page_title: Vittoriale degli italiani
section_title: The Prioria
hierarchical_section_title: Vittoriale degli italiani / Buildings / The Prioria
caption_attribution_description: English: Vittoriale, house of Gabriele D'Annunzio Italiano: Vittoriale
context_page_description: The Vittoriale degli italiani is a hillside estate in the town of Gardone Riviera overlooking the Garda lake in province of Brescia, Lombardy. It is where the Italian writer Gabriele d'Annunzio lived after his defenestration in 1922 until his death in 1938. The estate consists of the residence of d'Annunzio called the Prioria, an amphitheatre, the protected cruiser Puglia set into a hillside, a boathouse containing the MAS vessel used by D'Annunzio in 1918 and a circular mausoleum. Its grounds are now part of the Grandi Giardini Italiani.
  References to the Vittoriale range from a “monumental citadel” to a “fascist lunapark”, the site inevitably inheriting the controversy surrounding its creator.
context_section_description: The Prioria itself consists of  a number of rooms opulently decorated and filled with memorabilia. Notable are the two waiting rooms, one for welcome guests, one for unwelcome ones. It is the latter where Benito Mussolini was sent to on his visit in 1925. A phrase was inscribed specifically for him above the mirror:
  To the visitor:
  Are you bringing Narcissus' Mirror?
  This is leaded glass, my mask maker.
  Adjust your mask to your face,
  But mind that you are glass against steel.
  The leper's room is where D'Annunzio's wake was held upon his death. Its name comes from the fact that d'Annunzio felt that he was being spurned by the government due to their continued efforts to keep him in Gardone, rather than possibly in the limelight in Rome.
  The Relic room holds a large collection of religious statues and images of different beliefs, purposely placed together to make a statement about the universal character of spirituality. The inscription on the inner wall reads:
  As there are five fingers on a hand, there are only five mortal sins. 
  D'Annunzio wished to make clear hereby that he didn't believe that lust and greed should be considered sinful.
  A most unlikely relic is the distorted steering wheel of racing speedboat Miss England II, donated after the coppa dell oltranza (unlimited cup) powerboating trophy, organized under d'Annunzio patronage, was held in 1931.
  Miss England II had crashed in a world speed record attempt, killing her pilot, Sir Henry Seagrave in 1930 (though winning the record nevertheless) and was rebuilt to race and win at Lake Garda the following year with Kaye Don at the helm.
  D'annunzio who was a syncretist (believer in all religions) deemed the distorted steering wheel "a relic of the religion of courage".
caption: The Prioria
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