In the history of Montale’s poetry the genesis of the last book (Altri versi, 1980) is intertwined with the preparation of the Opera in versi. An unprecedented ecdotic operation conducted with the direct participation of the author, who in extreme cases even discusses with philologists the opportunity to accept or not texts in his corpus. This is what happens for Nixon in Rome, a text dating back to 1969 of which Montale feels the inappropriateness in the changed context of the “Anni di piombo” marked by the drama of the Moro kidnapping in the spring of 1978.