The Journal of Decorative and Propaganda Arts - UCLA Department ...

DAPAlTinter 1987
the singer of Le Odi Nauali and of La Naue, Le Laudi and Le Canzoni
d'Oltremare . .. , the aviator of Cattaro and Vienna, the commander of
Ronchi, Fiume, andZara, the ascetic of Cargnacco, the tireless, ardent
worker ... (31-32).
This hyperbolic synthesis of D'Annunzio's life corresponds to D'Annunzio's
own aim of providing through I1 Vittoriale "the Figure of my life, which cannot
be modified; of an already-lived life. The solidity of my carved sculpture"
(Taccuini,1201). Ironically, though, even rhe unrerouchable traits of this
my'thic public figure, sculpted with so much effort, lose their extraordinary
singularitywhen public perception begins to superimpose onro them those of
"Il Duce, Savior of ltaly" D'Annunzio's figure is in fact, according to Barilli, but
a prophetic prefiguration of Mussolini's. I
NOTE
This article is an excerpt from a critical study the author is preparing on D'Annunzio's rhetoric.
Research for this project was made possible by grants from the National Endowment for the
Humanities, the Ministero Italiano degli Affari Esteri, and the University of California ar Los
Angeles. The author wishes to thank Prol Pietro Gibellini, the President ofthe Fondazione del
Vittoriale, and Dr Elena Ledda, for their help and supporr, as well as the staff of the Librarv and
Archives ofll Vittoriale, from which all photographs in this article are taken.
BIBLIOGRAPHICAI NOTT
The quotations from D'Annunzio's works are taken from the following editionsr Tune le opere di
Gabriele D'Annunzio, ed. Egidio Bianchetti,Fyose di Ricerca, vols. I-III (Milan: Mondadori, 1947;
4th ed., 1968); Taccuini,ed. Enrica Bianchetti and Robeno Forcella(Milan: Mondadori, 796):Versi
d'Amore e di Gloria, dir.Ltciano Anceschi, ed. AnnamariaAndreoli and Niva Lorenzini, vols. I-II
(Milan: Mondadori, 1982,1984). The quotation from D'Annunzio's lener to H€relle is taken from
D'Annunzio A Georges Hdrelles. CoreEondance, ed. Guy Tosi (Pais,1946). No systematic
catalogue yet exists ofthe objects found in the Priory and in Il Vittoriale (many ofwhich are of
uncertain attribution). Most ofthe facts and information concerning Il Vittoriale were taken from
the following publicarions: D'Annunzio e il Vittoriale; Guida alla casa del poeta, ed, Atrilio Mozza
(Edizioni del Vittoriale, 1985); La dimora di D'Annunzio; il Vixoriale, intr. Giorgio Fetrocchi,
images of the Priory by Christopher Broadbent, with an essay by Umberro di Cristina (Falermo;
Novecento, 7980); Ia Fabbrica del Vittoriale, catalogue of the historical and documentary
exhibition opened onJuly 18, 1980, at Il Vittoriale, ed. GiovanniDallak)zz4 Gian Carlo Maroni
arcbiteno, ed. Giorgio Venter and Riccardo Maroni (Tfent, 1.962'); il Vittoriale degli ltatiani a
Gardone del Garda,by AntonGino Domeneghini (Milan: Sonzogno, 1927). For a concise ovewiew
of the bibliographical problems posed by D'Annunzio's work, I refer the reader to the
"Bibliographyi'
by A. Andreoli and N. Lorenzini, in an appendix to the second volume of Vasi,
which also contains a review ofthe main biographies and critical studies of D Annunzio. For the
problem ofthe relationship between D'Annunzio and the figurative arrs, see theActs ofthe
congress D'Atxnunzio, la musica e Ie attifiguratiue (1982),inQwderni delVittoriale,July-
October 1982, with the articles "D'Annunzio e il simbolismo nelle ani visive," by Renato Barilli, and
"D'Annunzio
e l'equivoco del Liberty," by Rossana Bossaglia; Gabriele D'Annunzio e le estetiche di
fine secolo, byTeresa Marabini Moevs (L'Aqulla,7976);Le artifigwatiue nell'arte di Gabriele
D'Annunzio,by Bianca ?massia Mazzarotto (Milan: Bocca, 1949). For the idea of the "Theater of
Memory" in Renaissance culture and in Giulio Camillo, I refer the reader to Frances A. yates
classic study Tbe Art ofMemory (Chicago: Chicago Universiry ftess, 1966) and to Douglas
Radcliff-Umstead's essay,
"Giulio Camillo's Emblems of Memo*i' inYale F'rmcb Studies,47,1972.