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Italy, as we know, is a land rich in natural, artistic, and historical wonders. There are dozens of different excuses for setting off on a long tour of our country, such as exploring the highest peaks, touring the cities of art, or indulging in a food and wine tour. An original way to organize a trip is to visit the homes of famous writers scattered up and down the country. Follow us as we discover the residences of intellectuals, poets, and artists that combine historical, cultural, and architectural value.
1. The Vittoriale degli Italiani on Lake Garda
A journey through the homes of writers in Italy can only begin with the Vittoriale degli Italiani, the monumental complex designed by Gabriele D'Annunzio between 1921 and 1938. The Vittoriale comprises a series of buildings on the Brescia shore of Lake Garda that the "Poet," as he liked to be called, had built as a monument to himself to celebrate his life and work. Modesty aside!
In reality, only the Prioria, a part of the complex, was used as a residence. In the remaining 9 hectares on which the Vittoriale extends, we find, in addition to D'Annunzio's tomb, museums, gardens, an open-air theater and even a warship
Today the Vittoriale degli Italiani attracts tourists from all over the world and hosts concerts, festivals and exhibitions of all kinds every year
2. Leopardi House in Recanati
From Lake Garda we move to the Marche region and arrive in Recanati where Giacomo Leopardi's house is located.
The palace where the great poet and intellectual was born and raised has belonged for centuries to the Leopardi family, among the most eminent of the Recanati nobility. The building still houses the descendants of the author of the Operette morali, but also houses a museum itinerary that includes the apartments and the library where Leopardi formed his boundless culture. If you are in Recanati, it is also worth visiting the other Leopardi-related places, such as the hill that inspired The Infinite and the village's Sabato square.
3. Keats-Shelley House in Rome
In Piazza di Spagna, right next to Trinità dei Monti, one of Rome's most beloved monuments, stands the Keats-Shelley House, a museum that exhibits manuscripts, paintings, and other objects that belonged to the Romantic poets John Keats and Percy Bysshe Shelley. It was in this very building that, in 1821, Keats died of tuberculosis.
The house-museum is a must-see if you have a passion for 19th-century literature, writers' homes, or libraries and bookshops around the world. Among other things, the building houses one of the most important collections of Romantic works in the world.
4. Alessandro Manzoni's house in Milan
Let's return to the topic of illustrious exponents of Italian literature with Alessandro Manzoni's house in Milan. At Via Morone 1, not far from La Scala, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, and the Duomo, the building awaits us that the author of The Betrothed purchased in 1813 and where he lived until his death sixty years later. The building, in addition to being the residence of one of the fathers of the modern Italian language, also has historical value due to the illustrious guests who passed through it, such as Count Cavour, Giuseppe Garibaldi, and the composer Giuseppe Verdi.
Today, the Casa del Manzoni houses the National Center for Manzoni Studies and a library open to the public with over 38,000 volumes. It is also possible to see the writer's study and bedroom located on the second floor of the building.
5. Visiting Dante's House in Florence
Our tour of the homes of famous writers cannot fail to include Dante Alighieri's lodging in Florence: a tower in the heart of the city, not far from Palazzo Vecchio. The Supreme Poet tied his life inextricably to the capital city of Florence, even though he died in exile in Ravenna, far from his beloved hometown.
Today's house-museum is not exactly the original, but a reconstruction as accurate as possible of a 14th-century residence. Established in 1960, the structure stands where Dante's original home was likely located and hosts performances and exhibitions dedicated to the Poet.
There is another of Dante's homes in Rome – the Torre degli Anguillara in Trastevere – where, however, the Supreme Poet never stayed. It is the headquarters of a cultural institution founded in 1914 to preserve and pass on the works of the Florentine writer.
With Dante Alighieri, our journey through the homes of famous writers in Italy concludes. If all this talk of culture has inspired you to search for a property to pass down to posterity as the place where you stayed and composed your works, hundreds of homes await you on the Casavo classifieds platform, including the perfect one to welcome your inspirations. It's time to get out your pen and paper!
