarts playing Dante and Virgil
will go away and the light will be off!
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