Macchina aereobatica fabbricata e diretta da Francesco Orlandi

ink and watercolor drawing on paper, some defects in the lower part, framed

54x47 cm

On September 7, at two in the afternoon, the "aerobatic machine" of the Bolognese aviator Francesco Orlandi, a hydrogen and hot air balloon, built according to the Zambeccari method, hovers from the Piazza d'Armi in Bologna, crowded since the morning.The balloon, "made up of 35 spindle-shaped stripes of silky cloth", remains visible to the spectators for a good half hour, then disappears into the clouds, leaving the people of Bologna in great apprehension.Towards the evening the news will arrive that the machine, although broken down, has landed happily in a field between Lugo and Massalombarda. Finally, Orlandi will show up late in the evening at the Teatro del Corso to definitively dispel "the rumors of disaster" that have arisen.The ascension had already been announced for August 30th, but a very strong wind had forced the postponement.