E. A. Mario, otherwise known as Erminio Albertino Mario, was an Italian patriot, poet, and writer. He is best known for his poem “La Leggenda del Piave” (The Legend of the Piave), which commemorates the Italian soldiers who lost their lives in the Battle of the Piave during World War I. The poem has become an iconic piece of Italian literature, evoking a sense of national pride and patriotism throughout the country.
The Legend of E. A. Mario
Erminio Albertino Mario was born in Preganziol, near Treviso, in 1878. He was educated at the University of Padua and began writing poetry in his early twenties. He became an active member of the Italian nationalist movement and was an ardent supporter of Italy’s entry into World War I. He volunteered for the army and was sent to the Piave front, where he witnessed the horrors of war first-hand.
Mario’s poem “La Leggenda del Piave” was written in the trenches of the Piave and is a tribute to the bravery of the Italian soldiers who lost their lives in the conflict. The poem was first published in 1917 and has since become an iconic piece of Italian literature. It is often recited in Italian schools and is a staple of Italian patriotic ceremonies.
The Text of “La Leggenda del Piave”
The text of “La Leggenda del Piave” is as follows:
“Sotto il monte, al fiume Piave,
Cadde una stella dal cielo lontano,
Ma il suo nome nessuno lo sapeva
Né il suo volto si poteva vedere.
Era un soldato che moriva
In una terra lontana e straniera,
Per amore di una patria
Che non sapeva riconoscere.
Non sapeva riconoscere
Il suo valor, la sua fierezza,
Ma il Piave lo ricordava
Con una canzone di nostalgia”.
E. A. Mario’s poem “La Leggenda del Piave” is a powerful tribute to the Italian soldiers who lost their lives during World War I. It has become an iconic piece of Italian literature, evoking a sense of
