Fino a Dogali

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

22501

Title

Fino a Dogali

Language

it

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

Set in late 19th-century Italy, Alfredo Oriani's *Fino a Dogali* weaves three distinct narratives: a cynical look at local politics surrounding the funeral of a controversial priest, a historical analysis of Niccolò Machiavelli and the fractured Italian state, and a harrowing account of the Battle of Dogali. The novel critiques political hypocrisy, explores the clash between faith and reason, and honors the obscure heroism of soldiers who died for a nation still struggling to define its identity.

Summary up to 500 words

Alfredo Oriani's *Fino a Dogali* serves as a searing indictment of Italian society, contrasting the nation's glorious historical ideals with its shameful contemporary reality. The novel is structured around three distinct but interconnected sections that collectively expose the moral bankruptcy of the ruling elite. The narrative opens in the village of Casola, where the narrator recounts a personal crisis triggered by a refusal to speak at the funeral of Don Giovanni Verità. A priest who saved Garibaldi's life yet refused to renounce his revolutionary past, Don Giovanni becomes a focal point for a community torn between fanaticism and skepticism. The local municipality, paralyzed by petty ideological conflicts and municipal pride, refuses to honor him, revealing a society where true heroism is stifled by political cowardice and religious hypocrisy. The text then shifts to a profound historical essay on Niccolò Machiavelli. Oriani reclaims the Florentine thinker from the label of cynic, portraying him instead as the true conscience of Italy. In a fragmented peninsula dominated by foreign powers and internal strife, Oriani argues that Machiavelli understood the necessity of a strong, unified state. He presents Machiavelli as a figure who reflected the era's contradictions, where immense artistic and scientific achievements coexisted with political disarray. The author posits that Machiavelli's realism was a necessary response to a world lacking national dignity, making him a precursor to the very unity Italy failed to achieve. The final and most visceral section transports the reader to the Battle of Dogali in Eritrea. Here, Oriani delivers a scathing critique of the Italian parliamentary class, contrasting their corruption and cowardice with the supreme sacrifice of the soldiers. He vividly describes the brutal defeat by Ethiopian forces, the mutilation of survivors, and the subsequent political cover-up designed to protect the reputation of the government. The novel culminates in a tribute to the anonymous heroism of the troops, whose deaths exposed the gap between the nation's imperial ambitions and its moral failure. Through these stories, Oriani urges a reckoning with the disparity between Italy's self-image and its actual conduct, calling for a transformation of the national character.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

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Categories

• Essays