Rosario, Historian and Friend

Abstract

This essay is an account of my personal, intellectual and professional relationship with Rosario Villari between September 1981, when he spent six months with me in Princeton as a Visiting Member at the Institute for Advanced Study, and his death in 2017. We spent much time together discussing his plans for a companion volume to his La rivolta antispagnola a Napoli, a book I greatly admired. Following his return to Italy we continued to discuss plans for his new publications, and notably Elogio della dissimulazione and Un sogno di liberta, and my wife and I were fortunate to be able to stay with him and Anna Rosa on a number of occasions in Cetona at the Podere Santa Fortunata, while also exploring Tuscany, Rome and Naples. I learnt much from him and owe a great deal to his friendship over the years.