Giordano Bruno Guerri on Gabriele D'Annunzio's Legacy and Misconceptions

In an interview with Artribune, Giordano Bruno Guerri, director of the Fondazione del Vittoriale, discusses the legacy of Gabriele D'Annunzio eighty years after his death. Guerri addresses common misconceptions linking D'Annunzio to fascism, arguing that while Mussolini appropriated D'Annunzio's rituals and rhetoric, the poet was critical of the regime and hostile to Hitler. He notes that D'Annunzio's occupation of Fiume was more akin to the 1968 counterculture, with its progressive Carta del Carnaro. Guerri laments that D'Annunzio's literary works are increasingly unread due to their opulent language, while his biographical legend endures. He compares D'Annunzio to Curzio Malaparte, calling the latter an evolution of the former. The Vittoriale, D'Annunzio's last and most beloved work, continues to fascinate visitors. Upcoming initiatives include a celebration of the centenary of the Flight over Vienna on August 9, 2018, and events for the Fiume centenary in 2019-2020, including a book by Guerri.