Gabriele D'Annunzio

La Nave [Inscribed by the author]

Milan: Fratelli Treves, 1908. Very Good. Item #46850

Milan: Fratelli Treves, 1908. First Edition. Quarto (23 cm); publisher's illustrated art deco card wrappers; [8]250pp, illus. throughout. Wrappers toned, foxed, and lightly soiled with rubbing and creasing to extremities. Pages toned at all margins with inscription and date to half-title, otherwise interior clean. One newspaper clipping folded and laid in at front, with one full newspaper page laid in at rear. A Very Good copy of the Italian poet-turned-politician's opera about Italian imperialism, the betrayal of powerful men, and the might of the Italian navy.

Based on similar handwriting examples, the inscription to "Gegè Primoli at the Argentina on 11 January 1908" on the half-title was likely inscribed by D'Annunzio without signature to Giuseppe Primoli, an Italian nobleman and photographer who is pictured with him in the newspaper clipping laid in at the front. He may have attended the opening night of La Nave and had D'Annunzio sign the book. The newspaper page laid in at rear from 1938 notes the opening night as January 11th, 1908, matching the inscription.

While initially known for his contribution to Italian literature, D'Annunzio became involved in politics. Though he started on the right and was considered proto-facist, he turned hard left and became Benito Mussolini's political rival. After he survived falling (read: being pushed) from a window in 1922 before he could attend a meeting on "national pacification," D'Annunzio mostly sat at the sidelines of politics, though he did try multiple times to convince Mussolini not to ally with Adolf Hitler. Regardless of their frenemy status, upon his death in 1938 Mussolini gave D'Annunzio a state funeral.

Price: $750.00