GIANNI CELATI'S VERSO LA FOCE : “An Intense Observation of the World”

Abstract

This paper discusses Verso la force (Towards the river mouth), a collection of four travel diaries, or “stories of observation,” which chronicle trips Gianni Celati took during the 1980s to explore the Po River Valley in the company of a group of photographers attempting to describe “the new Italian landscape.” Published in 1985, Verso la foce is Celati's most explicit and personal exploration of the spatial relations of the Po River Valley, and illustrates his belief “that it is possible to put together the appearances that are scattered over empty spaces, through an account that organizes experiences and therefore gives relief” (“Finzioni” 33). This assembling of appearances takes place on emotional, mental, and physical planes, moving back and forth between internal and external realities by way of Celati's intense and affectionate observations of the world, which in turn invite readers to more humbly and effectively understand their own spatial surroundings.