The conquest of Rome

"The Conquest of Rome" by Matilde Serao is a novel written in the early 20th century. The narrative explores the journey of Francesco Sangiorgio, a newly elected deputy from a small province, as he travels to Rome, grappling with the weight of ambition, personal history, and the vibrant life of the city. The story unfolds against the backdrop of political and social dynamics of the time, intertwining the protagonist’s aspirations with a deeper critique of human emotions and societal structures. At the start of the novel, we meet Francesco Sangiorgio on a night train to Rome, reflecting on his past as a provincial lawyer and the challenges he faced in his ambitions to become a deputy. As he journeys through the countryside and the city, Sangiorgio experiences an amalgamation of emotions—from excitement about his new role to feelings of isolation and introspection. The opening chapters focus on his anticipation of Rome, a city he admires deeply yet knows only abstractly, and set the stage for his encounters with political life, societal expectations, and the struggles of self-identity within the complex fabric of a bustling metropolis. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Matilde Serao was an Italian journalist and novelist. She was the first woman called to edit an Italian newspaper, Il Corriere di Roma and later Il Giorno. Serao was also the co-founder and editor of the newspaper Il Mattino, and the author of several novels. She never won the Nobel Prize in Literature despite being nominated on six occasions.