Trivial Trivia - taking trivia to new levels

[L Verge]

Joe is so close, with Mike nipping at his heels, that I am going reveal what I was looking for -- with a little history lesson thrown in (one that Joe probably already knows): Many of you probably know that Italy had several wars for its independence, and one occurred in 1859, when they were allied with France against the Austrians. A battle was fought at Solferino (northern Italy, I think) and another battle was fought at Magenta, Italy. That last battle should give you the clue that I would have used next.

I am not sure exactly how the color solferino came to be created, but it was and came close to being the same hue as magenta. The latter is usually described as a pinkish red, while solferino is described as a purplish red. Both became very popular colors from 1859 on, especially among the society folk, and Mary Lincoln was no exception. We all remember that purple was one of her favorite colors. When it came to choosing the White House china and other items of material culture such as bowl and pitcher toilette sets, the First Lady chose patterns that were overlaid with solferino glaze. Check out the eagle pattern on the Lincoln china for hints of that solferino finish. The master bedroom at Surratt House has a bowl and pitcher set that is almost identical to the one often shown as a Lincoln item -- and we acquired it 45 years ago, long before the term "solferino" became known to us.

Your next assignment, class, involves finding out how a series of Italian battles led to the naming of newly created colors...

P.S. Joe, just be careful with the French put-downs. One half of the family is Italian/Russian, but this half is British/Scottish/and FRENCH!

P.P.S. A little extra history just learned about the Battle of Solferino: A Swiss businessman by the name of Henry Dunant ended up founding the Red Cross as a result of seeing the casualties after that battle.

Henry Dunant at Solferino

Dunant arrived in Solferino on the evening of 24 June 1859, on the same day a battle between the two sides had occurred nearby. Twenty-three thousand wounded, dying and dead remained on the battlefield, and there appeared to be little attempt to provide care. Shocked, Dunant himself took the initiative to organize the civilian population, especially the women and girls, to provide assistance to the injured and sick soldiers. They lacked sufficient materials and supplies, and Dunant himself organized the purchase of needed materials and helped erect makeshift hospitals. He convinced the population to service the wounded without regard to their side in the conflict as per the slogan "Tutti fratelli" (All are brothers) coined by the women of nearby city Castiglione delle Stiviere. He also succeeded in gaining the release of Austrian doctors captured by the French.