Early years in Italy

Map of Italy

Map of Italy showing Como and Rome.

© Waterford City Library

Map of Italy
© Waterford City Library

Map of Italy

Map of Italy showing Como and Rome.

© Waterford City Library

Enlarge image

Charles Bianconi, the second child of Pietro and Maria Bianconi was born on the 24th September 1786 at the village of Tregola, ten miles from Como in Northern Italy, close to the Alps. The region was renowned at the time for the cultivation of the mulberry and the rearing of the silkworm.

He was christened in the village church and was given the name Joachim Carlo Giuseppe Bianconi. He was known from the beginning as Carlo, a name he later changed to Charles. Carlo's parents Pietro and Maria were married young and had three other sons Giovanni the eldest, Francisco Antonio, Giuseppe and a daughter Barbara.

Pietro, like a lot of his neighbours operated a silk-mill on his small farm and also had sheep and goats. Carlo loved the country life, the mountains and helping with the farm work. He loved to go hunting and fishing with his many friends.

Carlo's grandmother took a great interest in the education of all the Bianconi children. Carlo was ten years old, when he left home to live with his grandmother and his uncle Rev Giosue in Caglio. He showed little interest in scholarly pursuits. When he was thirteen, he was sent a few miles away to the Abbe Radicale's school near Asso. He stayed in school until he was fifteen years old, making very little progress in his education. He had a girlfriend at that time, a neighbour's daughter Giovanna Vandroni or Vanna, as Carlo called her. She was from a wealthy family and her father did not approve of her friendship with Carlo.

Many artisans from area immigrated to England to continue their businesses. Andrea Faroni was one such man, and he decided to bring four boys with him, to instruct them in print-selling. Pietro asked Faroni to bring Carlo with him for eighteen months to learn the skills of print-selling. In July 1802, Carlo, not yet sixteen years old, left not only his family and Vanna but Italy as well.