‘A vucchella,a song written on the tables of a cafe

Article written by Michele Sergio and published in IL ROMA on 25 November 2018

An interesting, controversial and complex figure by Gabriele D’Annunzio (Pescara 1863 – Gardone Riviera 1938), the great poet, the absolute protagonist of Italy’s political and cultural life between the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. Personality of the highest intellect and cultural depth, the greatest exponent of Italian decadentism and convinced nationalist, he participated in the Great War in the newly formed Regia Aeronautica (legendary was the bombing on Vienna with the Caproni airplane). It is considered by many to be the greatest Italian literary of the twentieth century.

He lived in Naples from 1891 to 1893 collaborating with Il Mattino and Il Corriere di Napoli and, in addition to journalism (he collaborated with Eduardo Scarfoglio and Matilde Serao), he also realized some of his most important works: Giovanni Episcopo and L’innocente. The “Vate” (nicknamed so because considered by his contemporaries a sacred poet, almost a prophet) was a frequent visitor to the Gambrinus. All the patrons, even great writers like Salvatore Di Giacomo and Ferdinando Russo, wanted his friendship; the ladies asked him, instead, autographs and stories about his love stories.

Tradition has it that in 1892, between a coffee and a sorbet in Gambrinus, Vate was challenged by his friend Ferdinando Russo to write a Neapolitan song. D’Annunzio, imagine if he pulled back, he wrote the text, in pencil and on the marble of a coffee table (a table then kept by the waiter Ciccillo) despite its origins certainly not partenopee, taking inspiration from a beautiful girl who sipped a coffee at the tables of Gambrinus.

Sì comm’a nu sciorillo

tu tiene na vucchella

nu poco pocorillo

appassuliatella:

Meh, dammillo, dammillo,

”“ è comm’a na rusella ”“

dammillo nu vasillo,

dammillo, Cannetella!

Dammillo e pigliatillo,

nu vaso piccerillo

comm’a chesta vucchella,

che pare na rusella

nu poco pocorillo

appassuliatella…

Sì, tu tiene na vucchella

nu poco pocorillo

appassuliatella…

The famous ‘A vucchella’ was born as a bet, then played by Francesco Paolo Tosti who, after the publication of Giulio Ricordi in 1907, found international success thanks to the interpretation of Enrico Caruso. Since then consecrated as a Neapolitan classic, Roberto Murolo, Sergio Bruni, Luciano Pavarotti and, finally, Andrea Bocelli, have not failed to try their hand at this authentic masterpiece.