Roma nella cultura moderna : Discorso tenuto in Campidoglio ... il 21 aprile 1910, commemorando il municipio, il natale di Roma

In a solemn yet lively address delivered on the Capitoline Hill in April 1910, the speaker invites listeners on a personal pilgrimage back to the ancient heart of Italy. He frames the occasion as a celebration of Rome’s birthday while probing a question that still resonates today: why should we continually rewrite the story of a city whose past seems already complete? The opening of the speech is imbued with nostalgia, recalling the doubts and excitement that accompanied his own journey to reinterpret Rome for a modern audience.

The oration moves beyond mere chronology, presenting history as a blend of art and action rather than a strict science. It highlights Rome’s enduring influence on politics, law, and culture, suggesting that the city’s legacy is a living dialogue between ancient order and contemporary ideas. Listeners are drawn into a thoughtful exploration of how the Eternal City shapes, and is reshaped by, the evolving values of modern civilization.