Alfredo Oriani (22 August 1852 in Faenza – 18 October 1909 in Casola Valsenio) was an Italian author, writer, poet and social critic. He was born in an aristocratic family but since his early youth he showed a rebel and lonely disposition which became prominent in his works. He studied law in Rome and then in Bologna where he started to work but soon he left to dedicate himself to writing. He moved to the country and start writing novels, historical studies and became journalist. He was also a winemaker and became involved in local politics. His novels, which tells stories about social injustices, gained little success during his lifetime and were considerd eccentric and not in fashion with the contemporary literature. He died alone in 1909 and his books fell into obscurity. With the rise of Fascism his works were exploited by regime's propaganda and republished in a 30 volumes edition edited by Benito Mussolini himself. The interest was in particular about his last work, La rivolta ideale for which he was considered a "prophet" by fascist propaganda although the topics of his novels have nothing in common and sometimes clash with fascist ideology. He was also appreciated by Piero Gobetti and Antonio Gramsci for bringing together popular literature and social themes. In 1940 his books were placed on the Index Librorum Prohibitorum of the Catholic Church. After the war his books feel again into obscurity for the previous fascist exploitation, but since the 1970's his works gained new interest and were cleaned by previous political filters.