Vittoriale amphitheatre completed after 90 years

The Parlaggio, the amphitheatre at Gabriele D'Annunzio's Vittoriale degli Italiani in Gardone Riviera, has been completed nearly 90 years after its original design. The project began in 1931 when architect Gian Carlo Maroni was sent to Pompeii to study the ancient Roman amphitheatre for inspiration. Construction halted after D'Annunzio's death in 1938 and the war. Work resumed in the 1950s under architects Mario Moretti and Italo Maroni, but the seating and orchestra remained in concrete. A recent intervention covered them with red Verona marble, fulfilling the poet's original vision. Funding came from a €500,000 grant from the Lombardy Region, a zero-interest loan from Banca La Valsabbina, and direct contributions from the Vittoriale. The inauguration, originally set for March 12 (D'Annunzio's birthday), was postponed due to the pandemic. The completion is part of the Riconquista project, led by President Giordano Bruno Guerri, aiming to make the entire estate accessible by 2021, the centenary of its founding.