Happy New Frate Indovino!

My sister, J., received this piece of unsolicited matter, which she recycled to me.

It was enough to make me promptly break the rule I had just set about posting "vintage" printed matter.

Though this is the latest version, the publication itself does go back, first appearing in 1946. The original and subsequent covers are displayed by year at the calendar's site. (There's also a selection of covers at the site's main page.)

Although I first thought the Santa Claus-like figure must be an imaginary character, Frate Indovino was the nickname of a Capuchin brother who dispensed folk wisdom, herbal remedies and astrological predictions, along with soliciting funds for the order's missions in the Amazon.

After learning of the publication's existence, J. had fun researching it (and sent me all the links below).

At the very end of a 2002 National Catholic Reporter column, "The Word From Rome"—

...there is a push on in Italy to canonize a Capuchin known as Frate Indovino, who died recently at 87, and whose name roughly translates into English as "Brother Fortuneteller." His claim to fame was an annual calendar he published for almost 60 years, beginning in 1946, which sold some six million copies each year. It featured uncannily accurate predictions of the future. Most concern when to plant seeds or prepare the harvest, but they were occasionally more sweeping. Frate Indovino claims, for example, to have foreseen the fall of the Berlin Wall. How? He studied star cycles in an observatory near Florence, in addition to drawing on a 14th century monk known as "Black Spider" who developed a theory about the sun's influence on the atmosphere. In other words, he used astrology, though each prediction was verified by an inner voice that he recognized as his guardian angel. Frate Indovino was thus, to invoke a theological label, a model of syncretism, blending elements of pre-Christian folk religiosity focused on the stars with traditional Catholic spirituality. It's fascinating that nobody in authority seems troubled by this, in a moment in which fear of syncretism involving Christianity and Eastern religions such as Buddhism and Hinduism is the Vatican's top doctrinal concern. But, as I have repeatedly said in other contexts, if you're looking for a perfectly consistent religion, the Catholic Church isn't for you.

And a writer in Milan says—

...what has always intrigued me about the Italian calendar market is that if every year, the starlets bare more...they still can't beat a defunct priest.

Frate Indovino ("brother fortuneteller") passed to the other side in 2002, but sales of his folksy calendar still outstrip the rest. The popularity of the calendar, first published in 1946, is homespun wisdom rooted in daily weather forecasts -– the calendar first gained popularity with farmers in Father Mariangelo’s native Perugia in Umbria for the accuracy of predictions. The secret sauce was said to be a 15th-century manuscript from the monastery archives.

The calendar, which sells between six and eight million copies yearly in Italy and abroad, dispenses pearls of wisdom like: "Since onions produce tears, chop them in moments of political or emotional turmoil" as well as recipes, folklore and proverbs. Sales of the calendar, which retail for about $5 each, fund the order’s missionary works.

This year's theme: "Our Crazy, Dear Italy." Celebrating 149 years of Italian 'unity' [quote marks are the artist/author's]. A fond look at "typical Italian behavior," with cartoon animals standing in for Italians.

For January:
A nervous Mr. Bear notes the "imbroglio" over his diagnosis. And Dr. St. Bernard responds: "It's a good sign the patient recognizes his dilemma!"

With the saints' days included in the calendar (below the monthly cartoon)—maybe divine intervention will help those crazy, dear Italians!

The almanac does seem to be a big part of the country's popular culture.

There's a facebook page.

And Italian photoshop artist Gian Boy 2 presents this version of the good brother. The artist also portrays model "Ricky" as some other interesting personae [but some are NSFW or airports]—in this set.