The Virgins of the Rocks

by Gabriele D'Annunzio

"The Virgins of the Rocks" by Gabriele D'Annunzio is a novel published in 1895. Written after D'Annunzio encountered Nietzsche's philosophy, the novel centers on a protagonist modeled after the Übermensch concept. Originally intended as the first book of an unfinished trilogy, it explores themes of paternity and superiority through a first-person narrator who remains curiously undefined. The work represents D'Annunzio's philosophical manifesto, blending Nietzschean ideals with his distinctive literary style in what would become his most politically charged fiction.