by Redazione 06/11/2026

The Ministry of Culture purchased the original manuscript of Gabriele d’Annunzio’s *Forse che sì forse che no* at a Christie’s auction for 75,000 euros, bringing the total cost to 96,000 euros, including taxes and fees. The corrections and annotations shed light on the writer’s creative process.

The original manuscript of Gabriele d’Annunzio’s *Forse che sì forse che no* has entered the Italian public domain. The Ministry of Culture acquired it today during the “Livres rares et Manuscrits” online auction organized by Christie’s, through the General Directorate of Libraries and Cultural Institutions, headed by Paola Passarelli. The manuscript was sold for 75,000 euros, for a total cost of 96,000 euros, including taxes and auction fees.

Written between August and December 1909, the manuscript is penned in black and red ink on watermarked paper and bears the author’s signature on the first page. The numerous corrections, erasures, annotations, and additions provide a valuable insight into d’Annunzio’s writing process: through these changes, it is possible to trace the various stages of the novel’s development, which was published in 1910. The document has a physical gap, as page 488 is missing, but the text is otherwise complete.

The provenance of the autograph is also particularly significant. D’Annunzio gradually passed the pages on to Nathalie de Goloubeff, known as Donatella Cross, who oversaw the French translation of the novel, published in 1910. The manuscript later passed to the Meynial Bookstore. In 1924, it was purchased by René Gimpel, an art dealer and collector.

“The autograph manuscript of *Forse che sì forse che no* is a new, precious testament to our literary history that now becomes part of the nation’s heritage. Within its pages, we recognize the work, the research, and the extraordinary creative force of Gabriele d’Annunzio. The Ministry of Culture continues its commitment to returning fundamental testimonies of our history to the public. We are proud of the extraordinary legacy of Italy’s great authors—a heritage we have a duty to preserve, promote, and make accessible to all,” stated Minister of Culture Alessandro Giuli. “Every new acquisition represents an opportunity to bring masterpieces and documents of inestimable value back to light, so that they may be admired, studied, and understood by future generations, with a full appreciation of the greatness of our cultural tradition.”

"After passing through France and various private collections, *Forse che sì forse che no*—the novel that Gabriele d’Annunzio considered the pinnacle of his literary output—has finally returned to Italy. Comprising 913 pages dating back to 1909, this extraordinary document reappeared today on the international market and was recovered thanks to a major cultural initiative. “I thank Minister of Culture Alessandro Giuli for making this acquisition possible, which was concluded at a more than reasonable price for a document of such historical and literary significance, considering that the market value of a single autographed sheet by d’Annunzio is around 500 euros,” said Giordano Bruno Guerri, president of the Il Vittoriale degli Italiani Foundation. “The hope is that the Ministry will entrust the manuscript to the Vittoriale degli Italiani, so that it can be studied and published in a critical and philological edition as part of the National Edition of the Works of Gabriele d’Annunzio, which the Foundation edits and publishes. This would be a significant achievement: not only would it bring a precious document of our literary history back to Italy, but it would also return it to the scholarly community and the public, making it a living part of the D’Annunzio heritage preserved and promoted by the Vittoriale.”

The Ministry of Culture has acquired the original manuscript of d’Annunzio’s *Forse che sì forse che no*

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