Gabriele D’Annunzio, Prince of Montenovoso, Duke of Galiese OMS, GMG, MVM (1863 - 1938) –Italian poet, writer, playright soldier and airman

With a fellow officer WW1

Gabriele was born in Pescara in the Italian province of Abruzzo.  His father was Francesco Paolo Rapagnetta d’Annunzio, a landowner and Mayor.  Gabriele had a volume of his poems published when  he was sixteen and still at school   Gabriele went to work as a journalist for the newspaper “Tribuna”, taking the pen-name of “Duca Minimo”.  

In 1883, Gabriele married Maria Hardouin di Gallese and they had three sons but the marriage did not last.  His first novel ,“Il Piacere (translated as The Child of Pleasure), was publsihed in 1889.  In 1897, he was elected to the Italian Parliament’s Chamber of Deputies (Camera dei deputati) as an Independent.

A lavish life-style meant that Gabriele ran up debts and in 1910 he moved to France where he worked with Claude Debussy on a musical play.  However, when war broke out, Gabriele returned to Italy and spoke in favour of Italy entering the conflict on the side of  the Allies of the Triple Entente. His efforts were successful in 1915 when the signing of the Treaty of London brought Italy into the war on the side of the allies.

Having flown with Wilbur Wright in 1908, Gabriele learnt to fly and volunteered as a fighter pilot.  He lost the sight of one eye in a flying accident.   

In February 1918, he took part in a raid on the harbour of Bakar in the west of Croatia.  

On 9th August 1918 he was commanding the 87th Italian Fighter Squadron, nick-named “La Serenissima”, and led nine planes in a 700 mile round trip to drop propaganda leaflets on Vienna.

Gabriele d'Annunzio portrait

In 1924, King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy gave him the title of Principe di Montenevoso.  

Gabriele died in 1938 at his home in Gardone Riviera, Brescia, Lombardy, and was given a state funeral.  He was buried in the garden of his home which is known as the Vittoriale degli Italiani (The Shrine to Italian Victories).

Here is one of Gabriele's poems:

NOTE;  Marshal of Italy Luigi Cadorna, OSML, OMS, OCI (4 September 1850 – 21 December 1928) was an Italian general and Marshal of Italy. He was most famous for being the Chief of Staff of the Italian Army from 1914-1917 during the First World War. Because of the multiple and consecutive failed attacks led by him, the large number of casualties incurred among his own men (outnumbering enemy casualties), plus his personal reputation as disproportionately bitter and ruthless, Cadorna is often considered one of the conflict's worst generals.

Source:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabriele_D%27Annunzio