Gabriele D'Annunzio

It is not unusual, in the history of Italian literature, and especially in these past two centuries,to find writers who dedicate all or most of their creative works to their region and who mainly concentrate on delineating those predominant features which make each place and each community so distinctive in themselves. For D Annunzio, the Abruzzi region constituted and remained his province ; he never ceased his fascination and attachment to the homeland. Historically, the region had a glorious past, with its inhabitants coming from true ancient Italian stock. D Annunzio considered the Abruzzi as a province where the people and the mysterious and rugged landscape were indissolubly linked and was constantly aware of the fact that traditions in the area bore the mark of pre-Roman pagan rites. In spite of a career determined by a vacillating attitude towards various European literary trends, he never was able to free himself of the influence and the attraction he felt for his native region.

Autorentext

Angela Tumini is currently a Professor of Italian Studies at Chapman University in California. She obtained a PhD in Italian Literature at the University of Oxford, England in 2002 and has published a book, and several articles on Gabriele D'Annunzio, Italian Literature and Cinema.