Notes on the Beginning of the Myth of Khlebnikov in Italy

Against the background of Marinetti's visit to Russia, a review of the articles that deal with it in the Italian press is made. We focus on Zanetti’s article, published in the “Giornale d'Italia” on March 5th, 1914, in which Khlebnikov’s thoughts are effectively summarized despite the evident skepticism of the journalist. We then move on to the article by the Italian futurist Settimelli published in the journal “L’Italia futurista” in March 1917, in which Khlebnikov's ‘prophecy’ on the fall of an empire in 1917 is enthusiastically recalled and interpreted here in an anti-German sense. This is the beginning of the Khlebnikov myth in Italy, a myth, however, which will remain ‘buried’ for several years, until Poggioli first and then Ripellino took it up again and brought it to the attention of the cultured reading public in Italy. This process culminated in Ripellino’s translation of Khlebnikov's poems and his presentation of the poet and of his poetics in 1968. This publication profoundly influenced the reception of Khlebnikov and his myth in Italy.