Ugo Foscolo's Jacopo Ortis Revisited as Mirror of Contemporary Italy

On 28 September 2026, Vieri Peroncini's cultural analysis, featured in Artspecialday, delves into the significance of Ugo Foscolo's 'Ultime Lettere di Jacopo Ortis' in contemporary Italy. The piece posits that the main character embodies the current sense of disillusionment, with the intertwined love narrative and political turmoil echoing modern sentiments. Foscolo, a frustrated critic, would be marginalized in Italy, where true merit is eclipsed by incompetence and deceit. The commentary raises concerns that the novel might not see publication today, and its protagonist's suicide could be subject to censorship. It draws a parallel between Foscolo's betrayal by Napoleon and a history of seventy years of Italian treachery. The article concludes by identifying Foscolo as 'uno di noi' and alludes to Icardi's biography.