Remembering Archduke Franz Ferdinand and Duchess Sophie

Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg and Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria

In memory of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg, who were assassinated in Sarajevo on 28 June 1914, we pray for the happy repose of their souls.

Eternal rest grant unto Their Highnesses, O Lord and let perpetual light shine upon them. May their souls, and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen

The Last Reader Leaves

Emil Mihail Cioran (1911-1995)

“Only unfinished—because unfinishable—works prompt us to speculate about the essence of art.” ~ E.M. Cioran, Drawn and Quartered

Nine days ago, I wrote about a small nihilist-themed book club that a group of young people invited me to join. At that time, the club had already been reduced from five members to two. Of the original participants, only I and one other reader remained. I remarked then that we would see how long he stayed.

The answer, it turns out, was less than two weeks.

Before we even finished our second selection, Drawn and Quartered by E.M. Cioran, he too dropped out, leaving me as the sole surviving member of what had once been a book club—a somewhat absurd ending for a group dedicated to discussing the absurd.

I cannot say that I am surprised. Disappointed, yes, but surprised, no.

One increasingly notices among the young a tendency toward enthusiasm without perseverance. New projects are eagerly proposed, clubs are formed, identities are adopted, and ambitious plans are announced. Yet the discipline required to sustain such endeavors often proves lacking. The excitement of beginning seems far more attractive than the obligation of continuing.

Still, I do not regret participating. Camus was worth revisiting, and Cioran remains as sharp and unsettling as ever. If nothing else, the experience confirmed a lesson that extends well beyond books: ideas matter only when one is willing to pursue them beyond the initial excitement. Intellectual life requires curiosity, but it also requires endurance.

The book club may be dead. The reading continues.

~ By Giovanni di Napoli, June 27th, Feast Day of Our Lady of Perpetual Help

El Círculo Leandro de Castilla anuncia su curso virtual «En defensa de Cristo Rey»

Se invita a los correligionarios de todo el pueblo carlista a participar en este ciclo de sesiones dedicado al estudio de la Realeza Social de Jesucristo.

Con el propósito de cultivar la formación doctrinal y ofrecer herramientas de análisis frente a las corrientes del pensamiento moderno, el Círculo Tradicionalista Leandro Castilla convoca a la Comunión Tradicionalista y a los amigos de la Causa al Curso de Formación Virtual – Julio 2026: «EN DEFENSA DE CRISTO REY».

Las ponencias estarán a cargo de Mg. Javier Gutiérrez Fernández-Cuervo, secretario del círculo mistiano y autor del libro En defensa de la realidad, quien examinará los fundamentos teológicos y políticos que sustentan el orden social cristiano frente al naturalismo racionalista y las premisas del liberalismo contemporáneo.

Temario y Cronograma de las Sesiones

Las conferencias se desarrollarán los días martes y miércoles del mes de julio, articuladas bajo el siguiente orden temático:

• 1 de julio: Doctrina de Cristo Rey
• 7 de julio: Cristo Rey es Dios (contra la autodeterminación liberal)
• 8 de julio: El hombre caído necesita de Cristo Rey (contra el naturalismo racionalista)
• 14 de julio: Cristo Rey y el misterio de la Unión Hipostática
• 15 de julio: El Sagrado Corazón de Cristo Rey
• 21 de julio: Cristo Rey y la Eucaristía
• 22 de julio: Educación para la militancia de Cristo Rey
• 28 de julio: María Reina y la verdadera devoción

Detalles del Encuentro

El Círculo extiende una atenta invitación a los carlistas de todas las Españas para sumarse a estas jornadas de estudio a través de la modalidad a distancia.

Horario: De 19:30 a 21:00 h (Hora peruana) Modalidad: Virtual (Acceso libre) Enlace de ingreso: meet.google.com/yhf-thuo-env Informes e inscripciones: A través de WhatsApp en el número (+51) 983 435 321

Confiamos en que este espacio sea de provecho para los correligionarios que buscan profundizar en la doctrina que sostiene nuestros ideales comunes.

Votive Mass of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church in the Township of Washington, New Jersey

Remembering Alfonso V of Aragon

Alfonso the Magnanimous, King of Aragon, Naples and Sicily
sculpted by Achille D'Orsi on the western facade of the
Royal Palace in the Largo del Palazzo Reale in Naples

In memory of Alfonso the Magnanimous (1396 — 27 June, 1458), King of Aragon, Naples (as Alfonso I) and Sicily (as Alfonso V), we pray for the happy repose of his soul. Viva ‘o Rre!

Eternal rest grant unto His Majesty, O Lord and let perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul, and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen

Feast of the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ at the Metropolitan Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption in San Francisco, California

Isis-Aphrodite and the Egyptian Cults of Southern Italy

Isis-Aphrodite with Egyptian Vulture Cap,
ca. A.D. 161-180, Metropolitan Museum of Art
Photo by New York Scugnizzo

This elegant bronze statuette depicts Isis-Aphrodite, a fascinating fusion of ancient Egyptian and Greco-Roman religious traditions. Created around A.D. 161–180, during the reign of the philosopher-emperor Marcus Aurelius, the goddess is shown wearing the distinctive Egyptian vulture cap, an ancient symbol of divine queenship and maternal protection. Some scholars have suggested that the figure may have been modeled upon Empress Faustina the Younger, reflecting the Roman tendency to associate members of the imperial family with divine virtues and sacred imagery.

Although this bronze was produced in Roman Egypt, images of Isis and related Egyptian deities were also familiar throughout Southern Italy, where the goddess enjoyed a particularly devoted following in the port cities of Campania.

By the first century A.D., the cult of Isis had become firmly established throughout the Mezzogiorno, particularly in the thriving ports of Campania. Naples, Pozzuoli, and Pompeii maintained close commercial and cultural ties with the eastern Mediterranean, allowing Egyptian religious traditions to take root far from the Nile. The celebrated Temple of Isis at Pompeii remains one of the most complete surviving sanctuaries of the goddess in the Roman world.

~ By Giovanni di Napoli, June 25th, Feast of Santa Febronia

Solemnity of SS. Peter and Paul at St. Vincent Ferrer Church in New York City

Smoke, Fellowship, and St. John the Baptist: The Sons of the Two Sicilies Pipe Club Returns to Brooklyn

A small devotional shrine dedicated to San Giovanni Battista

Ut queant laxīs
resonāre fibrīs
Mīra gestōrum
famulī tuōrum,
Solve pollūtī
labiī reātum,
Sāncte Iohannēs.

On the Vigil of the Feast of St. John the Baptist, members of the Sons of the Two Sicilies Pipe Club gathered at Amunì ristorante in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, for their third Pipe Night dinner.

Partygoers enjoyed a Sicilian repast prepared by our gracious host, Chef Vincent Dardanello. Among those present were members of the San Rocco Society di Potenza and the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St. George. Special thanks are due to the Order’s Delegate, Cav. John Viola, and Vice-Delegate, Cav. Patrick O’Boyle, for their support of the evening.

In addition to fine food and fellowship, attendees enjoyed a curated exhibition of four landscape paintings by Professor David DiPasquale, a display of antique pipes and vintage brochures from Brooklyn’s former Don-Lou Pipe Shop, a tasting of Sicilian wines, and a makeshift shrine dedicated to St. John the Baptist.

Our friends from the Italian American Podcast recorded interviews throughout the evening, while attendees shared their favorite blends and showed off pipes from Southern Italy and around the world. One fortunate guest departed with the evening’s door prize, a copy of The Question of Hispanidad: History, Culture, and Politics (Arouca Press, 2026) by Miguel Ayuso, courtesy of Il Regno.

Fr. Michael Barone, Fr. Leo Joseph Camurati, O.P., Canon Adrian Sequeira, and Canon Alexis Rouquayrol joined the festivities. Canon Rouquayrol offered grace before the meal and later led the group in chanting the ancient hymn Ut queant laxīs as attendees gathered in the backyard for pipes, cigars, Chartreuse, espresso, dessert, and conversation beneath the summer evening sky.

The evening concluded in a spirit of fraternity, gratitude, and devotion to St. John the Baptist. More important than the food, drink, or prizes, however, was the opportunity to renew old friendships, forge new ones, and strengthen the bonds that unite our community. Those present departed with the shared hope that Pipe Night will once again become an annual observance on the Vigil of the Forerunner. Evviva San Giovanni!

~ By Giovanni di Napoli, June 24th, Feast of St. John the Baptist

San Giovanni Battista, ora pro nobis

    Guests enjoyed a select exhibition of four thought-provoking landscape paintings by Professor David DiPasquale, displayed throughout the evening

The flag of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies

A collection of antique pipes from the former Don-Lou Pipe Shop in Brooklyn

Vintage brochures from Brooklyn's former Don-Lou Pipe Shop

Attendees shared their favorite pipe tobacco blends

An antique pipe from Salzburg, Austria

An intriguing pipe of unknown origin, adorned with two unusual carved faces

(L) A copy of The Question of Hispanidad: History, Culture, and Politics by Miguel Ayuso. (R) Canon Rouquayrol offered grace before the meal 

Attendees stand and face the flag during the playing of
the National Anthem of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies

Attendees raise a toast and extend their best wishes to Her Royal Highness Princess Maria Carolina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duchess of Palermo and Calabria, on the occasion of her birthday

Tagliere di salumi, formaggi e olive

Arancini

Carciofi fritti

Pesto alla Trapanese

Pasta al forno

Shrimp oreganata

Parmigiana di melanzane

Milanesa de Pollo

Iris

Nero d'Avola and Chartreuse

Professor David DiPasquale discusses the religious
dimensions of his landscape paintings

Canon Alexis Rouquayrol chants the ancient Hymn to Saint John

Guests mingle and enjoy pipes and cigars in the backyard

A.J. and Pat share a laugh with Father Leo

    The evening concludes in the backyard with pipes, cigars,
Chartreuse, espresso, dessert, and conversation

Il Portastendardo di Civitella del Tronto (n. 60 - Giugno 2026)

Fifth Sunday After Pentecost at Our Lady of Sorrows Church in Jersey City, New Jersey

An Introduction to Giambattista Vico and The New Science

Portrait of Giambattista Vico, attributed
to Francesco Solimena or his circle

“Men first feel necessity, then look for utility, next attend to comfort, still later amuse themselves with pleasure, thence grow dissolute in luxury, and finally go mad and waste their substance.” ~ Giambattista Vico, The New Science

Giambattista Vico (1668–1744) was a Neapolitan philosopher, historian, and jurist deeply rooted in the civic, linguistic, and historical traditions of Naples. Though formally educated, he pursued extensive independent study, distinguishing himself from the dominant rationalist currents of his age. A serious childhood fall interrupted his early schooling, an episode noted by later biographers, though its long-term significance remains uncertain.

He spent most of his career as a professor of rhetoric at the University of Naples, where his study of language, law, poetry, and history became central to his philosophy.

Vico’s major work, Scienza Nuova (The New Science), offered a critique of Cartesian rationalism and of attempts to reduce history and civil life to geometric certainty. Rather than treating civilization as governed by universal formulas, Vico argued that laws, customs, institutions, myths, and histories must be understood as societies create and preserve them. This principle, known as verum factum (“the true is precisely what is made”), stands at the center of his thought.

In The New Science, Vico also proposed that civilizations move through recurring historical cycles, or corsi e ricorsi, passing through the divine, heroic, and human ages. Early societies, he argued, expressed themselves through myth, religion, and poetic imagination before giving way to more reflective and rational forms of political life. 

This cyclical understanding of history opposed the linear idea of inevitable progress favored by many Enlightenment thinkers and instead presented civilization as a process of rise, decline, and renewal. His attention to language, symbolism, memory, and custom anticipated later developments in the philosophy of history and cultural thought.

Little recognized during his lifetime, Vico’s work gained influence in later centuries among historians, philosophers, and scholars. Today, he is regarded as one of the foundational figures in the philosophy of history and as one of the earliest major critics of purely rationalist accounts of civilization. 

His enduring importance lies in his insistence that societies are understood not through abstraction alone, but through the traditions, institutions, and historical memory they inherit and preserve across generations.

~ By Antonio Isernia

Photo of the Week: The "Cleopatra Verospi" Sarcophagus, Vatican Museums

Photo by New York Scugnizzo

Feast of Our Lady of Perpetual Help at St. Michael's Church in Staten Island, New York

Happy Birthday Princess Maria Carolina!

HRH was born in Rome, Italy, on June 23, 2003

Photo courtesy of Real Casa di Borbone

Happy Birthday to Her Royal Highness Princess Maria Carolina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duchess of Palermo and Calabria!

On this joyous occasion, may Heaven bless Your Royal Highness with abundant grace, lasting joy, and profound peace. May the noble legacy you carry continue to shine through your life with elegance, virtue, and dignity.

Auguri di cuore, Altezza Reale!

The Orient Imagined: East and West at The Met

Napoleon Before the Sphinx (Oedipus), ca. 1863-86,
oil on canvas, Jean-Léon Gérôme

I recently visited Orientalism: Between Fact and Fantasy at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, an exhibition I had been looking forward to for some time. Bringing together paintings, textiles, ceramics, arms and armor, and other works from both Europe and the Islamic world, it explores how nineteenth-century artists encountered (and sometimes imagined) the cultures of the East.

The exhibition highlights the extent to which many European artists romanticized and idealized the Orient, frequently blending observation with fantasy. Beautifully presented and filled with remarkable objects, it is well worth seeing for anyone interested in art, history, or the long and storied relationship between East and West.

~ By Giovanni di Napoli, June 22nd, Feast of San Paolino di Nola

Napoleon in Cairo, ca. 1863-68, oil on canvas, Jean-Léon Gérôme

(L) Moorish Bath, 1870, oil on canvas, Jean-Léon Gérôme.
(R) A Bashi-Bazouk, 1875, oil on canvas, Charles Bargue

The Snake Charmer, ca. 1879, oil on canvas, Jean-Léon Gérôme

Dance of the Almeh, 1863, oil on wood, Jean-Léon Gérôme

(L) Bashi-Bazouk, ca. 1868-69, oil on canvas, Jean-Léon Gérôme.
(R) Bashi-Bazouk, ca. 1868-70, oil on canvas, Jean-Léon Gérôme

A Greek Man on a Precipice, ca. 1822-24, oil on canvas, Théodore Géricault

Man Meditating over the Our'an, 1902, oil on canvas, Osman Hamdi Bey

(L) Dervish at the Children's Tomb, 1903, oil on canvas, Osman Hamdi Bey.
(R) The Grief of the Pasha, 1885, oil on canvas, Jean-Léon Gérôme

Odalisque in Grisaille, ca. 1824-34, oil on canvas,
Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres and workshop

Scene in a Harem (Un Envoi de Serbie), 1876, oil on canvas,
Benjamin-Constant (Jean-Joseph-Benjamin Constant)

(L) An Ottoman Man in the Artist's Studio, ca. 1823-26, oil on canvas, Auguste-Xavier Leprince. (R) Girl in a Courtyard, Algiers, 1886, oil on wood, Philippe Pavy

The Great Bath at Bursa, 1885, oil on canvas, Jean-Léon Gérôme

Sketch for "The Revolt of Calro, October 21st, 1798," ca. 1809-10, oil and ink on paper, laid down on canvas, Anne Louis Girodet de Roussy-Trioson

(L) Portrait of a "Mamelouk," 1810, oil on canvas, Horace Vernet.
(R) Egyptian Woman, 1890-91, oil on canvas, John Singer Sargent

The Turkish Patrol (Cadji-Bey, Chief of Police at Smyrna, Making His Rounds),
1830-31 Oil on canvas, Alexandre-Gabriel Decamps

(L) Jewish Woman of Algiers Seated on the Ground, 1846, watercolor over graphite on wove paper, Théodore Chassériau. (R) Saada, the Wife of Abraham Ben-Chimol, and Préciada, One of Their Daughters, July 1832, watercolor over graphite on wove paper, Eugène Delacroix

Visit to a Jewish Bride in Tangier, ca. 1832-33,
watercolor on paper, Eugène Delacroix

Helmets with mark of the Ottoman arsenal, formerly in the collection of Jean-Léon Gérôme, attributed to eastern Turkey or Iran, Aq Qoyunlu period (1378-1508), ca. 1450-1500, steel, silver, copper alloy, probably Turkey, Ottoman period (ca. 1299-1923), late 15th-16th century, steel, copper alloy, silver, gold

Pair of flintlock pistols, probably Albanian, Ottoman period,
19th century, wood, steel, silver, silver wire