Nine Ways of Looking at D’Annunzio
October 4, 2012 8:42 AM   Subscribe

Perhaps to compensate for his not-so imposing physique, lack of good looks, and plebeian background, Gabriele D’Annunzio (1863-1938) embraced excess in everything he did. And he did many things: novelist, playwright, poet, aviator and sailor, a genuine war hero, a narcissist, a drug addict, a gifted rabble-rouser, debt-evader, and a noted womanizer.
posted by Chrysostom (7 comments total) 8 users marked this as a favorite
 
Damn, I recently re-read a hilarious account of d'Annunzio's occupation of Fiume and I thought that he would make a great MeFi FPP.

Regarding the "Fiume Exploit", it's strange how fascism first began as a farce, and later returned as tragedy.
posted by Skeptic at 8:52 AM on October 4, 2012


The closets and furniture drawers, left exactly as they were when D’Annunzio died in 1938, contain his personal effects and clothes: 73 pairs of silk underwear, ivory in color and monogrammed, more than 300 pairs of boots and shoes he designed himself, 30 nightshirts, including one with a round hole below his waist, decorated in gold thread, baby doll pajamas, made to order, that he had his lady visitors wear when they came to see him, small boxes with his lady visitors’ pubic hair.
posted by ovvl at 10:42 AM on October 4, 2012


Mussolini was scared of his popularity - which is demonstrated in the lavish estate, Il Vittoriale degli Italiani, that was built with money provided by Il Duce to keep D'Annunzio at home.
posted by incandissonance at 10:43 AM on October 4, 2012


small boxes with his lady visitors’ pubic hair.

*runs out of room screeching*
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 11:14 AM on October 4, 2012


And yet, ec, evidence suggests that wasn't a turn-off.world is a weird place.
posted by maxwelton at 1:00 PM on October 4, 2012


Max, that was more of a full-body recoil at the thought of one of my paramours turning to me after a tryst and asking for a "sample".

*resists impulse to flee screaming yet again*
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 1:30 PM on October 4, 2012


turning to me after a tryst

Note to self: ask before tryst
posted by stbalbach at 2:40 PM on October 4, 2012 [1 favorite]


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