The idea behind the poem can be traced to 1804, when the
Napoleonic edict of
Saint-Cloud was issued. On September 5, 1806, the edict was applied to
Italy. In short, it stated that all
burials must take place outside the city walls; that, for
democratic reasons, the burial monuments must all be of the same size; and that their inscriptions would be controlled by a special commission. The edict's implementation caused Foscolo to meditate upon the nature and philosophy of
death. Irreligious, Foscolo did not share the view of his fellow poet
Pindemonte, who defended the
Christian view, as opposed to the new
Enlightenment ideas introduced by the
French regime. Even so, Foscolo was critical of the decree, mostly for civic reasons; he acknowledges that human beings aspire to transcend death. Tombs, monuments for fallen heroes and virtuous men from the past, may inspire those living today, including artists and poets. He affirmed the value of tombs as memorials to noble souls or bright intellects. Long after the
marble monuments are destroyed by
time, those memorialized can survive in artworks they have inspired, and can in turn inspire
virtue in new generations. == English translations ==