Mastr'Impicca

Set in the whimsical kingdom of Scaricabarili, the tale opens with a beloved young princess named Rosmunda, whose beauty and kindness are spoken of in almost mythic terms. The people adore her for the comfort and charity she brings wherever sorrow appears, and even her widowed father, the king, feels both pride and anxiety as he contemplates finding a suitable husband for his only child. Yet the princess, still in the bloom of her sixteenth year, prefers the freedom of her own heart over any arranged alliance.

When the king begins the search for a consort, three neighboring rulers—each boasting a title but marred by a physical defect and a questionable character—present themselves as candidates. Imbriani spins this courtly dilemma with a blend of grotesque humor and baroque fairy‑tale language that recalls the wild imagination of Basile while remaining unmistakably his own. The story teases the reader with witty negotiations, strange omens, and the ever‑present question of whether true love can triumph over political convenience.