Az Eszterházy Károly Tanárképző Főiskola Tudományos Közleményei. 1995. Sectio Historiae.(Acta Academiae Paedagogicae Agriensis : Nova series ; Tom. 22)

Kaló Ferenc: „...Örök hála az itáliai risorgimentonak..."

KALÓ FERENC ...ÖRÖK HÁLA AZ ITÁLIAI RISORGIMENTONAK..." (Herzen) ABSTRACT: („... owing a debt of gratitude to the Italian risorgimento...") A. I. Herzen was obliged to leave Russia in January 1847. He arrived at Paris with great expectations but his letters - addressed to his friends but intended to be published - soon reflected disillusionment. The loss of hope was due to facing the reality of the Monarachy of July, the social conflicts and the contradictions of the bourgeois civilization in the French capital. All the above were among the reasons why he left for Italy in October 1847. His impressions and experiences of this almost five-month-long sojourn are known from his letters. (Letters From Via del Corso, from December 1847 to 20th April 1848.) These letters reflect a totally different mood: they are optimistic in tone. The reason for this is partly the fact that Herzen was very enthusiastic about Italy, the antique monuments and the Renaissance art since his youth. But the contemporary events meant even more to him. In the letters mentioned above a lifelike description is given about the events in Italy on the thereshold of the revolution of 1848, about the crucial moments of the first days and weeks, and about the first promising results, herzen also depicted magnificent portraits of the most significant characters of the events, e. g. Pope Pius IX. He gave account of the mass demonstrations with the authenticity of a witness. His judgement of certain events and people may occur superficiel, nevertheless we must appreciate in these letters the observations of a contemporary who was compelled to lack historical perspectives, yet made lasting statements about his age. 167