The Veronese Bagatel
The Veronese Bagatel is a sort of bagpipe, which we call piva, whose origins are ancient and untraceable. The first attestations of this instrument's name appear in ancient manuscripts from 1400, where we find mention of its use during the carnival period.
According to our research this instrument was very common in our valleys and generally in the Cimbric area. We have many old people claiming to have witnessed the activity of pipers coming from our valleys during Christmas time. Moreover many iconographic sources, such as the frescos and paintings in many churches of our territory, show us the bagatel played by little angels. The diffusion of the surname Piva even today in Verona is also very significant.
Unfortunately this instrument has fallen into disuse and we haven't been able to find any autochthonous player or any sources from which the Bagatel's repertoire could be drawn.
After assiduous research in libraries and private collections we have found reference to it in ancient manuscripts and in some poems. For example in a sonnet by Petrarca of the Canzoniere, a line recites "You that listen to the bagpipes'(piva) sound" ("Voi ch'ascoltate delle pive il suono"), which is very relevant considering that Petrarca spent a long time in Verona. The following poem was written in 1400 by the rustic Giorgio Sommariva, poet from Verona and tells the story of a young peasant revealing to her mother that she had been harassed by the count's son.
- E si disea: Mo feve un poco in sa.
- E mi me ghe mostrava tuta schiva.
- E el me volea casar pur sù la
piva , - lì de drè,..., da la riva d'un fossà
