Bread and Wine

Ignazio Silone first published Bread and Wine in 1936, and later, completely revised the work in 1955. Through the character of Pietro Spina, Silone tries to develop a balance between Socialism and Christianity, two institutions which seem to be natural enemies of each other. Silone does not believe that one institution must be destroyed in order for the other to exist, rather, he envisions a world where Socialism and Christianity co-exist for the benefit of all humanity. Through the eyes of Pietro Spina, who disguises himself as Paulo Spada to avoid imprisonment by the Fascist government, we see Silone's justification of both Socialism and Christianity, and his attempt to create and equilibrium between these two seemingly irreconcilable institutions.

Bread and Wine opens on a warm April morning at the house of Don Benedetto. Benedetto, a priest and former teacher, is expecting the arrival of several of his former students in order to celebrate his seventy-fifth birthday. Benedetto is eventually visited by Dr. Nunzio Sacca, Concettino Ragu -- a civil servant in the Fascist government -- and Don Piccirilli, who acts as a spy for the bishop when not performing his normal priestly duties. After several minutes of idle chatter, talk turns to classmates not present at the gathering. Finally, when confronted with the question of who his favorite student was, the priest admits that Pietro Spina had always been his favorite. Benedetto is then informed that Spina had been arrested years before, and then escaped to France. Ever since then, Spina had been continuously expelled from various European countries, and no one was sure of his current condition. As Benedetto's visitors leave, Ragu secretly tells Sacca that Pietro Spina has successfully entered into Italy after an exile in Belgium.

Soon after, Sacca is called upon by Cardile Mulazzi. Mulazzi knew Spina from an encounter in France, and Spina had arrived at Mulazzi's doorstep near death. Against Spina's will, Mulazzi urges Dr. Sacca to help his former classmate. Sacca hardly recognizes the withered Spina, who has deliberately aged himself in order to avoid being recognized by police. The doctor advises a great deal of rest and relaxation to improve Spina's condition. Spina leaves in a hay loft, while Mulazzi brings him daily rations of food and medicine. Eventually, Sacca comes up with a plan to hide Spina in a remote mountain village disguised as a priest. There Spina can rest unnoticed for two to three months. That night Pietro Spina changes his name to Don Paulo Spada, and begins his journey to Pietrasecca.

During his trek to Pietrassecca, Spada stops at the Girasole Hotel to rest for a night. While there, Spada is forced into granting absolution to Bianchina, a girl who will almost certainly die from complications arising from an attempted abortion. Miraculously, Bianchina survives, and returns later to play a more involved part in Spada's life. Spada leaves Girasole and arrives at Pietrasecca, a tiny village with only one convenience -- the authorities take little notice of it.

Spada is looked after by Matalena Ricotta, the superstitious innkeeper of the hotel where Spada is staying. Although Spada refuses to perform any religious ceremonies, shortly after his arrival his is forced into blessing the unborn baby of a young woman who threatens to throw herself out a window. Soon after this performance, Bianchina arrives at Pietrasecca convinced that Spada is a saint, or possibly even Jesus Christ himself. After Checking Spada's hands for stigmata, both Bianchina and Matalena become convinced that Spada is not Christ, but they do believe he is a saint. Spada becomes convinced of Bianchina's trustworthiness, and decides to send her on a special mission to Rome for him.

While waiting for news from Bianchina, Spada attempts to have serious discussions with the poor cafoni of the valley. He is greatly disappointed by the cafoni's unwillingness to talk about politics. The cafoni have no use for politics, and would rather talk about sins they have committed, or Biagio, a cafone greatly respected for his violent behavior. The cafoni show their distaste for politics when they make a mockery out of the schoolmistress' reading of News From Rome. The cafoni believe that all laws are evil, and that damnation is eternal in this world. Because of the cafoni's inaccessibility to politics, Spada tries to convey his ideas using a metaphor while settling a dispute in a card game between several cafoni.

Spada decides that he must return to Rome and once again become involved in the Socialist movement. Before leaving for Rome, Spada strikes up a friendship with a young man named Pompeo, who shares many of the same views and ideals as Spada. While in Rome, Spada (who has now returned to the identity of Pietro Spina) meets with Battipaglia, a high ranking member of the socialist movement. Spina and Battipaglia erupt into an argument, with Spina accusing Battipaglia of losing his critical spirit, and becoming a conformist to the majority. At this point, Battipaglia threatens to have Spina kicked out of the Socialist party.

After this incident, Romeo gives Spina the names of former party members. Romeo urges Spina to try and bring these men back into the party. Spina first confronts Uliva, who tells Spina that he is a member of the party out of fear. Uliva accuses Spina of being afraid to believe that progress, liberty, and freedom cannot exist. Spina leaves sickened, disillusioned, and disgusted. Later, Romeo tells Spina that Uliva's apartment was blown up shortly after Spina left. Apparently Uliva was building a bomb to blow up a church service that many government officials were planning to attend.

Spina wishes to find at least one experienced party member in Rome who can help organize Pompeo and his friends. Spina is unable to contact Murica, but is able to locate his girlfriend Annina. From Annina, Spina learns that Murica had spent several harrowing months in prison. The time spent in jail disturbed Murica greatly, and his relationship with Annina was never the same, especially after she granted sexual favors to two policemen who threatened to arrest Murica.

Spina assumes the identity of Spada once again, and returns to Fossa during a war rally. Cafoni are rounded up like cattle and are told to sing and shout government slogans on cue. Spada and Zabaglione talk about the absurdity of speeches on subjects such as "The Revival of the Roman Tradition." The cafoni, as is usual, simply accept the rally and do as they are told, neither questioning its motives or its effects.

The next night, Spada, disgusted by the apathy which surrounds him, writes slogans such as "Down with War" and "Long Live Liberty" on several public buildings in Fossa. Afterwards, he encounters Pompeo, who has enlisted in the army, believing that the war will be beneficial for both the poor and Socialism. That night, as he returns home, Spada begins to cough up blood, much to the dismay of Bianchina, who attempts to help him regain his strength.

The next day, after a visit with Don Angelo Girasole, the parish priest of Fossa, Spada feels an urgent need to speak with Don Benedetto, his former teacher who Don Angelo had spoken ill of.

While waiting for Spina to arrive, Don Benedetto tells of a crime which Spina witnessed as a boy. "It was a robbery with violence at th e expense of an injured or dying man....the person concerned enjoyed universal respect and after the crime he went on living as before."(p. 222) This crime had changed Spina's entire perception of life, and it affected him to this very day. After a short discussion on faith and duty, Spina must flee from Don Benedetto's house when Don Piccirilli arrives for a visit.

The next day, Luigi Murica comes to visit Spada at the recommendation of Don Benedetto. Murica repeats the story which Spada has already heard from Annina. Afterwards, Spada shows his trust for Murica by revealing his true identity of Pietro Spina. The two men have mutual respect for one another, and quickly strike up a friendship.

Several days later, after the first snow reaches Pietrasecca Spada receives a note revealing that Murica had been arrested. Immediately, Spada heads for the Murica house, but before arriving, he learns that Luigi Murica has died while in prison. While at the Murica house, Bianchina, who now knows Spada's true identity, warns Spina that the militia has discovered his whereabouts, and are on their way to Pietrasecca to arrest him.

Spina heads directly for Pietrasecca, where he has left some papers which he must burn. While at Pietrasecca he reveals his true identity to Cristina, and flees for the pass at Goat's Saddle. Cristina, frantic over Spina's condition, grabs some food and warm clothing, and tries to catch up with Spina during the blizzard. Cristina collapses in the snow, calling out "Pietro" every so often. Cristina never receives a reply from Spina, and is answered only by the howls of the approaching wolves.

Through the characters of Spina and Benedetto, Silone demonstrates the compatibility he perceives between Socialism and Christianity. Both men are extremely devoted to their respective beliefs, and both are unwilling to compromise their views for the sake of social convention. Benedetto refuses to bless the flag, just as Spina refuses to read several socialist documents which he feels do not apply to his experience. Both men believe that acting as the conscience dictates is man's greatest role in life. For both, the betrayal of the conscience is the greatest sin and weakness in man. Both men refuse to put the institution ahead of the ideas it represents. Spina sees the party as a subordinate to its socialist ideas, just as Benedetto sees the Church as subordinate to Christ. Neither man appreciates the falsely pious or official. Benedetto's dislike of Piccirilli is similar to Spina's dislike of Batapaglia. By condensing the institutions of Socialism and Christianity into these two idealistic men, Silone puts forth the proposition that these two factions are not as diametrically opposed as most believe. Spina himself says that certain things which should be united are divided, and things united often should be divided. Benedetto believes that Spina, in his own way, through his underground movement. Indeed, Benedetto says that his one consolation in life is the knowledge of men like Spina exist, men who strive for justice, men who follow their hearts and take up a cause they believe in. Don Paulo Spada is the unification of a Benedetto and a Spina. Spada is like bread and wine, which the peasants subsist on, and which the church uses as a symbol of resurrection and salvation. Spada, just as bread and wine, represents two simultaneous existences, one secular, one spiritual, both in harmony and in balance with one another.