(Florence, 1891 – Lipari, Messina, 1954), writer and cultural promoter, first in the columns of the magazine “La difesa dell'arte”, then in the publications he founded himself, “Il Centauro” (1913) and “La rivista” (1913). He developed a theory of objective evaluation of works of art, published by Marinetti in 1914 as a manifesto entitled “Weights, measures and prices of artistic genius”, co-signed with Bruno Ginanni Corradini. His interest in theatre linked him to Marinetti and he wrote numerous theatrical “synthesises” (“Tricolore”, “Kaiseriana”, “Il Superuomo”). In 1915, together with Marinetti and Corra, he signed the “Manifesto of the Synthetic Futurist Theatre” and on the pages of “L'Italia Futurista”, founded with Corra in 1916, he published and signed the manifestos “Futurist Science” and “Futurist Cinematography” (1916). In the same period he published the volumes “Spiritual Adventures” (1916), “Futurist Masks” (1917) and “Investigation into Italian Life” (1919). In 1918, having moved to Rome, he founded “Futurist Rome” with Carli and Marinetti, the organ of the Futurist political party. Again with Carli he edited the magazine “Dinamo” (1919) and participated with his free-word panels in the Great National Futurist Exhibition at Palazzo Cova in Milan. He joined Fascism and in 1921 he distanced himself from the Futurist movement because he disagreed with the founder. In 1923 he edited, again with Carli, “L'Impero”, a newspaper favoured by Mussolini. The works of this period reflect his political choices: “Benito Mussolini” (1922), “Fascist Coup d'état” (1922), “The Animators – B.Mussolini” (1925). The disagreement with Marinetti culminated with the excommunication of the writer, proposed by the movement's founder at the writers' congress in Bologna in 1933. The agreement with Mussolini also ended due to the publication of strongly anticlerical pamphlets which, together with a letter harshly criticizing the actions of some fascist leaders, cost Settimelli five years of confinement.
The Emilio Settimelli Fund is divided into the following sections: Correspondence, which collects letters addressed to Settimelli by various senders, including Balla, Bontempelli, Cangiullo, Buzzi, Carli, Arnaldo and Maria Ginanni, Marinetti, Nannetti, Vieri and Neri, Palazzeschi, Pratella, and Soffici. Of particular note, due to their numerical significance and particular interest, is the group of letters signed by Bruno Corra; Manuscripts, collection of autographs and typescripts attributable to the drafting of various works (“Spiritual Adventures”, “The Code of Energetic Life”) and contributions on the figure of Settimelli signed by other authors (Oscar Mara, Alto Cappa, Vittorio Orazi, Volt).
