The conquest of Rome

In Short

Set in late nineteenth-century Italy, this political novel charts the meteoric rise and emotional undoing of Francesco Sangiorgio, a austere deputy from the provinces who arrives in Rome determined to leave his mark on the nation. As he ascends the parliamentary ranks of Montecitorio, gaining renown through a high-profile duel and sharp legislative maneuvers, he falls hopelessly in love with Donna Angelica Vargas, the pious, unapproachable wife of a cabinet minister. The novel endures as a scathing, atmospheric study of power and vanity, exposing how the grandeur of the Eternal City continuously hollows out human ambition and idealist fervor.

The Story

The story opens on the night train from Naples as Francesco Sangiorgio, a newly elected deputy from a quiet southern province, travels toward Rome. Naïve, shy, and intensely ambitious, Sangiorgio initially feels alienated by the dizzying grandeur of the capital and the polished cynicism of its political elite. Determined to prove his worth, he shuns vanity and submerges himself in policy, government economics, and parliamentary routine. His early isolation gives way to calculated strategy: he delivers a moving maiden speech highlighting the overlooked suffering of the provinces, earning the respect of the House and the cautious attention of party leaders.

Sangiorgio's path to prominence accelerates when he accepts a challenge to a duel from Oldofredi, a haughty and widely disliked veteran deputy. Sangiorgio severely wounds Oldofredi in the face, a victory that transforms the quiet provincial into an overnight sensation among his colleagues. As his political star rises, he is drawn into the glittering orbit of Rome's high society—a world of private receptions, masked balls, and intricate backroom bargains.

At these elite gatherings, Sangiorgio becomes entranced by Donna Angelica Vargas, the saintly, highly virtuous wife of Don Silvio Vargas, a cold and calculating cabinet minister. Angelica represents everything pure and unattainable in a corrupt capital. Entangled in a one-sided devotion, Sangiorgio surrenders his relentless focus on politics to pursue her favor. He takes a discreet private apartment in the Piazza di Spagna solely to wait for her. Angelica visits him, but her posture remains agonizingly detached; driven by intense religious piety and remorse, she never yields to physical passion or returns his declarations of love. Instead, she uses their meetings to confide her domestic heartaches and mourn the moral emptiness of political life, while Sangiorgio grows consumed by a bitter, helpless hatred for her husband.

As Sangiorgio's emotional life disintegrates into constant waiting, anxiety, and disappointment, his political instincts falter. The energy that once drove his legislative ambitions evaporates into lethargy. Rome, which he set out to master and conquer, quietly dismantles his resolve, absorbing his youth and vitality into its timeless, indifferent routine. In the end, Sangiorgio is left spiritually drained and defeated—his grand political vision abandoned, his heart broken by an unyielding ideal, and his presence reduced to just another fleeting shadow in the halls of Montecitorio.

How It Unfolds

The arrival in Rome Sangiorgio enters the capital alone on a night train, harboring intense political ambitions while struggling against provincial shyness and the intimidating atmosphere of the Parliamentary library.

The maiden success During a tense sitting at Montecitorio, Sangiorgio delivers a heartfelt speech advocating for the neglected Italian provinces, capturing the sympathy of a weary Chamber and establishing his reputation.

The decisive duel After a provocation by the arrogant deputy Oldofredi, Sangiorgio fights a sword duel and slashes his rival's face, earning immediate popularity and respect from his fellow politicians.

The grand illusion Introduced to the aristocratic salons and Ministerial receptions of Rome, Sangiorgio encounters Donna Angelica Vargas and becomes instantly infatuated with her ethereal beauty and moral gravity.

The vigil in Piazza di Spagna Sangiorgio rents a secret apartment where he spends grueling days waiting for Angelica, who arrives rarely, offers only cold confidences regarding her unhappy marriage, and refuses to grant him her love.

The quiet defeat As his obsessive passion depletes his energy and ambition, Sangiorgio's political career stalls, leaving him exhausted and swallowed up by the very city he sought to tame.

The People

• Francesco Sangiorgio: A serious, modest provincial deputy who arrives in Rome aiming to achieve political greatness. His early discipline and sharp intellect quickly elevate his standing, but his obsession with Donna Angelica drains his ambition, leaving him broken and disillusioned.
• Donna Angelica Vargas: A devout, aristocratic lady of exceptional beauty and strict morals. Neglected by her husband, she takes comfort in Sangiorgio’s reverence but remains guarded by her deep faith, offering him only melancholy confidences rather than romantic fulfillment.
• Don Silvio Vargas: A cabinet minister and Angelica's husband. Cold, severe, and utterly absorbed in political schemes, he treats his wife with detachment and represents the cynical, transactional nature of Roman power.
• Oldofredi: A haughty, antagonistic deputy whose sharp tongue earns him widespread antipathy. His duel with Sangiorgio serves as the catalyst for Sangiorgio’s sudden rise to fame.

In Its Own Voice

'It is a man, alone,' he said--'a deputy, no doubt; he is asleep, too.' An officer glances into a train carriage at Capua, unaware of the intense ambition consuming the solitary traveller inside.

'Who knew of the distress of the provinces? Who ever heard the echo of those dolorous, humble sighs, which never could reach Rome?' Sangiorgio addresses the Chamber of Deputies, appealing to the assembly on behalf of the quiet towns far from the capital.

'Wait for me; wait for me still! I am coming!' Sangiorgio reads a silent promise of hope in Angelica's eyes during a crowded reception, sustaining his agonizing wait.

What It's Really About

The novel explores the corrupting nature of institutional power and the seductive, paralyzing atmosphere of the Eternal City. It contrasts the gritty, vital reality of the Italian provinces with the hollow eloquence of parliamentary debates, where idealism is relentlessly traded for personal advancement. At its core, the book asks whether personal integrity and genuine emotional fulfillment can survive in an environment built on compromise, posturing, and vanity. Through Sangiorgio’s parallel failures in statecraft and romance, the narrative demonstrates how grand ambitions—whether to reform a nation or to capture an ideal woman—are inevitably eroded by the cynical routine of modern political life.

Why Read It Today

This translation of Matilde Serao's work offers a sharp, vivid portrait of late nineteenth-century Italian parliamentary culture that remains surprisingly relevant to modern political observer. Readers who enjoy rich social realism, atmospheric urban backdrops, and subtle psychological character studies will find much to admire. Serao writes with exceptional sensory detail, capturing everything from the tense, crowded galleries of Montecitorio to the quiet, cypress-lined avenues of the Roman hills.

While modern readers may find the pacing deliberate and the detailed descriptions of 1880s legislative procedures or formal salon protocol somewhat dense, these elements provide authentic historical grounding. The novel does not rely on melodramatic twists; instead, its power comes from the slow, believable erosion of a man's character under the weight of his own illusions. It is an insightful, grounded read for anyone interested in the human cost of political ambition and the quiet tragedy of unfulfilled desire.

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