Il Tempo non lineare dell'Utopia

Utopian narration traditionally casts its visions on history, politics and future planning. This paper examines the utopian description of the Italian land of Salento written by Fénelon in 1699 (Les aventures de Télémaque). The French author describes Salento as an ideal reign that saw a sudden shift from tyranny to good governance. Fénelon's idealization seems to show exemplarily the link between utopia and time, with the latter being a non-linear dimension, unbound from necessity, and projected towards hope and adventure. It is traced back a brief reconstruction of the late medieval history of Salento, especially in connection with the themes of female government and misogyny; also a comparison with modern interpretations of historiography is provided. [Publisher's text].