"Ein dunkler, knatternder Marsch von Elfsilbern". Gilberto Fortis Verserzählung "A Sarajevo il 28 giugno"

In Italian literature, the Southern front (by the river Isonzo) figures prominently when it comes to representations of WWI. The War was only thematized after Italy joined the Entente in their fight against the Central Powers in May 1915. This might explain why the Sarajevo Assassination did not get the resonance it had in other countries. However, there is a literary work which is exclusively dedicated to the event: Gilberto Forti’s tale in verse A Sarajevo il 28 giugno which was published in 1984 only. The book is organized in 11 chapters, everyone of which is narrated from a different point of view by fictitious characters. This process of fictionalizing a historic event can be understood through the conventions oft he outdated genre which gives the occurences a peculiar ‚patina’. The assassination is perceived as historical cesura which brings an end of the old imperial world pre-1914.