Dolores Prato: The 1,000-Page Grammatically Flawed Masterpiece
Italian writer Dolores Prato (1892-1983) produced a 1,058-page autobiographical novel, 'Giù la piazza non c’è nessuno,' completed in 1980. The first edition, published by Einaudi and edited by Natalia Ginzburg, was cut to 282 pages, sparking protests from Prato. The full text only appeared posthumously in 1997, edited by Giorgio Zampa. Prato was born in Rome to a single mother and raised in Treia by relatives. She earned a literature degree in 1918 and taught in various towns before settling in Rome in 1930. During Fascism, she was forced to leave teaching due to her surname being mistakenly considered Jewish. She survived through private lessons and journalism, hosting antifascist intellectuals like Renato Mieli and Concetto Marchesi. In the 1950s, she lived with priest Don Andrea Gaggero. Her writing style is direct, fluid, and blends Italian with dialect, often disregarding grammatical rules. Quodlibet has republished her works, including 'Scottature' (1998) and 'Sogni' (2010), while Adelphi published 'Le Ore' (1995). Prato never achieved recognition in her lifetime but is now celebrated as a unique voice.
Key facts
- Dolores Prato completed 'Giù la piazza non c’è nessuno' in 1980 at age 88.
- The manuscript was 1,058 pages long.
- Einaudi published a 282-page version edited by Natalia Ginzburg.
- Prato protested the cuts but never saw the full edition.
- The complete novel was published in 1997 edited by Giorgio Zampa.
- Prato was born in Rome in 1892 to an unwed mother.
- She was raised in Treia, Macerata province.
- She earned a literature degree in 1918 and taught in Sansepolcro, Macerata, and San Ginesio.
- In 1930 she moved to Rome and taught at Marymount.
- Her surname was mistakenly thought Jewish, forcing her to leave teaching.
- She hosted antifascist intellectuals including Renato Mieli, Concetto Marchesi, Stefano D’Arrigo, and Fausto Coen.
- She lived with Don Andrea Gaggero in the 1950s.
- Her writing blends Italian and dialect with unconventional grammar.
- Quodlibet published 'Scottature' (1998), 'Sogni' (2010), and the latest edition of 'Giù la piazza' (2016).
- Adelphi published 'Le Ore' in 1995.
Entities
Artists
- Dolores Prato
- Natalia Ginzburg
- Giorgio Zampa
- Renato Mieli
- Concetto Marchesi
- Stefano D’Arrigo
- Fausto Coen
- Don Andrea Gaggero
Institutions
- Einaudi
- Quodlibet
- Adelphi
- Marymount
- Paese Sera
- Il Globo
- Università IULM di Milano
- Centro Arti Visive Pescheria di Pesaro
- Fondazione Guastalla per l'arte contemporanea
- Giovani Collezionisti
Locations
- Rome
- Italy
- Treia
- Macerata
- Sansepolcro
- San Ginesio
- via Fracassini 4
- Macerata province