A quote from the diares of Cyprian Kamil Norwid

And I continued:
- If one day these elegantly colored plans, which are now abundant in exhibitions, were found, it would take a hundred new Vitruvius and a hundred times bolder in their assumptions to give contemporary people an idea of what monuments have not left a trace on the earth! But you see, nothing truly beautiful has been lost here, because it has a spark of immortality, love! It takes a beautiful building to be a beautiful ruin. It takes a beautiful ruin to last until the end, up to the foundations of the construction and the first layout plan, up to the first boulder on which legends in heavy ivy wreaths will sit, up to the depths under the boulder where old medals lie in vases and yellow parchment with description of the original idea!
Roma, quanta fuit, ipsa ruina docet!

- So you think nothing is lost?
- Nothing that is conceived out of love.

-Cyprian Kamil Norwid

originally posted by: Agleaya

Roma, quanta fuit, ipsa ruina docet!

"How great Rome was, its very ruins tell."

What a hard life Kamil lived and still managed to write... appreciated only after he passed. It's almost always the way with unique and misunderstood Artists.

Grazie, Agleaya

a reply to: Encia22

What have you done to Athens, Socrates,
That the people bring you a golden statue
Having poisoned you first?

What have you done to Italy, Alighieri
That an insincere society has built you two graves,
Having banished you first?

What have you done to Europe, Columbus?
That she placed three graves in three places for you,
Having trapped you first?

What have you done to yours, Camoens,
That the gravedigger is digging your grave for the second time,
Having starved you first?

What have you done wrong in the world, Kościuszko?
That two rocks are crushing you in both directions
Without a seat first?

What have you done to the world, Napoleon
That will put you in two graves
closed after death,
Having closed first?

What have you done to people, Mickiewicz?

Cyprian Norwid

a reply to: Agleaya

Yes, clever integration of the parallels to his own plight.

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a reply to: Encia22

Thank you!