On Tuesday 30 September 2025 at 8:30 pm, in the Fresco Hall of the Tadini Academy in Lovere (entrance from Piazza Garibaldi 5), Matteo Facchi, Manuel Ottini, and Alessandro Tira of the Crema Historical Society will present the book Giovanni Battista Terni. Memorie 1759-1787, edited by M. Ottini, Crema, Conte Terni de’ Gregory 1001, 2024.

Giovanni Battista Terni (1736-1787) was a member of one of the oldest and most illustrious families in Crema. His Memorie cover approximately thirty years, reaching up to the threshold of the French Revolution, and offer a vivid snapshot of the society of the time. The text provides details of the daily life of a small provincial town perfectly in tune with the spirit of the times: the decline of the nobility and the rise of a bourgeoisie increasingly open to the ideas of the Enlightenment; The circulation of news through newspapers, which made Europe far more interconnected than we might imagine; the wedding ceremonies of the ruling houses, celebrated in nearby Milan, Verona, and Parma; the vibrant theater scene with performances by singers and dancers of continental fame; the lavish parties with elaborate sets; the spread of malaria and a mysterious new disease called «mal russo»; the progress of harvests and meteorological information, useful for studying climate change; the complex management of roads, bridges, and powder magazines; the local fair, and much more.

Among the protagonists on this stage, Luigi Tadini and his wife, Libera Moronati, emerge. They are removed from the role of patrons and the narrative of family tragedy and are presented within the context of contemporary society.

The publication of this volume was made possible by contributions from members of the Società Storica Cremasca, the Directorate General for Education, Research, and Cultural Institutes of the Ministry of Culture, the Fondazione Popolare Crema per il Territorio, and the Lions Club «Crema Gerundo».

The book is sponsored by the Department of Culture of the Municipality of Crema, the Municipality of Capralba, and the Tadini Academy of Lovere.

Text by Accademia Tadini
Cover image credits: G. Bonomelli