Bellarion the Fortunate · Chapter
The Grey Friar explained
Bellarion and Fra Sulpizio travel through the forest and across the plains toward Casale.
What happens
Bellarion and Fra Sulpizio travel through the forest and across the plains toward Casale. The friar questions Bellarion about his stolen letter, which Bellarion recites from memory. Bellarion recounts his early life, including his vague memories of a poor family and his renaming by an abbot. They stop at a homestead for a meal, where Bellarion grows uneasy with the friar's behavior. After a siesta, they resume their journey, eventually hitching a ride on a mule train.
Themes in this chapter
Deception and Identity
Bellarion's name is changed from Ilario to Bellario by the abbot, and he later becomes Bellarione; the friar's true nature is questioned.
Fortune and Fate
Bellarion's chance encounter with Fra Sulpizio and the near-miss of being left behind shape his subsequent history.
Characters to notice
- Bellarion
Recites his stolen letter from memory and tells the story of his childhood and renaming.
- Fra Sulpizio
Questions Bellarion about the letter, drinks heavily at the homestead, and shows a wolfish demeanor.
- Leocadia
Mentioned as Bellarion's sister in his childhood memories.
Key passages
“This is our dearly beloved son Bellarion, a nutritus of this house, who goes hence to Pavia to increase his knowledge of the humanities. We commend him first to God and then to the houses of our own and other brethren orders for shelter and assistance on his journey, involving upon all who may befriend him the blessing of Our Lord.”
Bellarion recites the letter of recommendation from his convent, which identifies him as a fosterling traveling to Pavia for study and requests hospitality from religious houses.
The letter is a key document that Fra Sulpizio offers to replace.
“Henceforth you are Bellario.”
The abbot renames the boy Bellario after a saint, and later the monks call him Bellarione due to his growth.
This renaming marks a shift in Bellarion's identity.