“The fairy of a thousand lovers”: Notes on Constantinople by Edmondo De Amicis

De Amicis (1846–1908) is one of the most distinct Italian intellectuals, able to give a voice to the problems and aspirations of a young nation. However, historians of Italian literature consider him a “minor” author. Even so, he was also one of the best-known Italian authors abroad, confirmed by the editorial fortune of Constantinople (1877–78), a travel book written by De Amicis after a stay in the Ottoman metropolis. First published in two volumes, Constantinople was translated immediately into many languages. In 1882, an edition illustrated by the Italian painter Cesare Biseo was also printed. This version, which is also translated into various languages, will help shape the European imagination towards Istanbul, and the Orient in general. The article continues by making an explanation for the dedication present in the book, in which De Amicis says that Constantinople will be his last travel book. Indeed, Constantinople marks the transition to literature of not only consumption but also literature more engaged on the civil affairs. The essay then considers the figure of the traveling companion of De Amicis, the orientalist painter Enrico Junck, underlining his important role in Constantinople. Finally, the article focuses on a curious and unknown commemoration of De Amicis, pronounced in Constantinople by Alarico Buonaiuti. It is a valuable testimony to the profound crisis of De Amicis’ relationship with Italian culture, attacked by the Futurist revolution.