The Trilussa Collection

The Trilussa collection owned by the Museum of Rome in Trastevere consists of most of the materials which were in the poet’s residence at his death. When the City of Rome accepted the gift of the contents of Trilussa’s studio from the Fono Roma Society, several years had already passed since the poet’s death, and a number of objects had gone missing. The original contents of the studio did not all, therefore, remain together, but the City’s collection nevertheless includes a significant number of objects, paintings, relics, furnishings, pieces of furniture and, above all, photographs and a rich archive of papers.
This archive is made up of numerous telegrams, letters, postcards, tickets, and invitations. The letters are addressed to “Dear Tri” or “Esteemed Artist”: the former confidential missives, signed by Grete, Lauretta, Noemi, Wanda, Silvana, and many other women, as well as many friends and acquaintances such as the De Vecchis and the Frapiselli family, Ettore Petrolini, Ugo Ojetti, Filippo De Pisis, Zavattini, and a very young Elsa Morante; the second group, more official in tone, are introductions, requests for advice from aspiring poets, correspondence with editors, invitations, and expressions of esteem and admiration.
There are also personal documents, receipts and bills, bank statements, medical results, rail and boat tickets, school exercises, rental contracts and contracts with the publishing houses.
The photographic archive contains around 1200 photographs of the poet in his studio, with his friends (including Petrolini, Lucio D'Ambra, Puccini, Sem Benelli, Scarpetta, Fregoli, D'Annunzio, Dario Nicodemi), portraits of women (including Lina Cavalieri, Anna Fougez, Emma Gramatica, and Francesca Bertini), and pictures showing him with pope Pius XII, Maria Josè, and the prince of Scalea.