1At Montelupo I heard that the Caverni had moved away some time ago;
fortunately, a relative was able to tell me they now live in Prato. Thus I
was able to trace Egisto's eldest son, Lamberto, and at his home I was able
to look the manuscripts over and hear of their vicissitudes. Lamberto Caverni
does not remember Giovannozzi's visits; during those years he was away in
the war. He does remember that his father's large family (Egisto raised ten
children) was always ready to receive and assist anyone who declared he
wanted to study or copy those papers. But not everyone behaved as loyally
as Giovannozzi: someone even published some unprinted works in his own
name, not without taking all the postage stamps off the correspondence! In
the meantime, by making many sacrifices, Egisto Caverni was able to set up a
saw mill with a shop for making packing cases; he rented a place in the street
named today for Raffaello Caverni in a zone separated from the capital,
Montelupo, only by the Pesa river which flows into the Arno there. After a
few years, not far from there, he began to build himself a new house on the
avenue that leads to the Villa Ambrogiana. The manuscripts, naturally,
followed the family as it moved and were always allotted the most decorous
space possible. Once the war was over and the two sons who had taken part in
it returned home, the little packing case factory began to prosper. But on the
day of Epiphany in 1920, after a period of heavy rains, the rivers swelled
beyond measure and the Pesa overflowed with incredible violence. The
manuscripts were on the ground floor in the “office” and were transferred to
the upper floor just in time. The fury of the waters destroyed the stone walls
around the property and swept away all the lumber stored there; the house
itself seemed about to collapse. During the months following the flood every
attempt was made to recover from that ruin, but a year later another flood
similar to the first put a definite end to the artisan activity of that large family,
reducing it, literally, to desperation. It was then they thought of moving to
Prato because their best clients were there and, perhaps, to avoid the risk of
another useless effort. But they needed at last 20,000 lire to set themselves up
in business again, capital which a relative was ready to offer, against, however,
ample guarantees. For these he asked for Raffaello Caverni's manuscripts
which Egisto and his ten children had shown they cared for more than anything
else! In a few years of hard work in the favorable zone of Prato, the Caverni put
their old business back on its feet. But Lamberto remembers that his father, by
then old and infirm, could find no peace until he could go to Montelupo to repay
that debt and regain the manuscripts. Naturally, their troubles were not over.
During the Second World War, in the air raid of January 17, 1943, the
Caverni house and factory were once again destroyed, but the manuscripts had
already been opportunely evacuated to a safe place under the church of nearby
Figline and could thus be returned undamaged to the family. Indeed, Lamberto
Caverni, following the instructions of his great-uncle's will has already con-
fortunately, a relative was able to tell me they now live in Prato. Thus I
was able to trace Egisto's eldest son, Lamberto, and at his home I was able
to look the manuscripts over and hear of their vicissitudes. Lamberto Caverni
does not remember Giovannozzi's visits; during those years he was away in
the war. He does remember that his father's large family (Egisto raised ten
children) was always ready to receive and assist anyone who declared he
wanted to study or copy those papers. But not everyone behaved as loyally
as Giovannozzi: someone even published some unprinted works in his own
name, not without taking all the postage stamps off the correspondence! In
the meantime, by making many sacrifices, Egisto Caverni was able to set up a
saw mill with a shop for making packing cases; he rented a place in the street
named today for Raffaello Caverni in a zone separated from the capital,
Montelupo, only by the Pesa river which flows into the Arno there. After a
few years, not far from there, he began to build himself a new house on the
avenue that leads to the Villa Ambrogiana. The manuscripts, naturally,
followed the family as it moved and were always allotted the most decorous
space possible. Once the war was over and the two sons who had taken part in
it returned home, the little packing case factory began to prosper. But on the
day of Epiphany in 1920, after a period of heavy rains, the rivers swelled
beyond measure and the Pesa overflowed with incredible violence. The
manuscripts were on the ground floor in the “office” and were transferred to
the upper floor just in time. The fury of the waters destroyed the stone walls
around the property and swept away all the lumber stored there; the house
itself seemed about to collapse. During the months following the flood every
attempt was made to recover from that ruin, but a year later another flood
similar to the first put a definite end to the artisan activity of that large family,
reducing it, literally, to desperation. It was then they thought of moving to
Prato because their best clients were there and, perhaps, to avoid the risk of
another useless effort. But they needed at last 20,000 lire to set themselves up
in business again, capital which a relative was ready to offer, against, however,
ample guarantees. For these he asked for Raffaello Caverni's manuscripts
which Egisto and his ten children had shown they cared for more than anything
else! In a few years of hard work in the favorable zone of Prato, the Caverni put
their old business back on its feet. But Lamberto remembers that his father, by
then old and infirm, could find no peace until he could go to Montelupo to repay
that debt and regain the manuscripts. Naturally, their troubles were not over.
During the Second World War, in the air raid of January 17, 1943, the
Caverni house and factory were once again destroyed, but the manuscripts had
already been opportunely evacuated to a safe place under the church of nearby
Figline and could thus be returned undamaged to the family. Indeed, Lamberto
Caverni, following the instructions of his great-uncle's will has already con-