This paper investigates how since 1914 the ideal of ancient Rome fuelled Gabriele D’Annunzio’s claim that Histria and Dalmatia should be Italian soil, and shows how Latin epigraphy served such purpose as a privileged medium of historical record. In this respect, a specific case study is offered, focussing on the Latin funerary inscription de-signed by D’Annunzio for the tomb of Captain Giovanni Randaccio in the Cimitero degli Eroi at Aquileia. In addition, the inscription is compared to the Latin funerary inscription for the tomb of Captain Count Riccardo Della Torre, which is found in the same place.
