Giovanni Carnevale

Giovanni Carnevale (4 August 1924 – 11 April 2021) was an Italian priest, writer and historian. His research revolves around the Carolingian age and Charlemagne.

Giovanni Carnevale

Biography

Giovanni Carnevale was born on April 4, 1924, in Capracotta, in the province of Isernia. Sixth son of his family, he stayed in his native country until the end of elementary school, when he moved to Umbria to attend the gymnasium in Amelia, and then finish in Lazio, to be precise in Frascati. In Lanuvio he attended the classical high school only for two years, and then stopped his studies because of the entry into the war of Italy and the bombing of the allies of Rome. During this period he continued his studies as an autodidact and obtained his diploma in Terni, he enrolled in La Sapienza in Rome to study law. His path as a priest began in 1947, when he went to Piedmont in the Salesian House of Bagnolo. He remained there until the completion of his studies in 1951 and was ordained a priest in Abano Terme on 29 June of the same year. As a priest he obtained a degree in letters and a degree in Christian archaeology, followed with habilitations in letters and art history.

When he became a teacher, he taught science in Faenza, then in the Salesian high schools of Macerata: classical, linguistic and scientific. He taught until he retired. During this period he enrolled at Bocconi in Milan, taught German and earned a degree in French and German at the University of Macerata, without ever withdrawing his degree. In 1994, he ceased teaching, although he was sometimes called to replace him.

Studies on the Carolingian age began after his scholastic career, under the influence of Marche structures. In fact, he concentrated mainly on the church of San Claudio al Chienti in Corridonia, assuming that its dating (11th century) was wrong. The turning point came when he discovered a building similar to the abbey existed in France, precisely in Germigny-des-Prés, near Orleans. He doubted that Aachen Cathedral in Germany was the Carolingian Palatine Chapel and consulted the sources directly, noting a misinterpretation of the story. From these studies he wrote numerous books, from 1993 to 2016, on Carolingian history, rewriting it completely. According to his studies, Charles Martel, Pepin the Short and Bertrada of Laon are buried in San Ginesio, under the collegiate church of Santa Maria Assunta, while Charlemagne at the church of San Claudio del Chienti.

Forced to a wheelchair, in 2016 he obtained honorary citizenship in Corridonia. He died in Macerata on 11 April 2021. His body rests in Capracotta.

Works

• San Claudio al Chienti ovvero Aquisgrana, SICO EDITORE 1993
• L’enigma di Aquisgrana in Val di Chienti, SICO EDITORE 1994
• Aquisgrana trafugata, SICO EDITORE 1996
• La scoperta di Aquisgrana in Val di Chienti, QUEEN EDITORE 1999
• San Marone e l'alto medioevo in Val di Chienti, Comune di Civitanova Marhe (MC) 2002
• La Val di Chienti e l'alto medioevo carolingio, Comitato studi della presenza Carolingia in val di Chienti 2003
• L’Europa di Carlo Magno nacque in Val di Chienti, Francs editeurs 2008
• Il Rinvenimento delle sepolture di Pipino il Breve e di sua moglie Berta nella Collegiata di San Ginesio, Comune san Ginesio comunità montana (MC) 2010 also in English
• La scola palatina e la rinascenza carolingia in Val di Chienti, pontificia università Lateranense Pontificio comitato di scienze storiche 2012 also in English
• Il ritrovamento della tomba e del corpo di Carlo Magno a San Claudio, Centro studi San Claudio al Chienti 2013 also in English
• Vita di Carlo Magno imperatore nella Francia Picena, Centro studi San Claudio al Chienti 2014
• Il piceno da Carlo Magno a Enrico I, EDIZIONI SIMPLE 2016
• Da Carlo Magno alla Roma Picena nuove luci sull'origine dell'europa EDIZIONE SIMPLE 2019
• Il Piceno nella decadenza della Roma imperiale EDIZIONI SIMPLE 2021

Honor

• Knights Hospitaller of the Order of St John of Jerusalem