IL MIO GIORNALE vol. I

The first volume of Il mio giornale – Stories and Memories of Travels in Italy, France, and South America (1863–1883) was first published in 1903.

In the first part (In Brienza), the author describes his hometown, recounts its historical events, and speaks of his family and the companions with whom he embarked on the journey that would take him to Argentina, where he lived for twenty years.

The second part (On the Road) describes the journey from Brienza to Genoa.

In the third part, Rossi narrates his stay in France and his studies at the Conservatorio San Pietro a Majella in Naples, to which he was admitted after Giuseppe Verdi was captivated by his talent following an audition granted by the Maestro. In France, Rossi was forced to wander as a violinist, and it was during this period that he observed the conditions in which the “viggianesi”—wandering musicians from the town of Viggiano in the Potenza area—lived, exposed to all manner of exploitation, abuse, and violence.

The fourth part (Travelling with Alberti) is precisely the description of his wanderings in France.

The fifth and final part (Embarkation) recounts the vicissitudes he endured before finally boarding a steamship that took him first to Montevideo and then to Buenos Aires.