Biography of d'Annunzio

Pirate and Sir

12 March 1863
March 1, 1938
Born in Pescara on 12 March 1863 by Francesco and Luisa de Benedictis, Gabriele D'annunzio is the third child of five siblings. From an early age stands out among peers for intelligence and for a very precocious ability amatoria. His father joined the Royal College Cicognini in Prato, expensive boarding school famous for strict and rigorous studies. His is a restless, rebellious student figure and impatient rules College, but brilliant, intelligent and studious, determined to Excel. In 1879 writes a letter to Campbell, which asks to send the ' great poet ' of Italian poetry, some of its verses; in the same year at the expense of the father publishes the book "First true", but seized the boarders of Cicognini for its overly sensual accents and sheets; the book was reviewed favorably by Catherine on Sunday. ' "Fanfulla After completing their high school studies he obtained the license of honour; but not until July 9 back to Pescara. Stops in Florence, from Giselda Zucconi, called Lalla, his first true love; the passion for «Lalla» inspired the poems of ' Canto Novo».
In November 1881 D'annunzio moved to Rome to attend the Faculty of Humanities, but plunges enthusiastically the capital's literary and journalistic environments, disregarding the academic work. Contributes to the Capitan Fracassa and Byzantine Chronicle of Angelo Sommaruga and published here in may 1882 the «Canto Novo "and" virgin land ". This is also the year of his marriage to Mary Welsh, daughter of Hordouin of Altemps duchessina owners of palazzo Altemps, whose young D'annunzio attending assiduously lounges. Marriage is opposed by the parents of her, but is equally celebrated. It is worth noting that already in this era D'Annunzio is dogged by creditors due to his excessive lifestyle dispondioso. Was born his eldest son Mario, while the writer continued to work with the Fanfulla, dealing with mostly of costume and anecdotes about the company of living rooms.
In April 1886 was born the second son but D'annunzio regains the artistic and creative enthusiasm only when she meets at a concert of the great love, Barbara Leoni, namely Elvira Natalia Fenwick. The relationship with the Lions create many difficulties to Gabriele D'Annunzio who, eager to pursue his new passion, romance, and dismiss from mind the family difficulties, she retires to a convent in Francavilla where processes in six months «Pleasure». In 1893 the couple faces trial for adultery, which does nothing but give birth to new adversity against the poet aristocratic environments. Economic spur D'annunzio to face an intense work (in fact, in addition to debts contracted by him are compounded by those of his father died June 5, 1893). The new year opens again in a sign of loneliness of the convent where D'annunzio processes the "triumph of death". In September, being Venice, knows Eleonora Duse, already approached Rome as a chronicler of the Tribune. In the autumn he settled in the villino Mammarella, in Francavilla with Gravina and his daughter and begins the arduous process of the novel "Le vergini delle rocce" appeared in installments on the feast, and then by volume at Treves dated 1896.
In the summer of 1901 was the drama "Francesca da Rimini", although these are years mainly marked by intense production of the lyrics of "Alcyone", and the cycle of lauds. In summer, D'annunzio moved to villa Borghese where processes the "Figlia di Iorio". The drama, represented at the lyric in Milan, was a huge success thanks to the pride interpretation of Irma Gramatica. Lacking the feeling between Duse and D'Annunzio and incrinatosi permanently their relationship, the poet is home to Capponcina, a summer residence, Alessandra di Rudinì, widow Carlotti, which establishes a very luxurious standard of living and mundane, neglecting literary commitment. The beautiful Nike, so was called the Di Rudinì, far from being the new Muse favors the snobbery of the poet, spurring him to an onerous debt burden, which decrees following the massive financial crisis. In May 1905 Alessandra falls seriously ill, travolta morphine habit: D'annunzio assists affectionately but, after his recovery, abandons her.
The shock for Nike is huge, so much that he decides to retire to Conventual life. This is followed by a troubled relationship and dramatic with Countess Josephine Mancini, evoked in the posthumous diary "Solum ad Solam". The immense economic difficulties forced D'annunzio to abandon Italy and to go to the March 1910 in France. Besieged by creditors, fled to France, where he went in March 1910, accompanied by new love, the young Russian Natalia Victor de Goloubeff. He spends even here five years immersed in worldly intellectual environments. Permanence is accompanied not only by Russian, but also by the painter Romaine Brooks, from Isadora Duncan and dancer Ida Rubinstein, which dedicates the drama "Le martyre de Saint Sébastien," set to music by superb genius of Debussy. The channel that allows D'annunzio to preserve artistic presence in Italy's "Corriere della sera" by Luigi Albertini (where incidentally were published "Sparks of mallet").
French exile has been artistically fruitful. In 1912 the tragedy in verse "Parisina", with music by Mascagni; having collaborated on the making of the film "Cabiria" (by Pastrone) wrote his first cinematographic work, "the crusade of innocents." The French stay ends at the beginning of the war, considered by D'annunzio the opportunity to express with action superomistici ideals and aesthetic in nature, trust, until then, the literary production. Sent by the Italian Government to inaugurate the monument of the thousand in Quarto, D'annunzio, May 14, 1915 falls into Italy with an interventionist and antigovernment prayer. After loudly entered the war against the Austro-Hungarian Empire, does not hesitate to step into the shoes of the soldier in the aftermath of the Declaration. He enlisted as a Lieutenant of the Lancers of Novara and participates in numerous military enterprises. In 1916 a plane crash causes the loss of the right eye; assisted by his daughter Renata, in the ' Red House ' of Venice, D'annunzio spends three months in stillness and in the dark, composing on paper lists the prose memoir "night" and fragmented. Back to the action and desirous of heroic stands out in mockery of Buccari and in flight for Vienna by launching leaflets.
Awarded for bravery, the "soldier" D'annunzio considers the outcome of the war a mutilated victory. Supported the annexation of Istria and Dalmatia and considering the static nature of the Italian Government, decides to take action: the March on River and occupies the September 12, 1919. After military experience D'annunzio elects as his residence the villa Cargnacco on Lake Garda, attention to the publication of more recent works, the previously mentioned "Nocturne" and the two volumes of "Faville del maglio". Reports of D'annunzio with fascism are not well defined: If at first your position is contrary to the ideology of Mussolini, afterwards the accession springing from motives of convenience, suited to the State of physical and psychological fatigue and a modus vivendi elitist and aesthetic. Does not reject, therefore, the honors and tributes of the regime: in 1924, after the annexation of the river King, advised by Mussolini appointed him Prince of Montenevoso, in 1926 Edition "Opera Omnia" project curated by Gabriele himself; the contracts with the publishing house "Oleander" ensure optimal profits in addition to subsidies provided by Mussolini: D'annunzio, ensuring the legacy of villa Cargnacco, State receives funding to make it a monumental residence: thus was born the "Vittoriale degli Italiani", the emblem of inimitable of D'Annunzio.
At the Vittoriale elder Gabriele hosts the pianist Luisa Bàccara, Elena Sangro which remains next from 1924 to 1933, also the Polish painter Tamara De Lempicka. Enthusiastic about the war than Ethiopia, D'annunzio dedicated to Mussolini the volume "Teneo you Africa." But the most authentic of the last D'annunzio is the "secret book", to whom he gave reflections and memories of a folding inward and expressed in a fragmentary prose. The work bears witness to the poet's ability to renew themselves artistically even at death's door, now the March 1, 1938.
Article contributed by the team of collaborators.