Il “Pratone della Casilina” di Pasolini: Psicopatologia, libertà sessuale e nuova ecologia

The “Pratone della Casilina” written by Pasolini represents one of the most scandalous and provocative texts of Italian fiction of the last century. Published as an ‘Appunto’ of the novel Petrolio, it is set in a suburb of Rome and tells a rather explicit story of male group pederasty. Psychoanalytic interpretations have been made of this text and of Pa- solini’s complete works. Regardless of how this text can be read and interpreted and also regardless of personal sensibilities, the literary sincerity of the author about the practices of the most hidden sexuality is recognized by most. Furthermore, Pasolini himself, through his essays and political criticism published in the main Italian newspapers, is known for his harsh and uncompromising battle against the conformist involution that was changing the face of Italy in those years. This passage from ‘Pratone’ is undoubtedly a testimony (regardless of whether it is plausible or not and whether it adheres to the poet’s real practices) of a sincere, truthful sexual freedom that frontally attacks the hypocritical face of a false sexual liberalization propagated by the media, which in reality hid the nature of “repressive tolerance” (as Marcuse would say) of these social innovations.