Chapter XLII: Citius, Altius, Fortius
From the personal diaries of Cardinal Alberto Pala
Monday 19th of March 1894
Interesting news today, it appears that someone wants to revive the Olympic Games, and it was a Frenchman of all people who came to me today to suggest the idea. This Baron de Coubertin is not content with the regional Olympics that have been organized here and there but has plans for something truly international, as was the case in ancient times. I will be the first to admit that I have never shown much interest in the matter before today, I always thought the local affairs to be pleasing enough distractions but the pagan aura always kept me skeptical of larger movements. However, today's conversation has encouraged me to look deeper into the subject and begin to ask my fellow cardinals for their opinions.
De Coubertin started his harangue by explaining the virtue of sportsmanship and the importance of keeping these competitions among amateurs because, in his view, the main virtue of the athletic competition is the struggle to overcome one's opponent rather than mere victory; a statement with which I would agree in theory, but I doubt in practice. But the element that really captured my attention was his belief that one might, formally or informally, revive the ancient sacred truce and use the Games as a tool for peace and understanding across cultures. That a Frenchman could suggest such a thing to an Italian mere months after a war, struck me as proof of his sincerity and had me thinking about the plausibility of the concept. I do not expect that we could end the institution of war with this display but that would be an aspirational goal and I do believe that friendly athletic competition could be a more civilized substitute for the wars that have marred this century. I let the baron go without a firm answer but I implied that he should have hope for the success of his project.
As I mentioned, I spoke to several other cardinals to gauge their opinion on the matter and I received lukewarm support but warm nonetheless. Many simply see the fact that our economy is flourishing and we can afford to spend a few tens of thousands of dramme to heighten our status on the global stage, others see the ceremony more as a way to assert our dominance. One such cardinal was Cardinal Fatta who suggested that we should keep the celebration in Olympia in perpetuity and not let this opportunity slip through our fingers. This disturbed me mainly because the rotation of locations was one of the ingredients that de Coubertin had suggested would be key to the peace process and, rather than a display of strength, I believe that Fatta's plan would be seen as more of a diplomatic insult. As such, I tried my best to give him half-replies that neither confirmed nor denied my approval and quickly moved on to others.
I must now compile a comprehensive report for the pope and seek his judgment where I can ensure that his holiness sees the importance of the project and the spirit in which it must be undertaken. I pray that I shall be convincing enough.
Monday 6th of April 1896
And so the Olympics have returned for the first time in over a millennium and on Easter Sunday to ward off any paganism shadows. We still haven't seen much of the approximately four hundred athletes' abilities but the opening ceremony was a great spectacle with dignitaries and music for everyone to enjoy in the restored stadium at Olympia. I was overjoyed to have the ancient Verdi accept my call once again and act as Italy's representative in the artistic portion of the ceremony by directing a few of his most famous pieces. The pope himself even came to the inauguration to give a small speech which I thought was sufficient and quite typical of pope Innocent but it seems to have been met with polite applause by those in attendance. Speaking of which, no seat was left unoccupied and there were over forty thousand spectators to the event and nearly four hundred athletes from Europe and the Americas. As is to be expected, the majority of athletes is Italian but there is also a significant contingent of Greeks who have traveled the short distance from their country to the Peloponnese.
The encounter with the Greek ambassador dampened the mood of the occasion significantly, however. I did my best to make polite conversation and keep away thoughts of revanchism and the status of the Peloponnese but my efforts were not sufficient. I was asked several pointed questions about the Greek heritage of the games and the Greek myths surrounding them and there was not much I could do to dispel the awkwardness of the situation. I would like to make it clear that the interaction was entirely civil but the bitterness was absolutely inescapable and not something I could do much about. I have thought a little about the Greek question but I can't think of a good solution that would satisfy all parties: I can see that this land is traditionally Greek and that many ethnic Greeks live here but it has also been fifty years since the invasion and there is a significant proportion of Italians in the area whose rights need to be recognized. I've seen that Innocent has no intention of rocking the boat but I believe that the longer this issue is ignored the harder it will be to find a permanent solution.
Fortunately, the rest of the day had no more such standoffs with even the French, Austrian, and Hungarian representatives putting on a conciliatory face and bringing me the compliments of their respective governments. I have no proof that de Coubertin's ideas on peace have any merit to them but I find it comforting that, since we accepted the Olympic commission two years ago, there have been no major wars in Europe and international politics has been relatively subdued. One hopes that this may continue far into the future.
But, returning to the actual sporting events, we witnessed some impressive athletic performances by twenty-five competitors divided among the discus throw and the triple jump. To my great satisfaction, it was two Italians who earned first place and were given the silver medal and olive branch while another Italian gained the copper and laurel branch. For the discus it was Silvano Bonacci who arrived first while Uberto Silveri was second; for the triple jump, Massimiliano Vilella prevailed while the Swiss Werner Waldmeier managed to come in second. The display aroused considerable enthusiasm and I could feel that the crowd was enjoying itself greatly in witnessing these pinnacles of physical prowess which made me feel very much aware of my old age.
In summary, despite a few diplomatic abrasions, I believe that the first day has been a success and I am excited about its continuation tomorrow where we can expect more athletics, weightlifting and I especially look forward to the fencing.
Wednesday 15th of April 1896
At last, the games have concluded and nothing went horribly awry either internally or externally. The closing ceremony was a simple affair where I thanked all the illustrious guests and all the athletes that had participated before leaving the stage to some of the other dignitaries present. At that point, the pressure was quite low since most of the spectators had left on Monday after the final cycling event and we were mostly reduced to athletes and officials.
In a triumphant display of the capabilities of our youth, Italian athletes managed to secure twenty-one silver medals and thirty-one copper medals leaving the other nationalities far behind, although the United States gained an honorable second place with eight silver and four copper which is considerable since they had almost one athlete for twenty of ours. Regardless of the victories or defeats, I found myself enthralled in disciplines I scarcely knew existed but seemed incredibly important at the time. I was enthralled by the acrobatic performances at the pommel horse where the competition was almost entirely a German affair with the few Italians not being particularly remarkable. I remember how outraged I was that the judges had given first place to the Swiss Zutter while they relegated the clearly superior German Weingartner in second. In hindsight, I'm not sure what exactly caused me to think that but I suppose that such is sport.
Regarding politics, everyone turned out to be surprisingly civil and all the major participants managed to gain a medal so there can't be too many complaints; although I smile at the memory of the French almost always falling behind an Italian, which led to a humorous amount of jokes and witticisms on the matter. Even the Greek tempers were cooled with their own silver medal and the harsher notes in conversation softened after a few days of fraternization. I hope that this might do a little to spread mutual understanding among our two peoples and this land that history has caused us to share despite much animosity having developed among both sides. I was pleased to note that this behavior was more or less common among most of the competitors who were more united by their disciplines than divided by their nationality; if only such an attitude could flourish in the continent.
I decided to write some letters of congratulations and thanks to each of the national delegations to ensure that this spirit be not soon forgotten but remembered fondly until the next time we meet again in the new century wherever that may be. I have high hopes for the future.
Author’s note:
Cardinal Pala died suddenly in the autumn of 1896 after twenty years of loyal service to the newborn Italian nation.
He followed a fairly standard path to the Curia and was well remembered in his archbishopric of Modena but failed to make much of a splash in the political scene of the day. Nowadays, he is mostly remembered as the principal sponsor of the First Olympic Games but his cultural work is often remembered in the names of schools and streets in many Italian cities.
In recent times, the colonial legacy of the Olympics has tarnished Pala's legacy with many Greeks and certain politicians arguing that the celebration be abolished or, at the very least, given back fully to the Greeks as a part of their cultural heritage. Regardless of the future of these claims, modern historiography tends to be less critical of Pala since he did not actively deteriorate the condition of the Greek people but it must be remembered that he did not act to alleviate the oppression.
Monday 19th of March 1894
Interesting news today, it appears that someone wants to revive the Olympic Games, and it was a Frenchman of all people who came to me today to suggest the idea. This Baron de Coubertin is not content with the regional Olympics that have been organized here and there but has plans for something truly international, as was the case in ancient times. I will be the first to admit that I have never shown much interest in the matter before today, I always thought the local affairs to be pleasing enough distractions but the pagan aura always kept me skeptical of larger movements. However, today's conversation has encouraged me to look deeper into the subject and begin to ask my fellow cardinals for their opinions.
De Coubertin started his harangue by explaining the virtue of sportsmanship and the importance of keeping these competitions among amateurs because, in his view, the main virtue of the athletic competition is the struggle to overcome one's opponent rather than mere victory; a statement with which I would agree in theory, but I doubt in practice. But the element that really captured my attention was his belief that one might, formally or informally, revive the ancient sacred truce and use the Games as a tool for peace and understanding across cultures. That a Frenchman could suggest such a thing to an Italian mere months after a war, struck me as proof of his sincerity and had me thinking about the plausibility of the concept. I do not expect that we could end the institution of war with this display but that would be an aspirational goal and I do believe that friendly athletic competition could be a more civilized substitute for the wars that have marred this century. I let the baron go without a firm answer but I implied that he should have hope for the success of his project.
As I mentioned, I spoke to several other cardinals to gauge their opinion on the matter and I received lukewarm support but warm nonetheless. Many simply see the fact that our economy is flourishing and we can afford to spend a few tens of thousands of dramme to heighten our status on the global stage, others see the ceremony more as a way to assert our dominance. One such cardinal was Cardinal Fatta who suggested that we should keep the celebration in Olympia in perpetuity and not let this opportunity slip through our fingers. This disturbed me mainly because the rotation of locations was one of the ingredients that de Coubertin had suggested would be key to the peace process and, rather than a display of strength, I believe that Fatta's plan would be seen as more of a diplomatic insult. As such, I tried my best to give him half-replies that neither confirmed nor denied my approval and quickly moved on to others.
I must now compile a comprehensive report for the pope and seek his judgment where I can ensure that his holiness sees the importance of the project and the spirit in which it must be undertaken. I pray that I shall be convincing enough.
Monday 6th of April 1896
And so the Olympics have returned for the first time in over a millennium and on Easter Sunday to ward off any paganism shadows. We still haven't seen much of the approximately four hundred athletes' abilities but the opening ceremony was a great spectacle with dignitaries and music for everyone to enjoy in the restored stadium at Olympia. I was overjoyed to have the ancient Verdi accept my call once again and act as Italy's representative in the artistic portion of the ceremony by directing a few of his most famous pieces. The pope himself even came to the inauguration to give a small speech which I thought was sufficient and quite typical of pope Innocent but it seems to have been met with polite applause by those in attendance. Speaking of which, no seat was left unoccupied and there were over forty thousand spectators to the event and nearly four hundred athletes from Europe and the Americas. As is to be expected, the majority of athletes is Italian but there is also a significant contingent of Greeks who have traveled the short distance from their country to the Peloponnese.
The encounter with the Greek ambassador dampened the mood of the occasion significantly, however. I did my best to make polite conversation and keep away thoughts of revanchism and the status of the Peloponnese but my efforts were not sufficient. I was asked several pointed questions about the Greek heritage of the games and the Greek myths surrounding them and there was not much I could do to dispel the awkwardness of the situation. I would like to make it clear that the interaction was entirely civil but the bitterness was absolutely inescapable and not something I could do much about. I have thought a little about the Greek question but I can't think of a good solution that would satisfy all parties: I can see that this land is traditionally Greek and that many ethnic Greeks live here but it has also been fifty years since the invasion and there is a significant proportion of Italians in the area whose rights need to be recognized. I've seen that Innocent has no intention of rocking the boat but I believe that the longer this issue is ignored the harder it will be to find a permanent solution.
Fortunately, the rest of the day had no more such standoffs with even the French, Austrian, and Hungarian representatives putting on a conciliatory face and bringing me the compliments of their respective governments. I have no proof that de Coubertin's ideas on peace have any merit to them but I find it comforting that, since we accepted the Olympic commission two years ago, there have been no major wars in Europe and international politics has been relatively subdued. One hopes that this may continue far into the future.
But, returning to the actual sporting events, we witnessed some impressive athletic performances by twenty-five competitors divided among the discus throw and the triple jump. To my great satisfaction, it was two Italians who earned first place and were given the silver medal and olive branch while another Italian gained the copper and laurel branch. For the discus it was Silvano Bonacci who arrived first while Uberto Silveri was second; for the triple jump, Massimiliano Vilella prevailed while the Swiss Werner Waldmeier managed to come in second. The display aroused considerable enthusiasm and I could feel that the crowd was enjoying itself greatly in witnessing these pinnacles of physical prowess which made me feel very much aware of my old age.
In summary, despite a few diplomatic abrasions, I believe that the first day has been a success and I am excited about its continuation tomorrow where we can expect more athletics, weightlifting and I especially look forward to the fencing.
Wednesday 15th of April 1896
At last, the games have concluded and nothing went horribly awry either internally or externally. The closing ceremony was a simple affair where I thanked all the illustrious guests and all the athletes that had participated before leaving the stage to some of the other dignitaries present. At that point, the pressure was quite low since most of the spectators had left on Monday after the final cycling event and we were mostly reduced to athletes and officials.
In a triumphant display of the capabilities of our youth, Italian athletes managed to secure twenty-one silver medals and thirty-one copper medals leaving the other nationalities far behind, although the United States gained an honorable second place with eight silver and four copper which is considerable since they had almost one athlete for twenty of ours. Regardless of the victories or defeats, I found myself enthralled in disciplines I scarcely knew existed but seemed incredibly important at the time. I was enthralled by the acrobatic performances at the pommel horse where the competition was almost entirely a German affair with the few Italians not being particularly remarkable. I remember how outraged I was that the judges had given first place to the Swiss Zutter while they relegated the clearly superior German Weingartner in second. In hindsight, I'm not sure what exactly caused me to think that but I suppose that such is sport.
Regarding politics, everyone turned out to be surprisingly civil and all the major participants managed to gain a medal so there can't be too many complaints; although I smile at the memory of the French almost always falling behind an Italian, which led to a humorous amount of jokes and witticisms on the matter. Even the Greek tempers were cooled with their own silver medal and the harsher notes in conversation softened after a few days of fraternization. I hope that this might do a little to spread mutual understanding among our two peoples and this land that history has caused us to share despite much animosity having developed among both sides. I was pleased to note that this behavior was more or less common among most of the competitors who were more united by their disciplines than divided by their nationality; if only such an attitude could flourish in the continent.
I decided to write some letters of congratulations and thanks to each of the national delegations to ensure that this spirit be not soon forgotten but remembered fondly until the next time we meet again in the new century wherever that may be. I have high hopes for the future.
Author’s note:
Cardinal Pala died suddenly in the autumn of 1896 after twenty years of loyal service to the newborn Italian nation.
He followed a fairly standard path to the Curia and was well remembered in his archbishopric of Modena but failed to make much of a splash in the political scene of the day. Nowadays, he is mostly remembered as the principal sponsor of the First Olympic Games but his cultural work is often remembered in the names of schools and streets in many Italian cities.
In recent times, the colonial legacy of the Olympics has tarnished Pala's legacy with many Greeks and certain politicians arguing that the celebration be abolished or, at the very least, given back fully to the Greeks as a part of their cultural heritage. Regardless of the future of these claims, modern historiography tends to be less critical of Pala since he did not actively deteriorate the condition of the Greek people but it must be remembered that he did not act to alleviate the oppression.
- 1