Franco Verdi

• Name: Franco Verdi
• Year of birth: 1841
• Age of death (in 1878): 37
• Species: Cat
• Race: Sicilian Wild Cat

A good, kind, devoted, selfless man, and a liberal.

His father Domenico was a sympathizer of the Carboneria, a secret Italian revolutionary society founded in the Kingdom of Naples during the early 19th century, built on patriotic and liberal values.

When Domenico inherited a recently left citrus orchard and hired a young couple of immigrant cats from Abyssinia, who had a little daughter to feed, born in Italy shortly after their arrival, Franco grew up alongside that little girl. From an early age, a special bond bloomed between them, and they fell in love during their childhood.

Caterina was just a servant girl, but Franco was deeply in love with her. She loved him back, but theirs seemed like an impossible love, opposed by everyone. This was especially true for the gossiping aunts who constantly interfered, fueling the envy and hatred that Uncle Giulio felt toward his brother Domenico, who had been chosen out of everyone as the sole heir to the orchard!

In fact, the Verdi family feud began years earlier, when the patriarch's two sons, Giacomo and Domenico, fought over the inheritance of the highly successful Verdi citrus orchard. Giacomo had a terrible temper and was an alcoholic, which is why their father wanted to leave everything to Domenico, who was upright and honest.

One evening, Giacomo went to Domenico's house while 14-year-old Franco and his mother were home. After a heated argument, he attacked his brother and tried to strangle him. Domenico managed to break free, causing Giacomo to lose his balance. As he fell, he hit his head on the sharp corner of the marble fireplace, dying later from a brain hemorrhage. At the murder trial, the judge ruled Giacomo's death as accidental, stating that Domenico had simply defended himself from an attack within the family.

This verdict sparked outrage among the other three sisters, who were already excluded from the inheritance because they were women. They wanted Domenico in prison just to shake up the inheritance cards again for the sake of their own children. Sadly, Giacomo's 16-year-old son, Santuzzo, decided to take revenge. In broad daylight, during an argument, he shot Uncle Domenico in the chest, ending up in prison for murder! With no more adult sons left to inherit, Franco's grandfather had to choose a single heir from among his grandsons, and he made a will in favor of young Franco, who was left an orphan at the age of 14, as his mother passed away from a fever.

Grief-stricken by his mother's death and having confessed his love to the beautiful Caterina whom he wanted to marry at all costs, he decided to elope with her, a traditional Sicilian “fuitina”, to force his grandfather to accept their marriage.

Elias and Farah became Franco's adoptive parents-in-law. Franco married Caterina, and so the Abyssinians essentially became part-owners of the very citrus orchard they used to serve!

All hell broke loose in the family. The horrified and infuriated aunts started turning his cousins against him, spreading malicious rumors, and even cursing poor Franco. However, the local community showed great solidarity with his family, who were known for being honest, devoted, and generous.

Elias proved to be an excellent citizen, helping everyone, donating money to the church, and continuing to work hard just as he always had, hiring eager young workers into the business, which he managed with total dedication. Meanwhile, Franco and Caterina started having plenty of children and living happily.

Until one evening, poor Franco was found lifeless at the bottom of a cliff. It appeared he had accidentally fallen during one of his usual after-dinner evening walks...

He left behind a wife and six children.