About
Vittorio Alfieri (1749-1803), born in Asti to a noble Piedmontese family, is considered the founder of modern Italian tragedy. After a youthful period of travel, he devoted himself to theater from 1775. His tragedies, such as Saul (1782) and Mirra (1786), explore the struggle between liberty and tyranny, with an austere style and marked psychological intensity. He also wrote political essays, including Della tirannide (1777), and odes on American independence. Opposed to the excesses of the French Revolution, he left a remarkable autobiography, Vita, published posthumously. His work inspired the Risorgimento movement.
* 1749-01-16 — † 1803-10-08
Major works
- Cleopatra (1775)tragedy
- Della tirannide (1777)political essay
- Saul (1782)tragedy
- Mirra (1786)tragedy
- Vita di Vittorio Alfieri scritta da esso (1804)autobiography
Key milestones
- 1775His first tragedy, Cleopatra, is successfully staged in Turin.
- 1787He dedicates his tragedy Bruto Primo to George Washington.
- 1803He dies in Florence and is buried in Santa Croce, near Michelangelo and Machiavelli.
Themes
LibertyTyrannyHeroismFateNational identity
Sources: britannica.com · oxfordreference.com