Illustrissimi facts for kids
Illustrissimi (which means To the Illustrious Ones) is a special book. It was written by Pope John Paul I before he became Pope. At that time, he was a high-ranking church leader called the Patriarch of Venice.
The book is a collection of letters. These letters were first printed in an Italian Christian newspaper called Messaggero di S. Antonio. They appeared between 1972 and 1975. Later, in 1976, they were put together and published as a book in Italy.
The book was first translated into English in 1978. This was around the time Cardinal Luciani (who wrote the book) was chosen to be the Pope. However, the English version only became widely available after Pope John Paul I passed away.
Who Are the Letters Written To?
The book contains 40 letters. Each letter is addressed to a famous person from Italian history or a well-known character from stories. Imagine writing a letter to someone you admire or a character you love!
Here are some of the people and characters Pope John Paul I wrote to:
- Charles Dickens
- Mark Twain
- G. K. Chesterton
- Maria Theresa of Austria
- Charles Peguy
- Trilussa
- St Bernard of Clairvaux
- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
- King David
- Penelope
- Figaro
- The Pickwick Club
- Pinocchio
- Paolo Diacono
- Gonzalo Fernandez de Cordova
- St Bernardino of Siena
- St Francis de Sales
- St Romedio's Bear
- P.I. Chichikov
- King Lemuel
- Sir Walter Scott
- The Unknown Painter at the Castle
- Hippocrates
- St Thérèse de Lisieux
- Alessandro Manzoni
- Casella
- Luigi Cornaro
- St Bonaventure
- Christopher Marlowe
- St Luke
- Quintilian
- Guglielmo Marconi
- Giuseppe Gioacchino Belli
- Félix Dupanloup
- Petrarch
- St Theresa of Avila
- Carlo Goldoni
- Andreas Hofer
- Jesus
Images for kids
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Albino Luciani, Patriarch of Venice
See also
In Spanish: Illustrissimi para niños
