The Cloven Viscount: summary by chapters, characters and outline of the novel written by Italo Calvino in 1952, set in Bohemia and Italy.
The Cloven Viscount is a novel by Italo Calvino, published in 1952, which is the first book in the trilogy Our Ancestors , followed by The Baron in the Trees and The Nonexistent Knight . Calvino’s work, set in Bohemia and Italy (Terralba) in the 17th century, tells the story of Viscount Medardo di Terralba who is hit by a cannon shot during the battle against the Turks and initially seems to be only half-survived.
The Cloven Viscount: Summary and Characters
Chapter 1. The protagonist of the novel is the viscount Medardo of Terralba who, together with his squire Curzio, decides to participate in the war against the Turks in Bohemia. During the journey, while he was going to the Christian camp they witness the consequences of the war: dead horses and buried soldiers. The viscount, arriving at the camp, is appointed lieutenant by the emperor.
Chapter 2 . The battle began at 10 o’clock. Lieutenant Medardo was anxious to see the Turks and immediately threw himself into the fray. His horse was killed and Curzio wounded. Medardo tried to approach a cannon but was hit in the chest by a cannon shot. When the wagons for the dead and wounded passed by, Medardo was taken to the hospital. The doctors saved him and Medardo woke up, but he was halved because his left side had been pulverized.
Chapter 3 . The viscount returned to Terralba. On the evening of his arrival, everyone was waiting for him. When he arrived, he was covered by a black cloak. He spoke to no one and locked himself in his quarters. The next day, Medardo’s father died.
Chapter 4 . After his father’s death, Medardo left the castle. The nurse Sebastiana had the servants follow him, who reached him following everything that the viscount had cut in half. When they reached him they realized that half of the poisonous mushrooms were missing and that he had given them to his nephew. That same day there was a trial and Medardo was to be the judge. He sentenced everyone to death: the Tuscans for poaching, the local gang for robbery and the guards because they had intervened late.
Chapter 5 . The Viscount’s nephew used to wander around the woods day and night with Doctor Trelawney. In the meantime the Viscount’s wickedness increased, in fact he began to set fire to houses, people and even his castle. He continued to build gallows and torture devices and forced the nurse Sebastiana to retire to the country of the lepers. Everyone was afraid of him: the Huguenots, the lepers and the inhabitants of the castle.
Chapter 6 . Medardo fell in love with Pamela, a simple and poor girl. The girl refused to go to the viscount’s castle and to escape him she ran away and hid in a cave.
Chapter 7 . Medardo’s nephew went to Portofungo in search of Sebastiana. The next day he met his uncle who was behaving differently than usual. In the meantime the viscount’s behavior had become contradictory: sometimes he was good and sometimes bad. One afternoon in May Pamela met the viscount and realized from his words that she was the other half believed to be lost in Bohemia.
It was the good half.
Chapter 8 . Life in Terralba had changed since the day the good half of the viscount appeared. Even the Huguenots were waiting for his visit, which took place shortly after.
Chapter 9 . The bad part of the viscount had condemned the other half to death but the guards refused to do such an action. The good part also went to Portofungo to cure the lepers, but now the population of Terralaba and also the Huguenots began to hate not only the bad viscount but also the good one.
Chapter 10 . Both sides of the Viscount wanted to marry Pamela and this caused a duel between the two. During the duel both were injured and Dr. Trelawney joined them. Finally the Viscount was one: neither good nor bad.
