‘It is queer, this Fascist movement: one wonders what the end will be.’
Lawrence returns to Spotorno after a brief solo excursion where he visited Assisi, which he dismissed as ‘museumish’, Florence which was ‘horribly crowded’ and Perugia where he first encounters the Etruscans, an ancient civilisation who would influence the Roman Empire. Lawrence found the Etruscans life affirming and in stark contrast to Mussolini’s expanding fascist Italy. He would detail these comparisons in Etruscan Places, published posthumously in 1932.
One positive of returning home is discovering his wife Frieda has been bickering with her daughters which means she is ‘more appreciative of me.’ But it’s time to leave Liguria for pastures new, ‘for where, I don’t quite know.’ But Lawrence isn’t fazed by uncertainty and embraces ‘leaving my plans quite indefinite.’
The Lawrences arrive in Florence on 21 April, which happens to be Natale di Roma, the most important day in the fascist calendar, where he observes, once more with deadly accuracy, ‘it is queer, this Fascist movement: one wonders what the end will be.’
The recent Together Alliance demonstration in London and the No Kings demonstrations in America suggest fascism is rearing its head once more. The fight goes on.
These video essays are based on the letters of D.H. Lawrence one hundred years ago and are published monthly. To see previous Locating Lawrence videos from 1926, click here, from 1923, click here, from 1924, click here, from 1925, click here.
We have a favour to ask
LeftLion is Nottingham’s meeting point for information about what’s going on in our city, from the established organisations to the grassroots. We want to keep what we do free to all to access, but increasingly we are relying on revenue from our readers to continue. Can you spare a few quid each month to support us?
