Hic sunt Hobbits. La “realizzazione” di un paesaggio virtuale.

This paper aims at describing two powerful tools that Tolkien used to strengthen his representation of Middle-earth and make it as close as possible to reality: maps and landscapes. Both are used as instruments that transform the epic and virtual geography of The Lord of the Rings into a concrete re-enactment of the European situation that Tolkien lived. In particular, three peculiar areas will be described: the Shire, home of the Hobbits and monument to the old spirit of Englishness; Moria, the abyssal and abysmal labyrinth; and Mordor, the infernal machine of war. Through the analysis of a peculiar case, the paper will show how Middle-earth, although initially inspired and derived from existing European landscapes, has now become in its turn a source of inspiration for the real world: a caveat of the power of epics, even in our (post-)modern society.