In 1758, the canon Alberto Baccanti replaced Camillo Mantovani as vice-keeper of the Colonia arcadica Eridania, born in Casalmaggiore some years before.
The members of the Colonia, as arcadian pastor, took advantage of every birth, wedding, death or public event to celebrate with poetries, orations and pretentious epigraphs. Alberto Baccanti, also known as Penteo Alcimedonziaco, was the most known and appreciated representative in the local Colonia.
He was a very productive poet and came back to his homeland after numerous travels to European courts. He wrote Maometto legislatore degli Arabi (“Mohammed legislator of the Arabs”), which was printed in Casalmaggiore by the Bizzarri brothers (the cultural fervour of that period gathered an interest for typographical arts, which were long decayed after the splendid development in the sixteenth century).
Loan from Fondazione Conte Busi onlus - Casalmaggiore
