La Gioconda

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

23297

Title

La Gioconda

Language

it

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

Set in Renaissance Florence and Pisa, this tragic drama explores the devastating impact of obsession and forbidden love. Following sculptor Lucio Settala's recovery from a fatal attempt to end his life for the woman he adores, the play delves into themes of artistic creation, spiritual redemption, and the destructive power of a singular, implacable passion that threatens to consume the lives of those around him.

Summary up to 500 words

Gabriele D'Annunzio's *La Gioconda* presents a psychological tragedy set in Florence and on the coast of Pisa, exploring the destructive power of obsession and the fragility of human recovery. The narrative centers on Lucio Settala, a sculptor who survived a suicide attempt driven by his all-consuming love for Gioconda Dianti. Following his near-death experience, Lucio returns to his sun-drenched studio, where his wife Silvia and his friend Cosimo Dalbo struggle to reconcile his renewed life with the lingering shadow of his despair. Silvia, scarred by the trauma of Lucio's attempt and the memory of Gioconda's presence, fears that the woman's influence still haunts Lucio's soul. This fear is validated when Cosimo returns from the East with news that Gioconda has not abandoned her pursuit of Lucio. She has visited the studio and, crucially, sent a letter to Lucio, signaling that she still awaits him. This revelation shatters the fragile peace Silvia and Lucio have attempted to build. The play examines whether Lucio has truly overcome his obsession or if the 'fascination' of Gioconda remains an unstoppable force. Lucio's art becomes a battleground for this internal conflict; he continues to sculpt, yet his work is haunted by the memory of the woman who caused his crisis. The arrival of Gioconda's statue, a silent witness to the tragedy, further complicates the emotional landscape, standing as a monument to the past that refuses to fade. Through intimate dialogues and symbolic imagery involving nature, art, and the sea, D'Annunzio constructs a tense atmosphere where the boundaries between reality and hallucination blur. The story questions the cost of artistic genius and the endurance of human love against the weight of fate and memory. Ultimately, the drama culminates in a profound meditation on whether one can ever truly escape the ghosts of the past, suggesting that for some, the shadow of a lost love may forever dominate the present, rendering recovery an impossible dream.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

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https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/23297.epub.noimages

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data/epubs/pg23297.epub

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Categories

• Classics
• Drama