Gavino Contini (in Sardinian, ''Gavinu Còntene'') ((12 December 1855 – 24 July 1915)) was a Sardinian poet, was probably the greatest exponent of

improvised poetry of Sardinia Improvisation is the activity of making or doing something not planned beforehand, using whatever can be found. Improvisation in the performing arts is a very spontaneous performance without specific or scripted preparation. The skills of impr ...

, certainly the most beloved.

Life and work

He was born in Siligo in a modest house in the oldest part of the village. After attending three years of elementary school, he devoted himself to work in the fields with his father, but he had always cultivated her passion for reading history books and poetry. In 1875 was enlisted in the Corps of the Royal Guard and was stationed in Rome. In a poetry contest for Victor Emmanuel II's birthday was awarded in recognition of his art, a

life annuity A life annuity is an annuity, or series of payments at fixed intervals, paid while the purchaser (or annuitant) is alive. The majority of life annuities are insurance products sold or issued by life insurance companies however substantial case l ...

. Forced by illness in 1890 left the Corps and returned to Siligo where he lived with his sisters Raimonda and Anatolia, and from that moment he devoted himself entirely to poetry.Giommaria Dettori, ''Gavinu Contene'', Alghero, 1983 p.7

Notes

Collections of poetry

* Antonio Carta (a cura di), ''Poesie/Gavino Contini'', Sassari, 1967 * Don Giommaria Dettori (a cura di), ''Gavinu Contene'' , 1983 * Antonio Cuccu (a cura di), ''Gavinu Contini cun sa morte. – Cenni sulla vita del povero agricoltore'', Cagliari, s.d. * G. Contini, ''Esistentzia e onnipotentzia de Deus. Critica contr'a Moretti e Poddighe'', Cagliari, Litotip. TEA.

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Contini, Gavino People from Siligo People from the Kingdom of Sardinia Sardinian literature Sardinian-language poets Italian poets Italian male poets 1855 births 1915 deaths