(Florence, 1899 – there, 1949), poet and storyteller, joined Futurism through “Lacerba,” sending his first poems to Papini and Palazzeschi. In 1916 he published his first collection of lyrical prose “Ruscellante (Fantasia),” which was followed in 1917 by the poetic anthology “Incantamento.” He contributed to numerous magazines including “La Raccolta,” “La Diana,” and “L’Italia futurista,” and in the postwar period he approached the political positions of the Futurist Party, collaborating on “Roma futurista” and “L’Assalto” (Florence, 1919), organ of the Florentine Futurist Fascio. He was later in the Florentine Futurist group, only to abandon the movement in 1924 and turn toward narrative experiences traceable to the climate of “Solaria” of which he became an assiduous collaborator. In 1942 he published “Isthmus. Literary Portraits,” where he recalls his futurist experience.
The Franchi Papers are divided into the following sections: Correspondence, which preserves a letter from Ferruccio Ulivi to Franchi, July 10 s.a.; Drawings, which collects 19 sketches, ink on paper, with captions; Library, which preserves two of Franchi’s works, “The Balanced Man” and “The Picture Dealer.”
