I mattoidi al primo concorso pel monumento in Roma a Vittorio Emanuele

A razor‑sharp, witty essay opens with Carlo Dossi’s impatient lament at the absurdity of the inaugural contest to design a monument for Vittorio Emanuele II. He positions himself as an outsider, a “madman” of letters, ready to record the frenzy that swirled through Rome’s artistic circles in 1883. Through a blend of satire and earnest observation, Dossi sketches the chaotic flood of proposals—some earnest, many outright ridiculous—and questions the thin line between genius and folly in a competition driven more by bureaucratic vanity than true creativity.

The work proceeds as a curious blend of cultural criticism and early psychological insight. Dossi treats the flawed designs as case studies, suggesting that the very excess of “madness” reveals deeper truths about the human mind and the era’s artistic values. Listeners will discover a vivid portrait of a city caught in the swirl of ambition, eccentricity, and the relentless pursuit of a lasting tribute, all filtered through Dossi’s keen, often playful, literary lens.