Gabriele D'Annunzio | A collection of autograph letters and documents, 1880 to 1921

Gabriele D'Annunzio

A collection of autograph letters and documents, dating from 1880 to 1921

Comprising 23 letters to Giacinto Stiavelli, Giulio Piccino, Vittorio Pica, his servant Rocco Pesce, and others, mostly with autograph envelopes, relating to literary and domestic matters, as well as his role as Comandante of the Republic of Fiume in 1919-1920, sent from Rome, Francavilla, Settignano, Venice, and Fiume

A fine selection of letters covering decades of D'Annunzio's life, including his early literary works and journalism, to the heady days of Fiume. In between he experienced financial problems and fled to France to avoid his creditors, who took possession of his villa in Settignano, and his letter to his servant Rocco expresses his anxiety about the letters left in the house, including "lettere intime" from "Signora D." (Eleanora Duse, his near neighbour and lover). Vittoria Pica, to whom seven letters are addressed, was a Neapolitan writer and critic interested in French Symbolism; D'Annunzio congratulates him on his magnificent book, and thanks him for sending another, and sends him articles of his own in return.

One of the letters is addressed to "Uscocco" (Corsair); during the Republic of Fiume, obtaining supplies of food and weapons was a problem as the Italian government blocked shipments, so D'Annunzio employed "Uscocchi fiumani" (pirates of Fiume) to seize ships and their cargoes. The "pirate" to whom the letter is addressed could well be the aviator Guido Keller, who was in charge of the Uscocchi, and this collection includes an autograph order to seize a ship and its cargo on 2 December 1920 (signed "Il Comandante").

D'Annunzio's character comes through in some of his headed paper; a few sheets are headed "Qualis artifex valeo" (from the supposed last words of Emperor Nero) and one states "me ne frego" (I don't care). One document, dated Rome, 2 August 1919 (shortly before the coup at Fiume), directed at "Eccellenza vostra" (your Excellency), is a request for help on behalf of his son-in-law Silvio Montamarella, on Squadra di San Marco headed paper; this was the name of a aerial squadron headed by D'Annunzio in the First World War.

For a series of photographic portraits of D'Annunzio, see previous lot.

Full listing of the letters:

1. To Giannino, 22 November [1880], written in lilac ink, 4 pages
2. To Giacinto Stiavelli, Francavilla, 10 June, 3 pages
3. To Giacinto Stiavelli, Resina (Naples), 10 September 1893, 2 pages, on headed paper "Qualis artifex valeo!"
4. To Signora Miranda, Francavilla, 24 November 1896, 2 pages, presenting verses with a four-line poem on the third page
5. To Arnaldo, Hotel Cavour, Milan, Friday, 1 page
6. To Schürmann, Eden Hotel, Rome, Saturday, 1 page, with an autograph note in French giving a seat [for a performance] to Schürmann
7. To Gaetano, 2 pages
8. To Giulio Piccino ("Jarro") at La Nazione (Florence), 1 August 1908, 3 pages, with envelope ("urgentissima")
9. To Camillo Rapagnetta (Ministero del Tesoro; presumably a relative of D'Annunzio), [Florence], 20 January [1895], 3 pages, with autograph envelope
10. To [?Sarteur], asking for a large carafe with his initials engraved on it, Francavilla, 14 August 1897, 3 pages
11. To a friend, enclosing 20 lire, Settignano, 9 March 1907, 1 page, with autograph envelope
12. To Giovanni Cucchiari in Carrara, a note card written on both sides, with autograph envelope
13. To Vittorio Pica, [Rome, postmarked 22 March 1887], 1 page, on La Tribuna headed paper, with autograph envelope
14. To Vittorio Pica, [Rome, 19 February 1890, Ash Wednesday], 1 page, with autograph envelope
15. To Vittorio Pica, Venice, 19 December 1915, 3 pages, with autograph envelope
16. To Vittorio Pica, Francavilla, 14 July [1894], 7 pages, with autograph envelope
17. To Vittorio Pica, postmarked Bologna, 17 December 1895, 4 pages, with autograph envelope
18. To Vittorio Pica, Francavilla, 29 May 1894, 4 pages, on headed paper "Qualis artifex valeo!", with autograph envelope
19. To Vittorio Pica, Francavilla, postmarked 8 October 1897, 3 pages, with autograph envelope
20. To Rocco Pesce, Arcachon (Gironde), 18 October 1911, 8 pages, with autograph envelope
21. To "Eccellenza vostra", Rome, 2 August 1919, 4 pages, on "Squadra di San Marco" paper
22. To "Uscocco" (Corsair; Guido Keller?), Fiume, 10 August 1920, 4 pages, on "Città di Fiume | Comando" headed paper
23. To a friend, 1 page, on "Me ne frego" headed paper
24. Autograph order for the unloading and docking of a ship in Fiume, dated Fiume, 9pm on 2 December 1920, on headed paper "Reggenza Italiana del Carnaro | Comando dell'Esercito Italiano", signed "Il Comandante"
25. Autograph manuscript of a speech to the students of the Marco Foscarini school, dated 19 March 1919, with heading and signature in red ink

And an autograph envelope addressed to Edoardo Calandra.