White Flag

Among the poems that they made us memorize in elementary school in the sixties, one of those that most impressed me is Arnaldo Fusinato’s “The Last Hour of Venice” (1817–1888). Friend of Prati and Aleardi, the author was a patriotic poet against Austrian oppression. In March 1848 the cities of Lombardy-Venetia rose up, forcing the Austrian garrisons to retreat. In 49, Venice also rose up and the Republic of San Marco was proclaimed, where Fusinato served as a lieutenant. Here too, despite the defense led by Daniele Manin, after almost a year the city had to surrender to the Austrian forces. In the poem “The Last Hour of Venice” you…