Trieste welcomes until January 11, 2026 the exhibition TOLKIEN. Man, Professor, Author, set up at the Salone degli Incanti thanks to the support of the City of Trieste, the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia and the promotion of the Ministry of Culture. After its success in Rome, Naples, Turin and Catania, the exhibition has landed in the city of Trieste to offer a comprehensive journey into the life and work of John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, author of the famous Middle-earth and among the most widely read and studied writers on the contemporary scene. The exhibition, curated by Oronzo Cilli and co-curated and organized by Alessandro Nicosia, aims to illustrate Tolkien’s entire human and professional journey, offering the public a chance to get to know the man, father, friend, academic and storyteller. Through autograph manuscripts, letters, photographs, memorabilia and works of art inspired by his imagery, the exhibition tells the story of how knowledge of ancient history and literature fueled the creation of Middle-earth, turning Tolkien into an indispensable reference point for philologists, linguists and fantasy enthusiasts.
The exhibition places the author and the cultural and academic context in which he worked at the center of the narrative, illustrating his academic work, which includes essays and publications still fundamental to the study of ancient and Middle English literature, and his narrative production, without neglecting the relationships that bound him to our country. “I am in love with Italian, and I feel rather lost without the possibility of trying to speak it,” reads one of his letters.
Evidence of his trip to Venice and Assisi in 1955, correspondences with Italian scholars and the publishing history of his works in Italy complete the picture of an intense and varied life. The itinerary also includes a section devoted to the film adaptations of his books, from Ralph Bakshi ’s animated film to Peter Jackson’sLord of the Rings trilogy, which won 17 Academy Awards. Alongside these, an exhibit within the exhibit presents one hundred original works by 39 of the leading artists in Tolkien and fantasy art, including the Hildebrandt Brothers, Chris Achilleos, Ted Nasmith, Alan Lee, Linda and Roger Garland, and David T. Wenzel. The chronological itinerary traces the so-called Golden Age of Tolkien-inspired art, from the earliest illustrations of The Hobbit to the late 20th century.
Among the most important new items is the presence, for the first time in Italy, of the academic robe that belonged to Tolkien during his teaching years at Oxford, from 1925 to 1959, a symbol of his career as a philologist and professor before that of a world-renowned author. Additional never-before-seen items include uncorrected proof copies of key volumes, original plates and illustrations, including an additional selection by the celebrated David Wenzel, known for the plates in The Hobbit.
The exhibition is sponsored by the Ministry of Culture with the collaboration of the University of Oxford and produced by C.O.R. Creare Organizzare Realize with the Cultural Association Building Culture. Institutions involved include the University of Reading, the Oratory of St. Philip Neri in Birmingham, the Venerable English College in Rome, the Tolkien Society, the Arnoldo and Alberto Mondadori Foundations, the Benedetto Croce Library, Astrolabio-Ubaldini, the Greisinger Museum in Jenins and Warner Bros Discovery.
The catalog, published by Skira, brings together contributions by numerous scholars, including Adriano Monti Buzzetti Colella, Giuseppe Pezzini, Emma Giammattei, Francesco Nepitello, Chiara Bertoglio, Gianluca Comastri, Father Guglielmo Spirito, Fabio Celoni, Davide Martini, Roberta Tosi, Salvatore Santangelo, Stefano Giuliano, Claudio Mattia Serafin, Gianfranco de Turris, Paolo Paron and Domenico Dimichino. The journey of exhibitions in Italy had begun in Rome and, after stops in Naples, Turin and Catania, concludes in Trieste.
The exhibition intends to offer a wide audience the opportunity to understand the complexity and variety of the figure of Tolkien, with the aim of encouraging participation in cultural life and access to materials hitherto little known or never exhibited. “In a hole in the ground lived a Hobbit.” With these words Tolkien began the adventures of Bilbo Baggins, introducing an entire universe populated by Hobbits, Elves, Dwarves and Men that has continued to inspire generations of readers. The exhibition brings together and recounts the many dimensions of this author, placing the visitor within the history and imagery that have made his work legend and contemporary myth.
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| At the Salone degli Incanti in Trieste a major exhibition on Tolkien, creator of Middle-earth |
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