UNO SCRITTORE POLIMORFICO

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UNO SCRITTORE POLIMORFICO
CORRADO ALVARO 1956-2026

On the night of June 10–11, 1956, Alvaro died in Rome, in an apartment overlooking Piazza di Spagna. It was a premature death—caused by cancer—that claimed, at the age of sixty-one, one of Italy’s greatest writers and intellectuals; this was acknowledged by the chorus of obituaries that followed, most notably the one penned by Eugenio Montale. In the decades that ensued, however, Alvaro faded into relative obscurity.
He came to be viewed through an "exotic," regionalist, and iconic lens: a major writer who had explored the phenomenology and pathology of Western civilization—both between the wars and in the post-war era—was relegated to the narrow confines of "Calabrian-ness" and seen merely as a chronicler of the myths of his native land and culture. This obscured the fact that his homeland was but one of the two poles of his inspiration, inextricably linked to his exploration of the living reality of contemporary life.
But the tide has turned. The writer from San Luca is now analyzed as a multifaceted author of vast scope and as an extraordinary intellectual of European stature.
And in 2026—marking the seventieth anniversary of his death—the occasion was celebrated with the establishment of a National Edition of his complete works. It is a milestone that also marks the beginning of a long and demanding journey.
This volume re-examines his work, his persona, and his significance, appearing within a prestigious series dedicated to the study of the Italian South. Conceived through the enduring friendship of the two curators, it successfully brings together distinguished, renowned scholars and young researchers who infuse the work with a fresh, innovative, and interpretive approach. One of the foremost intellectuals and writers of the twentieth century— from Southern Italy, Italy, and Europe alike—is here historicized and re-examined in light of the unsettling fusion of classical and modern elements that defined his art.

Authors

Raffaele Giglio is Professor Emeritus of Italian Literature at the University of Naples Federico II and editor of the journal *Critica letteraria*.

Aldo Maria Morace, formerly a full professor of Italian Literature at the University of Sassari, is President of the National Edition of the complete works of Pirandello, Alvaro, and Deledda, as well as President of the Corrado Alvaro International Study Center.