Trip to Dublin in the places of James Joyce

DUBLIN - On February 2 in Dublin we celebrate the centenary of the publication of the novel Ulysses by James Joyce and the 140th anniversary of the author's birth, one of the most important of the twentieth century.

Born in Rathgar, an elegant suburb of the Irish capital, Joyce began to think about his novel while on vacation in Rome in 1906. Here, in via Frattina, he was inspired to create the character of Leopold Bloom, a bourgeois Jew, based on the memories of Alfred Hunter, met a few years earlier in Dublin.

He began to write the first chapters, which he later called episodes, of the novel only in 1915 in Trieste, telling the story of a day, June 16, 1904, of a group of Dubliners.

After the outbreak of the First World War, Joyce took refuge in Zurich where in 1921 he finished the writing of the book,

    There is another important date in Dublin: June 16, the day when Bloomsday is celebrated, when Dublin welcomes Joyce fans from all over the world, dressed in Edwardian clothes, reminiscent of the odyssey lived by the novel's protagonist. , Leopold Bloom, as he walks through the city. Visiting Dublin in those days will be even more beautiful for the centenary celebrations with even more engaging exhibitions and events.

    An immersive way to approach the novel is to retrace the Dublin places in which it is set, admirably described by the author in the 18 chapters of Ulysses.

The starting point is the MoLi-Museum of Literature Ireland (moli.ie), recently opened and dedicated to Irish literature, whose name is also a tribute to the female character of the novel, Molly Bloom.

The museum houses the hand-transcribed notebooks, the letters addressed to the poet and friend William Butler Yeats and the first and precious copy of the novel with its refined light blue cover.

The museum is located in one of the most beautiful historic houses in Dublin, the original home of the University College of Dublin and tells the story of Irish literature, from the tradition of storytellers to the most famous contemporary writers, and the

    Another address is the National Library with its beautiful domed room reserved for reading, which has remained the same as that of the book and where co-star Stephen Dedalus discusses literature. It was a meeting place, study and discussion place between Joyce and his literary and intellectual friends where today manuscripts and notes can be consulted, even in digital format.

    Not far away, still in the center between shops, pubs, Georgian houses and colored doors, is the intersection of Molesworth Street and Dawson Street. It is here that Leopold Bloom meets a blind man and helps him cross the street, describing his gestures and attitudes in a poetic way. The meeting between the two is commemorated by a commemorative plaque on which some passages from the book are engraved.

    At this point the walk in the heart of Dublin can continue in two directions: if it is time for lunch it is good to walk along a parallel of Grafton Street, traveled by Bloom in search of a gift, to the Davy Byrnes pub where the protagonist Leopold has lunch with a gorgonzola sandwich, accompanied by a glass of Burgundy wine. The decor and the style of the restaurant have changed, but the echo of the events of the novel is very present with an internal room dedicated to Molly Bloom and the inevitable sandwich on the menu. Or you can go to Sweny, the former pharmacy where Leopold buys a lemon bar of soap for Molly. Even though it is no longer formally a pharmacy, entering it is exciting: the original shelves are in place, as are the bottles of the time. A delightfully messy collection of memorabilia,which increase the sense of authenticity of the place, makes a fine show of itself, as well as many volumes with translations of the novel into various languages.

    In fact, Sweny's has become a lively literary club, run by the histrionic Mr. Murphy who often greets those who enter with a song in Gaelic accompanied by a guitar.

    In addition to books, of course, you can buy the famous bar of soap.

    The tour continues to Trinity College, an unmissable place to see the famous Long Room full of ancient books and busts and admire the famous Book of Kells, an illuminated manuscript from the 9th century.

Leopold also crosses it in his personal odyssey of June 16, 1904 but also says that he did not want to live there.

    In fact, unlike many other Irish writers, Joyce never studied there.

    The Dublin places linked to the novel are many and it is also worth remembering The National Museum, where the protagonist Bloom hides to avoid meeting his wife's lover;

The National Art Gallery, the imposing Bank of Ireland building and the very central St. Stephen's Garden urban park, a place of worship for Dubliners to walk, read a book or jog.

Two other addresses are worth a stop: the first is James Joyce's Center (jamesjoyce.ie), across the River Liffey, accessible from O'Connell's Bridge.

It is located in a late eighteenth-century building where the dance school of Denis J. Maginni, a dandy teacher mentioned in the book, was located.

The second, not far and always along the river, can be reached by taking the Bachelor's Walk as Bloom did: it is Winding Stair Bookshop &

    In a few minutes by train you can reach Dublin Bay with small and charming seaside villages;

linked to Joyce is Sandycove, where the opening scenes of the book are set and where the Martello Tower where Dedalus lives is present.

In fact the author spent a few nights there in 1904 and today the tower is also a museum and a pilgrimage site during Bloomsday.

Another very beautiful village for a walk and lunch by the ocean is Dalkey, the place where Dedalus teaches and today chosen as a refuge by many celebrities, including Bono.

    Finnegan's pub is well worth a stop for the atmosphere and cuisine.

    For more information: irlanda.com (ANSA).