Walking Via Merulana: A Literary Pilgrimage Through Gadda's Rome

In a personal essay published on doppiozero, Dario Voltolini recounts a walk along Via Merulana in Rome, inspired by Carlo Emilio Gadda's novel "Quer pasticciaccio brutto de via Merulana." The narrative blends memories of conversations with a friend named Pisnarico about the Pilou couple's Calabrian liqueur business with observations of the street's landmarks, including a theater where, according to Voltolini, the communist Togliatti once made offerings to the Christian Democrats for an alliance. The piece reflects on the intersection of literature and urban space, as Voltolini traverses the very locations that served as the novel's setting. The essay is accompanied by an illustration by Anita Romanello and was published on September 9, 2026. Voltolini's walk becomes a meditation on how fiction shapes our perception of real places, inviting readers to see Via Merulana through the lens of Gadda's masterpiece.