The Count of Monte Cristo

CHAPITRE 33. Roman Bandits

Chapter 33. Roman Bandits introduces the travelers’ struggle to secure Carnival transportation in Rome, their sightseeing of St. Peter’s and the Colosseum, and Signor Pastrini’s alarming warning about the bandit Luigi Vampa, whose origin story unfolds from humble shepherd origins to feared outlaw. Luigi Vampa and Teresa, two young orphans of the Sabine hills, grew up together, filling their days with grand dreams of future greatness—he as a captain or general, she as a lady attended by liveried servants—before descending at night to the humble reality of their shepherd’s life. A turning point came when Vampa repaired a broken gun discarded by the count, carving it a beautiful new stock, and devoted himself to mastering its use on every available mark until he became renowned throughout the region as the most adroit, strong, and courageous contadino for leagues around, his reputation earning him the unspoken but universally acknowledged devotion of the beautiful Teresa. Their quiet pastoral courtship was shadowed by tales of the brigand Cucumetto, who had gathered a fierce band in the Lepini mountains, and the chapter dwells on a particularly tragic episode in which Cucumetto abducted a young girl named Rita, only for her lover Carlini, a trusted brigand, to discover his chief had violated her; Carlini thereupon drew lots for her share, calmly waited, and then plunged a knife into Rita’s breast before the assembled band, declaring her rightfully his, and was later found weeping at her grave beside her father, who had hanged himself from the same oak. These stories of blood and vengeance were a frequent subject between Luigi and Teresa, and the chapter closes as the two young lovers, now pledged to marry when they came of age, were startled from their plans for the future by the sound of firearms and the sudden appearance of a man fleeing from the nearby wood. Chapter 33 follows the young shepherd Vampa as he shelters the bandit chief Cucumetto from pursuing carbineers, setting in motion a chain of events that exposes Teresa’s longing for finery, fuels Luigi’s jealousy at the San-Felice Carnival ball, leads to a mysterious rescue of Carmela from a villa fire, and culminates in a fateful encounter with a traveller called Sinbad the Sailor, Teresa’s abduction, and Vampa’s desperate shot. Chapter 33. Roman Bandits. After Luigi Vampa kills the bandit Cucumetto to rescue his betrothed Teresa, he and Teresa flee into the Roman forest and reach the bandit stronghold of Rocca Bianca, where Vampa claims Cucumetto’s position as captain. Franz and Albert then discuss the legendary Vampa before departing by carriage for the Colosseum through the streets of Rome.

CHAPITRE 33. Roman Bandits

Chapter 33. Roman Bandits introduces the travelers’ struggle to secure Carnival transportation in Rome, their sightseeing of St. Peter’s and the Colosseum, and Signor Pastrini’s alarming warning about the bandit Luigi Vampa, whose origin story unfolds from humble shepherd origins to feared outlaw.

Carnival Carriage Negotiation with Signor Pastrini

Franz and Albert negotiate with Signor Pastrini for a carriage during the Carnival, finding that all vehicles are reserved. After haggling, Franz secures a hackney carriage for twelve piastres per day, and it arrives within an hour, much to their relief.

Sightseeing Plans for St. Peter’s and the Colosseum

The two young men devote the entire day to visiting St. Peter’s Basilica, then plan to see the Colosseum by moonlight. Franz arranges a route that exits through the Porta del Popolo and re-enters through the Porta San Giovanni, deliberately avoiding the Capitol and Forum to heighten the Colosseum’s dramatic impact.

Warning of Bandit Luigi Vampa’s Route Danger

At dinner, Signor Pastrini warns the travelers that their proposed nighttime route is extremely dangerous due to the notorious bandit Luigi Vampa, who controls the area outside Rome’s gates. Albert jokingly suggests arming themselves and capturing Vampa, but Franz and Pastrini insist that resistance against bandits is futile and foolhardy.

Luigi Vampa’s Childhood and Self-Taught Education

Pastrini recounts Luigi Vampa’s childhood as a shepherd-boy born in Pampinara and employed by the Count of San-Felice. Displaying remarkable precocity, seven-year-old Luigi begged the curate of Palestrina to teach him to read, meeting daily for short lessons. He subsequently taught himself to write using a sharpened nail as a stylus on slate pieces, astonishing the curate and earning the Count’s patronage, two piastres a month, and access to books, pens, and carving tools.