The news of the death of prof. Raphael Roman, went around the “Liceo” Galilei of Piedimonte Matese among students who are now adults and others who are still very young. All united by deep pain but above all gratitude for the Professor of History and Philosophy in jacket and tie, passionate about medieval history and church history, archeology, botany and floriculture, countryside and cooking. Memories, dedications, photographs, expressions of esteem for the ‘brother’, the ‘friend’, the ‘confidant’ continue to alternate on social networks…many roles in addition to that of a passionate, likeable, sharp-edged teacher, available to everyone, not just the his pupils.
At the funeral celebrated this morning in the church of San Sebastiano in Alvignano there was the family and his extended family of friends and acquaintances with whom he has always cultivated an authentic, sincere bond, based on sympathy and collaboration; in recent months, surprised by the illness, he shared the difficult moment with all of them, surrounded by the affection and tenderness of many friends: he had not chosen marriage but his paternity was in the dedication to his community of origin and to the school, the Parish and cultural promotion Of Alvignano and for Alvignano, and in many discreet gestures of charity towards the last. Among the pews of that small and precious church that he loved so much, there were also some former colleagues and students of the high school: many more would have liked to be present, but this uncomfortable Monday morning for those who work in the morning corresponds to the “resumption” of numerous activities after the long break of the Christmas period…
Yesterday, in the excited moment of reminiscing, our editorial staff received one of yours last class, the V of the Liceo Classico, with which prof. Romano ended his school career in 2018.
University students, some of whom are now towards the final goal, but still deeply marked by the recent high school experience which is confirmed, thanks to the dedication and passion of teachers such as those of prof. Roman, a place of growth in values and motivation, even before the contents.
Unforgettable and beloved professor,
in these hours we read many memories about his splendid person, everyone tries to reconstruct one of the many facets of his character, confirming the vastness of his knowledge, some remember him for his passion for flowers, others for his curiosity to discover new places and still those who praise the incomparable preparation in history and philosophy, knowing that he lavished for many years at the Piedimonte Matese high school, words that decree the prize of his dedication, which would make him embarrassed and happy, shy as he was to show his feelings.
We remember the meticulousness he reserved every time in the preparation of class assignments, from the questions drawn up on the basis of the program explained in class to the lottery for the accommodation of us students, which he represented each time on a blank sheet of paper, to ensure an objective evaluation of the notions learned. Over time, the search for perfection in himself and in us students has never changed and the commitment with which he transformed a lesson from a simple and empty monologue into truly engaging experiences has never changed, which became each time, depending on the object of the conversation, of real time travel, made up of stories, representations in which he himself made us protagonists, capturing our attention and thus pushing us to learn with curiosity any historical event, each philosopher became part of the class and was known down to the smallest detail. The care he dedicated to each of us in correcting homework, everyone was called to the chair to view the paper, to understand what was wrong and what could be improved instead, this was what our professor wanted, push us to always improve, starting from our mistakes to never give up in the face of challenges but to welcome them with courage and perseverance to achieve a goal. He had the unique and innate ability to read inside us, to understand us all and with great sensitivity to help us overcome worries and anxieties, often not just at school.
Only two years into our lives with him but at an age where these, by a strange twist of time, remain within us as if they were many more. It is no longer a person, it is a place of the soul, of those best parts of it which were the years of our high school, in which full of dreams we were about to face real life, different from the welcoming walls that had hosted us, but detachment didn’t scare us, also because he, with his rigor, had given us confidence and a key to understanding. Even today, taken by the study of university textbooks, we draw on his advice and his teachings which remain a solid point of reference.
Professor Romano will always live in each of us, who keep the messages that only he was able to convey. He made us understand deeply not only his subjects, which we loved very much and of which we jealously keep notes, diagrams and books that he provided us to facilitate our study, but he showed us a way of facing life, an authentic master of life. We are like this today also because we had him as a teacher in crucial years of our formation.
It was the symbol of an era that seems to have disappeared, in which a public institution (the school) was able to embody, through the people who represented it, the values for which it existed, culture, solidity of knowledge. His person, wrapped in an aura of mystery that accompanied him, his tone of voice, his way of dressing respectfully of his role, was a real character, outside the box and out of time. His memory will remain indelible for all of us.
Her spontaneity, her sympathy and her love for knowledge will always be our guide, as in our school career her person has been a beacon, thank you professor, her students with emotion greet her grateful to have known her, goodbye!
V-Class AC (2018)