Bologna
Article
Bologna is a recurring place in the Astral Codex Ten archive, appearing 4 times across 4 issues between June 03, 2022 and April 01, 2026. The archive places it in contexts such as ""Farinelli sang at Bologna in 1727…""; “Two months into his stay at Bologna”; “Italy BOLOGNA Contact: Luca”. It most often appears alongside Europe, Australia, Colorado.
Metadata
- Category: Places
- Mention count: 4
- Issue count: 4
- First seen: June 03, 2022
- Last seen: April 01, 2026
Appears In
- Your Book Review: The Castrato
- Your Book Review: The Family That Couldn’t Sleep
- Meetups Everywhere 2025: Times and Places
- Meetups Everywhere Spring 2026: Times & Places
Related Pages
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- Europe (4 shared issues)
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- Australia (3 shared issues)
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- Colorado (3 shared issues)
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- Italy (3 shared issues)
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- London (3 shared issues)
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- MOSCOW (3 shared issues)
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- Norway (3 shared issues)
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- Paris (3 shared issues)
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- Spain (3 shared issues)
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- United Kingdom (3 shared issues)
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- 131 Colonie Center (2 shared issues)
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- 200 Degrees (2 shared issues)
External Links
Source Context
Recovered passages from the original issue text. When the raw archive preserved outbound links inside the source passage, they are listed directly under the quote.
It was not uncommon for castrato to display their vocal prowess in contests against other singers or musicians (I imagine it like the 17th century version of a rap battle; more later on the castrato-rapper comparison). Famously, Farinelli once got into such a contest with a trumpet player and so surpassed him in technique and volume that “he was at last silenced only by the acclamations of the audience". He wasn’t undefeated however, “Farinelli sang at Bologna in 1727, where he met the famous castrato Antonio Bernacchi, twenty years his senior. In a duet in Orlandini's Antigona, Farinelli showed off all the beauties of his voice and refinements of his style, executing a number of passages of great virtuosity, which were rewarded with tumultuous applause. Undaunted, Bernacchi repeated every trill, roulade, and cadenza of his young rival, but performing all of them even more exquisitely, and adding variations of his own. Farinelli, admitting defeat, entreated Bernacchi to give him instruction in grazie sopraffine ("ultra-refined graces"); Bernacchi agreed.”
During lucid moments, Silvano could laugh with Ignazio and Lisi over what was happening—he joked that the brain-sensor cap on his head made him look like Celestine V, and that, like the thirteenth-century pope, he wanted to renounce his crown—but such joking did not disguise his terror. Two months into his stay at Bologna, he was howling in the night, his arms and legs wrapped around themselves, the tiny pocket square still in place. In the last days of his life he lay in a twitchy, exhausted nothingness.
Contact: David Contact Info: inlets_spinal_0a[a t]icloud[period]com Time: Friday, September 12th, 6:00 PM Location: Motel One, 111-114 Middle Abbey St, North City, Dublin, D01 H220 Coordinates: https://plus.codes/9C5M8PXP+6H Group Link: hxxps://chat[dot]whatsapp[dot]com/Ecgu6De4a[ignore this]XkDhAk9FELKGr (Note: The link has been obfuscated due to spam.) Notes: No RSVP required. Email me if you have trouble accessing the group. Italy BOLOGNA Contact: Luca Contact Info: luc[period]petrolati[a t]gmail[period]com Time: Sunday, October 5th, 4:00 PM Location: Piazza Santo Stefano, in front of the Basilica Coordinates: https://plus.codes/8FPHF8RX+V9
Inline links: https://plus.codes/9C5M8PXP+6H, https://plus.codes/8FPHF8RX+V9
Contact: Daniele Contact Info: daniele[.]denuntiis[@]gmail[.]com Time: Saturday, April 18th, 5:00 PM Location: Via Martin Luther King, 100, 24127 Bergamo BG. I’ll bring a sign that says “ACX MEETUP” Coordinates: https://plus.codes/8FQFMJMP+3X Notes: This is an interest check, if you’re interest in attending, even if it’s just a maybe, let me know by email or LessWrong DM.Venue may shift to a café or bar depending on attendance and weather. BOLOGNA Contact: Luca Petrolati Contact Info: luc[.]petrolati[@]gmail[.]com Time: Sunday, April 12th, 4:45 PM Location: We’ll gather up at the pub “Fabrik”, Via Augusto Righi 32e. I’ll be waiting at the entrance carrying a sign saying “ACX MEETUP” Coordinates: https://plus.codes/8FPHF8XW+GG Notes: Feel free to come and propose a topic of conversation, or just come to have a chat with intellectually interesting people
Inline links: https://plus.codes/8FQFMJMP+3X, https://plus.codes/8FPHF8XW+GG