Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni visited a new exhibition on British novelist J.R.R. Tolkien in Rome on Wednesday. Tolkien’s books are popular in Italian right-wing circles, and the exhibition “Tolkien. Man, Professor, Author” was inaugurated at Rome’s National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art to mark 50 years since the author’s death. The exhibition includes letters, memorabilia and manuscripts.
According to the museum’s website, the exhibition offers “an unparalleled journey” into the greatness of Tolkien, allowing visitors to understand “how his life and extraordinary knowledge of the ancient world underpinned his creativity.” Meloni commented to reporters after her visit, calling it “a fine page of culture.”
Meloni, who became prime minister last year, began her career in the youth ranks of the far-right, post-fascist Italian Social Movement (MSI) in the early 1990s, where Tolkien’s books were a cultural touchstone. They credit the novels with helping them rebuild a shared conservative identity, distancing themselves from the infamous fascist wartime dictatorship of Benito Mussolini. They see Tolkien’s work as embodying their struggle to defend tradition and cultural roots against the threats of unregulated globalisation.
“The Lord of the Rings,” published in 1954 and 1955, is considered by many to be the defining work of fantasy fiction. Tolkien resisted those seeking allegories in his writing and has fans across the political spectrum, including leftists like former U.S. President Barack Obama and author Stephen King.
In her autobiography “I am Giorgia,” Meloni recalled how she and her fellow militants organized carnival parties where they dressed up as characters from the saga, including hobbits. She remembered dressing up as loyal hobbit Sam Gamgee, her favorite character because he did not risk his life for glory but to change the world.
The exhibition will be open in Rome until February before moving to Naples and possibly other Italian cities, according to the culture ministry. (Reporting by Angelo Amante, Editing by Rosalba O’Brien)
