Edmondo De Amicis (1846-1908) was an Italian writer, novelist, poet, journalist and freemason. His best-known book, Cuore, a children's novel translated into English as Heart, was an absolute best seller in Italy for over a hundred years and is still today considered one of the masterpieces of Italian literature. The Edmondo De Amicis’ story A Great Day (Un gran giorno), which we propose to our readers today, was first published in 1872 in the collection Novelle. Translated into English by Edith Wharton, it was included in 1898 in the collection in ten volumes Stories by Foreign Authors, published by Charles Scribner's Sons, New York. It is an Italian story, set in the last phase of national independence, when Rome was reunited with the Kingdom of Italy.