From Luan Rama
The story of the Durazzo family is undoubtedly one of the most brilliant and extraordinary stories of the Albanian diaspora over the centuries. First, because this story, which begins in the 14th century, has not only withstood the test of time, but also constitutes one of the most surprising contrasts. In the book “Distant Crosses” (Argeta, 2001), I wrote a chapter about the life and unique adventure of this family, which in 1389, at the time of the “Battle of the Swans” of the Serbo-Albanian-Hungarian coalition, against the Ottoman hordes, had set off from the shores of Durrës towards the north of the Adriatic. Documents of the time confirm this story inherited by this family from one generation to the next.
The Durazzo family was one of the most noble and great families in Genoa from the 16th to the 18th centuries and one of the most famous Albanian families in all of Europe. The Durazzos were Albanians from Durrës. They left Albania in the 16th century and soon became lords of the Republic of Genoa. Generation after generation, they became the most famous people in Europe. They were senators, cardinals, diplomats and advisors.
Many prominent people considered him a “citizen of Europe” and we can say that Giacomo Durazzo was among the most prominent figures in this regard, compared to his predecessors in the Albanian diaspora. He was an Italian-Albanian diplomat and passionate about theater. In a publication about Mozart’s life, a French author also writes about the famous trip of Leopold Mozart with his son, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who would land in Venice to give several concerts.
It was 1771 and this was their second trip, after the one a year earlier, when the 14-year-old Amadeus had applied to enroll at the "Filarmonica di Bologna" academy, where its director had accepted him with the note; "sufficient".
They were already coming after a concert tour that had taken them to Verona, Turin and Milan. They arrived in Venice on February 10, after a seven-day journey. There they were welcomed by two of their friends, the merchant Giovanni Wieder and Lorenz Haguenauer. In Venice they spent a month visiting the charms of this city.
The abbot Giovanni Ortes, a political writer, was at that time one of the most influential voices of the republic. He promised them that he would introduce them to the most famous musician in that city, Count Durazzo. Count Durazzo gave them a special reception in his residence, the “Loredan” palace, on the “Grand Canal”, where Durazzo lived.
The palace where Durazzo received the guests is so called because it was built by the Doge of the Republic, Leonardo Loredan, and was truly magnificent. The gifts were numerous. The water of the lagoon had crossed the threshold of the gate and the lower floor had long been flooded.
A typical Venetian building with a magnificent facade, two balconies carved with arches and two marble statues embedded in the wall. Later, this building would be called by the Venetians, “The Ambassador’s Palace”, in memory of the famous ambassador Durazzo.
In Durazzo's time, "Venetia", as Venice was then called, was still experiencing its glory days. Venice was more of a historical and cultural reference for all the intellectuals of Europe. Music, the rich collections of Italian, Flemish, and Spanish paintings, the "Arsenal", where the famous Venetian ships were built, the amazing architecture of the city, everything attracted travelers from all over the world.
Foreign ambassadors, as well as Durazzo, had at their disposal special large gondolas, decorated with velvet, which took them to the Doge's Palace or to San Marco Square, to the central cathedral, to the Fenice Theater, along the Grand Canal or to Mestre, where Durazzo had his villa outside the city.
Venice, the city of carnivals and masks, was considered at that time the city with the largest number of prostitutes in the world in relation to its population, a large crowd of "putti e putte", courtesans and courtesans, who were characters in the dramatic or comedic pieces of Goldoni, a friend of the Duravzzos.
At that time, Mozart was proposed to write the music for the libretto by French writer Jean Jacques Rousseau, "Devin de Village" or otherwise "The Love of Bastien and Bastienne".
Durazzo and Mozart undoubtedly discussed this piece, as several years earlier, Count Durazzo had tried to stage it in the Vienna Theaters. After negotiations with Rousseau, he had even engaged the librettist Farvart of the Opéra Comique in Paris for a burlesque parody based on the piece by the French writer and philosopher.
For Leopold and his son, Count Durazzo was an important figure in the European musical world, who had directed the Vienna theaters for ten consecutive years. He had been a very close friend of the composer Hasse, about whom in one of his letters, that year, on November 2, Mozart would write:
"Today the opera "Ruggiero e Hasse" is being performed, but since my father will not be coming out, I cannot hear or see this opera either. Fortunately, I know all its arias by heart. So, even locked up at home, I can hear and see everything in my mind."
On March 5 of that year, Count Durazzo will listen to the concert of the young 14-year-old instrumentalist, who had already become known in all the European princely courts with his talent and virtuosity. The concert was received with great applause from the entire Venetian aristocracy, where Durazzo was of course in the first place. “Viva il Maestrino” (Long live the Master!), shouted the nobles.
All of Venice was talking about the amazing talent of the instrumentalist Wolfgang, who at that time was also writing a theatrical serenade, which had been requested by the Empress of Austria, Maria Theresa. This year, Amadeus had created various symphonic pieces, which he demonstrated and performed in the settings and theaters of Italy and Europe. Such were the symphony in C K. 81, K. 89, the symphony in G, K111/120, K. 96, the famous overture “Ascanio in Alba” or “Mirtridate”.
We do not know if Count Durazzo wrote anything about the genius Amadeus, who would later shock the world with his music. On March 12, Amadeus and his father left Venice and headed for Salzburg. Venice was a cultural capital where famous personalities of European culture met.
Also in Venice, Count Durazzo will be accompanied by his old friend, the painter Joseph Wagner, who will paint not only his own portrait, but also that of several other artists, including their mutual friend, the famous Farinelli castrati, or as he was otherwise called, Carlo Broschi.
Giacomo Durazzo was also a great amateur not only of the original scores of great authors and other music books, but also of engravings and graphics. His collection was amazing and of colossal value, as he invested all his wealth in them, so much so that in the end he became penniless.
His library was divided among the family, but after the political and economic decline of this family, the library would end up in the “Foa-Giordano” fund of the National Library of Turin. Durazzo left the Venetian embassy in 1784 and devoted himself to art.
It was during this period that he prepared a dictionary of drawing artists, where he collected prints from the greatest painters of Italy and Europe, including many drawings by the famous painter Mantegna.
Ten years later, on October 15, 1794, he died, leaving behind an extraordinary collection, especially paintings, his rich library and, above all, his collection of "prints", wonderful engravings by the great masters, collections known in the metropolises of Europe, wealth that would be divided among other family members, since he had no direct heirs.
As Angela Durazzo writes in her book, “I Durazzi, da schiavi a dogi della Republica di Genova”, his library in Venice contained 25.000 titles, of which about 2500 were old books and codices that he had purchased and collected over the years. Among them were 27 volumes of music, scores with red covers, most of which with the authors’ original autographs and writings.
He even owned most of Vivaldi's works, which he had purchased from the musician's brother, Francesco Vivaldi, especially parts of his sacred music, compositions and concertos, "entantes", most of which were written for the city's "prostitutes" gathered in the "Ospedale della Pietà". This would be enough to make him an "Honorary Citizen" of Venice./ Memorie.al
