The new cultural heart of Palás Cerequio – a tribute to the nine iconic Barolo crus that inspire the suites – the library celebrates both Piedmont’s rich literary tradition and global masterpieces, along with the art of Maestro Ugo Nespolo. With a selection of over 200 handpicked books, including novels, essays, and catalogs available in Italian and English, the collection is organized into three key sections: The Greats of Piedmont, The 9 Giants, and Ugo Nespolo.
The Greats of Piedmont
Piedmontese literature is divided into nine sections:
- The Masters: four single-author sections celebrating the works of four key figures in Piedmont’s cultural heritage:
- Cesare Pavese: chronicler of the human condition.
- Beppe Fenoglio: voice of the Resistance and the Langhe.
- Umberto Eco: genius of semiotics and historical fiction.
- Alessandro Baricco: master of poetic narrative and emotion.
- The Classics: timeless works by literary greats like Emilio Salgari, Vittorio Alfieri, Silvio Pellico, and Cesare Beccaria, who have left a lasting mark on literary history.
- Memory: accounts and testimonies from authors like Primo Levi, Nuto Revelli, and Giorgio Bocca, focusing on themes of war, the Resistance, and historical memory.
- Mystery Writers: a selection of novels by masters of suspense like Fruttero & Lucentini, Giorgio Faletti, and Gianni Farinetti.
- Great Women Writers: works by pioneering female voices who have shaped literary history, such as Natalia Ginzburg, Sibilla Aleramo, Lalla Romano, and Marisa Madieri.
- Contemporary Authors: modern Piedmontese literary figures, from Sebastiano Vassalli to Davide Longo, who continue to breathe new life into the region’s narrative tradition.
The 9 Giants
- Italo Calvino, master of fables and magical storytelling.
- Jorge Luis Borges, explorer of the depths of mind and language.
- Marguerite Yourcenar, writer of memory and existential reflections.
- José Saramago, visionary storyteller of the human spirit.
- Charles Bukowski, irreverent poet of life’s rawness.
- John Le Carré, the unrivaled master of spy fiction.
- Don DeLillo, chronicler of modern America.
- David Foster Wallace, the thinker and narrator of our time.
- Philip K. Dick, visionary mind behind groundbreaking science fiction.
Ugo Nespolo
A tribute to the versatility of one of Italy’s most celebrated contemporary artists, Ugo Nespolo. This section includes over 50 books – from catalogs to essays – dedicated to Nespolo, a true Renaissance man whose artistic partnership with Michele Chiarlo has flourished for more than a decade.