Guerrazzi - 19th Century Encyclopedia Entries



Meyer 1885-1892,


Nordisk Familjebok, Article : Guerrazzi (1883)
Guerrazzi, Francesco Domenico, Italian author and politician, born in 1804, early on published tragedies and historical novels, of which "La battaglia di Benevento" (1828) is the best known. For participating in conspiracies in the year 1831 he was imprisoned for several years, and in this time he wrote two of his best novels, "L'assedio di Firenze" and "Isabella Orsini". After his release, with more or less success he made his living as an advocate, without giving up on his literary activity. In 1847 he published a drama, "I Bianchi ed i Neri", and three novels, "Veronica Cybo", "LaSerpicina" and "I nuovi Tartufi", and in 1848 edited the Republican magazine "L'inflessibile". In October that year he joined the cabinet of Tuscany as minister of the interior. After the flight of the Grand Duke (February 1849), together with Montanelli and Mazzini [!] he formed the riumvirate, and on March 27th was charged with dictatorship. As dictator he prevented a unification of Tuscany with Rome, wished by many. On the occasion of the victory of reaction (April 1st 1849) Guerrazzi was arrested and sentenced to permanent exile. He went to Bastia, where he resumed his literary work; in 1854 the much acclaimed historical novel "Beatrice Cenci", and in 1856 the humorous publication "L'asino" were published. The political events of 1859 and 1860 gave him a new opportunity to participate in political life, in which he was given a place in the Italian representation, where he joined the Radical opposition. He died in 1873. His novels are original and show great narrative skill, but at the same time are characterized by exaggeration and the excessive use of effects. In addition to the aforementioned works he published his "Apologia della vita politica di Guerrazzi" (1851), "Pasquale Paoli" (1865), "Vita di Francesco Burlamacchi" (1868), "Paolo Pelliccioni" (1874) and "Vita di Andrea Doria" (1874).
source in Swedish, posted by Project Runeberg

Meyer's Konversationslexikon 1885-1892, Article : Guerrazzi
Guerrazzi, Francesco Domenico, Italian politician and author, born on August 12th 1804 in Livorno, studied law in Pisa, already at that time persecuted because of his political views, then hived as a manager in Livorno, always at odds with those in power, a friend of Mazzini. In January 1828 his original, energetic and genial novel "La battaglia di Benevento" (Florence 1828), Guerrazzi's best work, was published in numerous editions. In 1830 and again in 1834 banished to the island of Elba, there he wrote his second novel, also very positively received, "L'assedio di Firenze" (under the pseudonym Anselmo Gualandi, Paris 1836, 5 vols., in German by Fink, Stuttgart 1850), which made his name known in Germany. Since the accession of Pius IX. to the throne his political influence in Tuscany increased. His open letter to Mazzini brought him yet another banishment to Porto Ferraio. Returned into a Tuscany to which Leopoldo II. had donated a constitution, in Florence he edited a Republican gazzette, "L'Inflessibile", was elected a deputee, then called into the cabinet as cabinet president with the portfolio of the interior. After the flight of the Grand Duke, the National Assembly elected Guerrazzi with Montanelli and Mazzoni into the leading triumvirate, and the weight of his energetic nature was such, that he was called dictator. He sought to counter the rising anarchy and opposed the proclamation of the republic and the annexation of Tuscany by Mazzini's Roman Republic. When after the defeat of the Italians near Novara a counterrevolution broke out in Florence and the Grand Duke's government again came to power, Guerrazzi was arrested and transported to the state prison in Volterra. Here he wrote the known "Apologia della vita politica di Guerrazzi" (Florence 1851). After three years of arrest he was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment with forced labour, which was converted by the Grand Duke to lifelong banishment, at first he lived on Corsica, since 1855 in Savona and Genoa, until political conditions in 1859 permitted him to return into his ancestral city. But although repeatedly elected into parlament, he was not able to accomodate to the new situation, and no longer actively participated in public life. He spent most of the remainder of his life in his country residence near Livorno, where he died on September 23rd 1873.
Among Guerrazzi's publications, in addition to those already mentioned, are to be listed : "Orazioni funebri d'illustri Italiani" (1835; 8th ed., Palermo 1861); a historical drama: "I Bianchi ed i Neri" (Florence 1847); a number of historical narratives, all published in numerous editions: "Veronica Cybo, duchessa di San Giuliano" (Livorno 1837), "Isabella Orsini" (Livcorno 1844), "Beatrice Cenci" (Florence 1854, 2 vols., in German, Hamburg 1858), a novel, which received much acclaim, but which distorts the real conditions; further: "Pasquale Sottocorno" (Turin 1857), "La torre di Nonza" (1857), "Pasquale Paoli" (Milan 1860), and the story attractive because of her simplicity "Il buco nel muro" (Milan 1862), "Paolo Peliccioni" (Milan 1864) a.o. A rarely mentioned, but very noteworthy book by Guerrazzi is : "L'asino, un sogno" (6th ed., Milan 1863), in which, with astonishing scholarship everything which literature and the history of the nations has to offer on the donkey has been worked up to a grandiose satire. Further his "Memorie" (Livorno 1848) und "Vita di Andrea Doria" (Milan 1863, 3rd ed. 1874) are to be mentioned. Posthumously Guerrini edited the novel "Il secolo che muore" (Rome 1885, 4 vols.). Original style not free of pathos, a vivid fantasy tending to monstrosities characterize Guerrazzi as a novelist, to whom extraordinary talent only served as a tool to provide the ideas of liberty and nation with a grippling expression for the masses. His letters were collected by Carducci (Livorno 1880-82, 2 vols.). See : Bosio, Guerrazzi e le sue opere (Livorno 1865); Fenini, Manzoni und Guerrazzi, kritische Studien (from the Italian by Kitt, Milan 1875).
source in German, posted by Retro Bibliothek





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