For many years Giacomo Leopardi was only the immense poet we all know. Only in relatively more recent times has his non-fiction activity also begun to be appreciated, which, according to authoritative opinions, touches the level of a truly organic philosophy. An example of this initial underestimation lies in the fact that his "Discorso sopra lo stato presente dei costumi degli Italiani," written from a 26-year-old Leopardi in 1824, was published only in 1905.
The poet′s judgments on Italy and the Italians are diverse and vary with the passage of years. But there is no doubt that in his youthful years and especially in some of his works a vivid love of country is felt strongly in him. Examples of this are the two famous patriotic compositions "To Italy" and "For the Monument of Dante."

Starting from these verses but also inserting considerations taken from the Zibaldone and verses extracted from some of the most beautiful "Canti", Corrado Augias has assembled a text that gives us a surprising portrait of Giacomo Leopardi, his relationship with Italy, with life, with loves. The strong sense of an imagination that was for many years his only true reality.

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