Giovannino Oliviero Giuseppe Guareschi (; 1 May 1908 – 22 July 1968) was an Italian

journalist A journalist is an individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio, or pictures, processes them into a news-worthy form, and disseminates it to the public. The act or process mainly done by the journalist is called journalis ...

, cartoonist and humorist whose best known creation is the priest

Don Camillo Don Camillo () and Peppone () are the fictional protagonists of a series of works by the Italian writer and journalist Giovannino Guareschi set in what Guareschi refers to as the "small world" of rural Italy after World War II. Most of the Don Ca ...

Life and career

Giovannino Guareschi was born into a middle-class family in Fontanelle di Roccabianca, Province of Parma, in 1908. He always joked about the fact that he, a big man, was baptized Giovannino, a name meaning "little John" or "Johnny". In 1926 his family went bankrupt and he could not continue his studies at the

University of Parma The University of Parma ( it, Università degli Studi di Parma, UNIPR) is a public university in Parma, Emilia-Romagna, Italy. It is organised in nine departments. As of 2016 the University of Parma has about 26,000 students. History During the ...

. After working at various minor jobs, he started to write for a local newspaper, the ''

Gazzetta di Parma ''Gazzetta di Parma'' is a daily newspaper published in Parma, Italy. It is one of the oldest daily newspapers in the country. History and profile ''Gazzetta di Parma'' was established as a weekly newspaper in 1735. Cesare Zavattini started his ...

''. In 1929 he became editor of the satirical magazine ''Corriere Emiliano'', and from 1936 to 1943 he was the chief editor of a similar magazine called ''

Bertoldo ''Bertoldo'' was a biweekly magazine of surreal humour that ran from 14 July 1936 to 10 September 1943 under Italian Fascism. The magazine was based in Milan. While the '' Becco Giallo'' magazine put out courageous political satire against the f ...

''. In 1943 he was drafted into the army, which apparently helped him to avoid trouble with the Italian Fascist authorities. He ended up as an

artillery Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...

officer. When Italy signed an

armistice An armistice is a formal agreement of warring parties to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, as it may constitute only a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace. It is derived from the ...

with the Allies in 1943, he was arrested as an ''Italian military internee'' and imprisoned with other Italian soldiers in camps in

German-occupied Poland German-occupied Poland during World War II consisted of two major parts with different types of administration. The Polish areas annexed by Nazi Germany following the invasion of Poland at the beginning of World War II—nearly a quarter of the ...

for almost two years, including at Stalag X-B near

Sandbostel Sandbostel is a municipality in Lower Saxony (''Niedersachsen'') in northwestern Germany, 43 km north-east of Bremen, 60 km west of Hamburg. It is part of the Samtgemeinde Selsingen. In 2013, it had 830 inhabitants. History Sandboste ...

. He later wrote about this period in ''Diario Clandestino'' (''My Secret Diary''). After the war Guareschi returned to Italy and in 1945 founded a

monarchist Monarchism is the advocacy of the system of monarchy or monarchical rule. A monarchist is an individual who supports this form of government independently of any specific monarch, whereas one who supports a particular monarch is a royalist. ...

weekly satirical magazine, ''

Candido Candido is both a given name and a surname. Notable people with the name include: Given name * Candido Amantini (1914–1992), Italian Roman Catholic priest * Candido Camero known simply as "Candido" (1921-2020), Cuban percussionist * Candido Jacu ...

''. After Italy became a republic, he supported the

Democrazia Cristiana Christian Democracy ( it, Democrazia Cristiana, DC) was a Christian democratic political party in Italy. The DC was founded on 15 December 1943 in the Italian Social Republic (Nazi-occupied Italy) as the ideal successor of the Italian People's ...

party. He criticized and satirized the

Communists Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a s ...

in his magazine, famously drawing a Communist as a man with an extra

nostril A nostril (or naris , plural ''nares'' ) is either of the two orifices of the nose. They enable the entry and exit of air and other gasses through the nasal cavities. In birds and mammals, they contain branched bones or cartilages called turbi ...

, and coining a slogan that became very popular: "Inside the voting booth God can see you, Stalin can't." When the Communists were defeated in the

1948 Italian general election General elections were held in Italy on 18 April 1948 to elect the first Parliament of the Italian Republic. After the Soviet-backed coup in Czechoslovakia in February 1948, the U.S. became alarmed about Soviet intentions in Central Europe. ...

, Guareschi did not put his pen down but also criticized the Democrazia Cristiana party. In 1950, ''Candido'' published a satirical cartoon by Carlo Manzoni poking fun at

Luigi Einaudi Luigi Numa Lorenzo Einaudi (; 24 March 1874 – 30 October 1961) was an Italian politician and economist. He served as the president of Italy from 1948 to 1955. Early life Einaudi was born to Lorenzo and Placida Fracchia in Carrù, in the prov ...

, President of the Republic. The President is at the Quirinal Palace, surrounded by, instead of the presidential guard of honour (the ''corazzieri''), giant bottles of

Nebbiolo Nebbiolo (, ; pms, nebieul ) is an Italian red wine grape variety predominantly associated with its native Piedmont region, where it makes the '' Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita'' (DOCG) wines of Barolo, Barbaresco, Roero ...

wine, which Einaudi actually produced on his land in Dogliani. Each bottle was labeled with the institutional logo. The cartoon was judged 'in Contempt of the President' by a court at the time. Guareschi, as the director of the magazine, was held responsible and sentenced. Don camillo4

In 1954 Guareschi was charged with libel after he published two facsimile wartime letters from resistance leader and former Prime Minister

Alcide De Gasperi Alcide Amedeo Francesco De Gasperi (; 3 April 1881 – 19 August 1954) was an Italian politician who founded the Christian Democracy party and served as prime minister of Italy in eight successive coalition governments from 1945 to 1953. De Gas ...

requesting that the Allies bomb the outskirts of

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

in order to demoralize

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

collaborators. The legitimacy of the letters was never established by the court, but after a two-month trial it found in favour of De Gasperi. Guareschi declined to appeal the verdict and spent 409 days in

Parma Parma (; egl, Pärma, ) is a city in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna known for its architecture, music, art, prosciutto (ham), cheese and surrounding countryside. With a population of 198,292 inhabitants, Parma is the second mos ...

's San Francesco jail, and another six months on probation at his home. His most famous comic creations are his short stories, begun in the late 1940s, about the rivalry between

, a stalwart Italian priest, and the equally hot-headed Peppone, Communist mayor of a Po River Valley village in the "Little World." These stories were dramatized on radio, television and in films, most notably in the series of films featuring

Fernandel Fernand Joseph Désiré Contandin (8 May 1903 – 26 February 1971), better known as Fernandel, was a French actor and singer. Born near Marseille, France, to Désirée Bedouin and Denis Contandin, originating in Perosa Argentina, an Occitan t ...

as Don Camillo. By 1956 Guareschi's health had deteriorated and he began spending time in Switzerland for treatment. In 1957 he retired as editor of ''Candido'' but remained a contributor. He died in Cervia in 1968 of a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which ma ...

, at age 60.

Selected bibliography

*''La scoperta di Milano'' (1941) *''Il destino si chiama Clotilde'' (1943) *''Il marito in collegio'' (1944) *''Favola di natale'' (1945) *''Diario Clandestino'' 1943-1945 (1946) *''Italia Provvisoria'' (1947) *''Lo zibaldino'' (1948) *''Corrierino delle famiglie'' (1954) *''Vita in famiglia'' (1968)

Published English translations

* ''The Little World of Don Camillo'' (1950) * ''Don Camillo and his Flock'' (in USA); ''Don Camillo and the Prodigal Son'' (in UK) (1952) * ''The House That Nino Built'' (1953) * ''Don Camillo's Dilemma'' (1954) * ''Don Camillo Takes the Devil by the Tail'' (in USA); ''Don Camillo and the Devil'' (in UK) (1957) * ''My Secret Diary'' (1958) * ''Comrade Don Camillo'' (1964) * ''My Home, Sweet Home'' (1966) * ''A Husband in a Boarding School'' (1967) * ''Duncan & Clotilda: An Extravaganza with a Long Digression'' (1968) * ''Don Camillo Meets the Flower Children'' (in USA); ''Don Camillo Meets Hell's Angels'' (in UK) (1969) * ''The Family Guareschi: Chronicles of the Past and Present'' (1970)

Pilot Productions authorised complete English-language edition of Don Camillo stories

The Guareschi family only discovered after 1980 that the original English language publishers made unauthorised cuts in the

stories, and only published 132 of the original 347 Italian stories. After an approach from Piers Dudgeon of Pilot Productions, the family authorised him to publish uncut translations into English of all the original 347 stories. The copyright is vested in the family, and the books published so far are: * No. 1: ''The Complete Little World of Don Camillo'' (2013) * No. 2: ''Don Camillo and His Flock'' (2015) * No. 3: ''Don Camillo and Peppone'' (2016) * No. 4: ''Comrade Don Camillo'' (2017) * No. 5: ''Don Camillo and Company'' (2018) * No. 6: ''Don Camillo’s Dilemma'' (2019) * No. 7: ''Don Camillo Takes the Devil by the Tail'' (2020) * No. 8: ''Don Camillio and Don Chichi'' (2021)

Filmography

*'' La rabbia'', 1963. Co-

director Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''D ...

with

Pier Paolo Pasolini Pier Paolo Pasolini (; 5 March 1922 – 2 November 1975) was an Italian poet, filmmaker, writer and intellectual who also distinguished himself as a journalist, novelist, translator, playwright, visual artist and actor. He is considered one of ...

Filmography about ''Don Camillo''

*''

Little World of Don Camillo ''The Little World of Don Camillo'' ( it, Don Camillo; french: Le Petit Monde de don Camillo) is a 1952 Italian-French film directed by Julien Duvivier, starring Fernandel and Gino Cervi. It was the first film in the ''"Don Camillo"'' series, whic ...

'' - ''Don Camillo'' (1952) *''

The Return of Don Camillo ''The Return of Don Camillo'' (Italian: ''Il ritorno di Don Camillo''; French: ''Le Retour de don Camillo'') is a 1953 French-Italian comedy film directed by Julien Duvivier and starring Fernandel, Gino Cervi and Édouard Delmont. The film's set ...

'' - ''Il ritorno di Don Camillo'' (1953) *''

Don Camillo's Last Round ''Don Camillo's Last Round'' (French: ''La grande bagarre de Don Camillo'', Italian: ''Don Camillo e l'onorevole Peppone'') is a 1955 French-Italian comedy film directed by Carmine Gallone and starring Fernandel, Gino Cervi and Leda Gloria. It was ...

'' - ''Don Camillo e l'onorevole Peppone'' (1955) *'' Don Camillo: Monsignor'' - ''Don Camillo Monsignore... ma non troppo!'' (1961) *''

Don Camillo in Moscow ''Don Camillo in Moscow'' ( it, Il compagno Don Camillo, "Comrade Don Camillo"; french: Don Camillo en Russie, "Don Camillo in Russia") is a 1965 Italian comedy film directed by Luigi Comencini. It was the fifth film in the Don Camillo series ...

'' - ''Il compagno Don Camillo'' (1965) *'' Don Camillo and the today's youth'' - ''Don Camillo e i giovani d'oggi'' (1970), unfinished project *'' Don Camillo and the today's youth'' - ''Don Camillo e i giovani d'oggi'' (1972) *''

The World of Don Camillo ''The World of Don Camillo '' (in Italy ''Don Camillo'') is a 1983 Cinema of Italy, Italian comedy film directed, produced and starring Terence Hill, and is a remake of ''Le Petit Monde de Don Camillo'' (1952). Both were based on the novel ''Don C ...

'' - ''Don Camillo'' (1983), remake by

Terence Hill Terence Hill (born Mario Girotti; 29 March 1939) is an Italian actor, film director, screenwriter and producer. He began his career as a child actor and gained international fame for starring roles in action and comedy films, many with longtim ...

and

Colin Blakely Colin George Blakely (23 September 1930 – 7 May 1987) was a Northern Irish actor. He had roles in the films '' A Man for All Seasons'' (1966), '' The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes'' (1970), '' Murder on the Orient Express'' (1974), and '' ...

Notes

References

External links

Tutto il mondo di Guareschi (Official Site)A review
of ''Little World of Don Camillo'' at Open Letters Monthly
World of Giovannino GuareschiVirtual Travel in the Little World of Guareschi
{{DEFAULTSORT:Guareschi, Giovanni 1908 births 1968 deaths 20th-century Italian novelists 20th-century Italian male writers Italian anti-communists Writers from the Province of Parma University of Parma alumni Italian male short story writers Italian satirists Italian illustrators Italian monarchists Italian military personnel of World War II Bancarella Prize winners Italian male novelists 20th-century Italian short story writers Italian male non-fiction writers Italian magazine founders Christian novelists Italian caricaturists