Honor to those who, in their lives, stood as guardians of Thermopylae, never failing in their duty. Upright and just in their actions, yet always with sorrow and compassion…” In celebration of Poetry Month, la Lettura pays tribute to Nicola Crocetti - Hellenist, esteemed translator, journalist, but above all, a publisher. In fact, Crocetti is the publisher who “invented poetry,” having founded Poesia in 1988, the prestigious magazine dedicated to poetic culture. Inspired by Leonardo da Vinci’s words, “Painting is silent poetry, and poetry is blind painting", we have portrayed Nicola Crocetti (born in Patras, Greece, 1940) within the metaphysical spaces of his Milan home, designed by Aldo Rossi, asking him to choose a poem. For this cover (available in digital edition starting Tuesday), he selected verses by Constantine Cavafy, dedicated to one of history’s most heroic moments: the Battle of Thermopylae, where three hundred Spartans sacrificed themselves against three hundred thousand Persian invaders. A reminder never to forget the battles fought for freedom. Words that reaffirm Nicola Crocetti’s unwavering commitment to a fundamental truth: “Poetry is a word of truth. In times of falsehood, injustice, and misery, it is the only possible answer. Gianluigi Colin