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Count Girolamo Lucchini: The Life, Escapades and Trial of a Legendary 18th-Century Criminal
For Bologna it was the proverbial crime of the century. The year is 1789 and a number of unsolved minor thefts and other crimes have led up to a shocking burglary at the city’s beloved charitable pawnbroking institution for the poor, the Monte di Pietà. The police are completely baffled, the citizens are demanding answers, and no one can believe the audacity nor grasp the ingenuity of the crime.
This historically accurate account traces the later life of Girolamo Ridolfi, alias Count Girolamo Lucchini, from his days as a gambler and petty thief in Venice to his crime spree in Bologna as a master thief and counterfeiter, and finally to his ultimate fate. Descriptions of 18th-century life and customs in Bologna add a rich backdrop to the story, as Lucchini’s escapades are traced throughout the city.
This was a man who could have made his fortune using his extraordinary talents and skills as a master craftsman, but instead, Lucchini chose a life of crime. Yet even as a criminal, he may have succeeded in never paying for his offenses had he not broken one of his own cardinal rules: confide in no one.
This historically accurate account traces the later life of Girolamo Ridolfi, alias Count Girolamo Lucchini, from his days as a gambler and petty thief in Venice to his crime spree in Bologna as a master thief and counterfeiter, and finally to his ultimate fate. Descriptions of 18th-century life and customs in Bologna add a rich backdrop to the story, as Lucchini’s escapades are traced throughout the city.
This was a man who could have made his fortune using his extraordinary talents and skills as a master craftsman, but instead, Lucchini chose a life of crime. Yet even as a criminal, he may have succeeded in never paying for his offenses had he not broken one of his own cardinal rules: confide in no one.
163 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 15, 2014
58 people want to read
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October 16, 2014
In the interest of full disclosure I am the publisher of this book. My review reflects my opinion as a reader.
This is an interesting story of a crime that was absolutely shocking by the standards of 18th-century Bologna, Italy, and the life of the man who committed it.
I was hooked by the first chapter, which describes the crime and the preliminaries of the investigation. But then Mr. Patrizi launches into a rather lengthy chapter 2 on the political, cultural and social situation of Bologna at the time. While it was good background information, I thought its length disrupted the flow of the story somewhat.
However, picking up the story again in chapter 3, Mr. Patrizi describes all the facets of the case for the rest of the book.
Thoroughly enjoyable and informative.
This is an interesting story of a crime that was absolutely shocking by the standards of 18th-century Bologna, Italy, and the life of the man who committed it.
I was hooked by the first chapter, which describes the crime and the preliminaries of the investigation. But then Mr. Patrizi launches into a rather lengthy chapter 2 on the political, cultural and social situation of Bologna at the time. While it was good background information, I thought its length disrupted the flow of the story somewhat.
However, picking up the story again in chapter 3, Mr. Patrizi describes all the facets of the case for the rest of the book.
Thoroughly enjoyable and informative.
Displaying 1 of 1 review