Guillaume Apollinaire (1880–1918)

Abstract

On 31 August 1880 the registrar of the city of Rome was informed of the birth, on the 26th, of a male child whose mother wanted to remain anonymous and whose father was unknown. The child’s name was given as Guillaume-Albert Dulcigni. On 29 September the same child, now said to have seen the light of day on 25 August at 5 a.m., was baptised with the names of Guillelmus Apollinaris Albertus de Kostrowitzky, son of Angelica de Kostrowitzky. The father was still not mentioned. A month later, on 2 November, Madame de Kostrowitzky officially recognised her son, whom she was always to call Wilhelm. Two years later, another boy was born and he was presented to the authorities as Albert Zevini, of unknown parents. In fact, Albert was the brother of Guillaume-Apollinaire-Albert.