STRANGE LIFE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22978, 4 March 1938, Page 10

STRANGE LIFE

FAMOUS ITALIAN POET D'ANNUNZIO'S HABITS SECLUSION IN FORTRESS GUNBOAT ON THE LAKE By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright ROME, March It is announced that Gabriele D'Annunzio, the famous Italian poet and soldier, will have a Catholic burial, although most of his books are on tho Church's index of forbidden books. P'Annunzio's flag was raised above the Government Palace in Fiume and also draped his bier. Signor Mussolini, Count Ciano and other high .'Fascists arc travelling to his villa 011 tho shores of Lake Garcia. It is revealed that D'Annunzio lived in a strange manner for years. He had not been in Rome since the rise of Mussolini, although he was nominated as Marconi's successor in tho Italian Academy; Sometimes he spent weeks in tho utmost seclusion. Ho would leave instructions about food 011 pieces of paper, and eat in the kitchen after the servants had .retired. His villa was virtually a high-walled fortress guarded by 20 savage hounds. He kept a catafalque in a sombrely-draped room surmounted by a mask of his face. At other times tho poet sailed on the Hake in his private gunboat—a relic of the war—in which ho terrorised Ushermen by racing at them at full speed ,and firing off cannon. D'Annunzio always longed for a sudden end. All Italy is mourning his death. CROWDS PAY TRIBUTE 1 FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS BURIAL IN FIUME TEMPLE 'Times Cabin LONDON. March 2 The Gardone correspondent of the Times says that after Mussolini and other notables had seen D'Annunzio's body, the crowd filed past tho catafalque. The body will be placed to-morrow in a plain wooden coffin and carried on a gun-carriage to the church in Upper Gardone. It will be brought back after the service and placed on a portion of the battle-cruiser Puglia, which D'Annunzio erected in his garden, remaining there throughout the night while bonfires burn on the surrounding hills. The Fiume Temple will be the scene of the funeral on March 4.