Rodolfo ü - I Duke of Piazza Pontida
Rodolfo Paris da March 1924
Rodolfo Paris (1864–1927), known as Rodolfo Ü, was the first Duke of Piazza Pontida.
A native of Bergamo, he was a skilled decorator, with a workshop in Via Sant’Antonino. He decorated churches, neighborhoods, and squares for religious ceremonies, civic events, and patriotic celebrations. At the same time, he cultivated a passion for poetry, which he signed under the pseudonym Alégher, enlivening Piazza Pontida — the traditional stage for Bergamo’s most popular festivities — with his verses and witty creations.
Creative and humorous by nature, after the First World War he amused the townspeople by hanging small colorful flags above the propaganda banners in Piazza Pontida, bringing cheer to the crowd. A self-taught musician, he played the piano during silent films at the Donizetti Theatre, shielding himself from objects thrown by the audience with a bright market umbrella. He later passed on his passion for music to his son, who became a piano teacher.
With his bohemian appearance, yet marked by intelligence and humor, Paris was already well known in the late 19th century. Famous was his handcrafted illumination of the arcades of Piazza Pontida, where he hung snail shells filled with oil and a wick as lamps. In the early 20th century, he became the organizer of the Mid-Lent celebrations, bringing to the square fireworks, the traditional greasy pole competition, and above all the “Rasgamento della Vecchia” (the tearing of the old woman effigy), accompanied by posters painted by artists such as Alfredo Faino.
The origin of the title “Duke”
The title began as a playful remark but soon became official. His friend and supporter, Comm. Giuseppe Bietti, once told him, seeing him so busy preparing for the festivities:
“You are the head of everything in this square — you are like the Duke of Piazza Pontida.”
Paris embraced the nickname and shared it with the members of the “Casino of workers, artists, and professionals”, who welcomed it enthusiastically. On New Year’s Eve of 1923, at midnight, Rodolfo Paris solemnly declared:
“Let us remember the martyrs of the Fatherland… The Tower is now inaugurated.”
From the crowd rose the acclamation:
“Long live the Duke of Piazza Pontida!”
On March 15, 1924, the official coronation took place, with the participation of painter Umberto Marigliani, co-founder of the Ducato. Thus began the tradition of the Dukes of Piazza Pontida, which still today preserves and celebrates the popular traditions of Bergamo.
The caricature of the duke
