Last Act in Urbino

When terrorist bombs explode in a Milan bank on December 12, 1969 they raise the curtain on a cast of unlikely players: Prof. Gaspare Subissoni and his lifelong companion and inspiration Vives, both anarchist veterans of the Spanish Civil War; the young Count Oddo Oddi-Semproni and his two unmarried aunts, Clelia and Marzia, who have protected him - and themselves - from the modern world in their crumbling Renaissance palace; their chauffeur Giocondini who serves them - and himself - with limousine tours to "Italy" and with dreams of a revived duchy; and the young prostitute Dirce, whom Oddo would have for his countess and who sets all their worlds upside-down when she, Gaspare and Vives unite forces.

What, ultimately, is more real: the images of distant causes and celebrities that flicker on and off the TV screen, the outdated conflicts and hatreds of the past? Or the loves, memories and promises of a single lifetime? Politics invented for and by TV, Northern League separatists, old-guard leftists and neo-fascists all come together decades ahead of today's headlines in this wry and understanding novel of class, history and personal commitment, set against the busy squares and proud towers of modern Urbino.

Paolo Volponi (1924 - 1994), novelist, poet and Italian senator, was the first person to twice win Italy's most prestigious literary prize, the Premio Strega.

"The novel is rich in poetic nuances and surrealistic flashes that transform political ideology into a personal struggle for identity. The translation captures Volponi's impeccable style, a literary finesse that makes his writing outstanding and, in many ways, unique." (Choice)

"... a rich blend of political commentary and sexual farce.... Demanding but ultimately rewarding fiction." (Kirkus Reviews)

First English translation, with an introduction, by Peter N. Pedroni.


Genre: Literary Fiction