Today’s almanac, Wednesday 27 March 2024: saint, births and deaths of the day

It happened today

When we admire English Gothic cathedrals and manors – but also in other European countries, in truth – we sometimes ignore that they are often buildings that were significantly remodeled in the 19th century, if not completely “new”. One of the fathers of neo-Gothic was Sir Gilbert Scott, who died on 27 March 1878. He designed or remade around 800 buildings: among the most famous, Glasgow Cathedral, St Pancras station and the Prince Albert memorial in London, commissioned by Queen Victoria. He also proposed a project for the Reichstag in Berlin, which however was entrusted to another architect (Paul Wallot). A few hundred meters from the Reichstag today stands the Neue Nationalgalerie, among the masterpieces of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, born on 27 March 1886. He didn’t like the trappings of Gothic – or any other style – much: “Less is more” is the motto he identified with. He was one of the fathers of the modern movement, thanks to works such as the pavilion in Barcelona (with its legendary armchair) and the Seagram Building in New York.

Saint of the day

Rupert of Salzburg, bishop of Worms and Salzburg. Son of King Chlothar III’s chancellor Chrodbert and Theodrade, he followed an ecclesiastical education in Worms, where he was soon appointed bishop. Around 700, he left for Bavaria, where he undertook an evangelization work. He was the founder of a church dedicated to St. Peter in Seekirchen and of St. Peter’s Abbey on the Salzach River. Precisely around this construction, he renovated the city of Salzburg. He died on Easter Sunday, March 27, 718.

Born of the day

Alessandro La MarmoraMarch 27, 1799, general and patriot

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, 27 March 1886, German architect

Titina De Filippo, 27 March 1898, actress, playwright and screenwriter

Gloria SwansonMarch 27, 1899, American actress

Andrea GiordanaMarch 27, 1946, actor

Maria Schneider, 27 March 1952, French actress

Quentin Tarantino, March 26, 1963, American director, screenwriter and film producer

Luca Zaia, 27 March 1968, politician

Mariah Carey, March 27, 1969, American singer-songwriter, actress and record producer

Cesare Cremonini, 27 March 1980, Italian singer-songwriter, actor and writer

Manuel Neuer, 27 March 1986, German footballer

Sara Gama, 27 March 1989, Italian footballer and sports manager

Aries, 27 March 2002, singer-songwriter and composer

Deaths of the day

James I of England, 27 March 1625, king

Giambattista Tiepolo, 27 March 1770, Italian painter and engraver

Ettore Majorana, 27 March 1938, Italian physicist

Yuri Gagarin, 27 March 1968, Soviet cosmonaut, aviator and politician

Ezio Tarantelli, 27 March 1985, Italian economist

Renato SalvatoriMarch 27, 1988, Italian actor

Maurizio Gucci, 27 March 1995, Italian entrepreneur

Billy Wilder, March 27, 2002, Austrian naturalized American director, screenwriter and film producer

Joe Sentieri27 March 2007, Italian singer-songwriter

Gianni Minà, 27 March 2023, journalist, writer, television host