Antimodern cannibals. The 1799 of Francesco Mastriani

Abstract

Mastriani’s traditional classification as an author of social novels now seems overly restrictive. In some of his major works, he transforms his novels into a privileged space for exploring the complex relationships between history and fiction. This paper intends to explore the relationship between history and fiction in Francesco Mastriani’s novels dedicated to the Revolution of 1799. In fact, during the Risorgimento, Mastriani finds in this significant event of Neapolitan history a way to understand the present and to write a national history. In particular, the focus on Neapolitan cannibalism proves useful in probing the author’s ideology and the sources he used in his narrative.