Casa Leopardi shows autograph copy of 'On Dante's Monument'

(ANSA) - ROME, OCT 26 - The Casa Leopardi in Recanati in Marche will display from Friday till January 30 an autograph copy of the great Romantic poet's homage to his illustrious predecessor, 'On Dante's Monument', in the year marking the 700th anniversary of Dante's death.
    The theme of the poem, inspired by preparations for the Dante monument in Florence's Piazza Santa Croce, is the state of degradation and abandonment Italy is suffering from, like in Dante time according to the famous words of Purgatory "Ah, Italy enslaved, abode of misery, pilotless ship in a fierce storm".
    Giacomo Leopardi "often cited Dante in his writings," said Leopardi expert Fabiana Cacciapuoti, adding that "he saw in Dante that ideal of poet and writer who founds Italian literature, and hen the Italian language, and whoever founds a language and literature founds a people".
    Leopordi's poem, exhibited alongside his other political work 'To Italy', was so successful it prompted his great friend Pietro Giordani to say they were both spreading like "an electric fire".
    The autograph poems are on display along with other rare works and incunabula.
    Leopardi (1798-1837) is universally recognised as Italy's second greatest poet after Dante (C 1265-September 14, 1321). (ANSA).