Vincenzo Bellini e il barone Aymé d'Aquino: note per un possibile epilogo documentario

Start from the documentary researches by John Rosselli, considering Vincenzo Bellini’s last days in Puteaux, this paper, based on John Rosselli’s documentary researches, aims at reconstructing the reception of the relationship between Bellini and Auguste-Louis-Victor Aymé d’Aquino through two directions: what is registered in the chronicles of the time and resulting from the perusal of the news in some newspapers which made the young Aymé famous for being the last man who saw Bellini alive, and what of that relationship flowed into Bellini’s romanticized biography. Moreover, since the young d’Aquino was nephew of Michele Carafa, whit whom he had a close relationship, an analysis of the French environment will be taken into consideration where both Aymé and Bellini used to move in, as far as salons and other habitual attendances are concerned, such as the Foyer de la Danse of the Opera. In conclusion, it is possible to deny even the existence of Aymé d’Aquino’s diary, just a letter sent by the diplomat to Francesco Florimo, who twisted the facts in order to romanticize them.