Federico De Roberto (16 January 1861 – 26 July 1927) was an Italian writer, who became well known for his
historical novel (1894), translated as ''The Viceroys''.
Biography
De Roberto was born in
Naples
Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...
and began his writing career as a journalist for national newspapers, where he met
Giovanni Verga
Giovanni Carmelo Verga di Fontanabianca (; 2 September 1840 – 27 January 1922) was an Italian realist ('' verista'') writer, best known for his depictions of life in his native Sicily, especially the short story and later play ''Cavalleria ...
and
Luigi Capuana
Luigi Capuana (May 28, 1839 – November 29, 1915) was an Italian author and journalist and one of the most important members of the ''verist'' movement (see also ''verismo'' (literature)). He was a contemporary of Giovanni Verga, both having ...
, the most prominent writers of the ''
Verismo
In opera, ''verismo'' (, from , meaning "true") was a post-Romantic operatic tradition associated with Italian composers such as Pietro Mascagni, Ruggero Leoncavallo, Umberto Giordano, Francesco Cilea and Giacomo Puccini.
''Verismo'' as an ...
'' movement. Verga introduced him into the literary circles of
Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
. De Roberto authored two books of short stories: (1887), (1888). His first novel, , (1889) is largely autobiographical; deeper in psychological analysis is the second, (1891). In 1894 his novel was published. It was the result of years of hard work, but obtained little success upon its release. Disillusionment and nervous disorders induced De Roberto to resume journalistic work: he became a writer for the and the . Only later, after some experience as a playwright, he returned to the novel, with (1908–1913), un unfinished sequel to . He died in
Catania at age 66.
I Viceré
The novel consists of three parts and is based upon the story of the fictional Uzeda princes of Francalanza, a noble family of
Catania of Spanish origins. This family served as
viceroys during the previous Spanish rule. The plot, focusing on the social and political background of the time, follows the private history of the Uzedas during the last year of
Bourbon domination in the
Kingdom of the Two Sicilies and the first decades of the
Kingdom of Italy
The Kingdom of Italy ( it, Regno d'Italia) was a state that existed from 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Sardinia was proclaimed King of Italy, until 1946, when civil discontent led to an institutional referendum to abandon the monarchy and f ...
, portraying the transition from
feudalism
Feudalism, also known as the feudal system, was the combination of the legal, economic, military, cultural and political customs that flourished in medieval Europe between the 9th and 15th centuries. Broadly defined, it was a way of structur ...
to a
parliament
In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: representing the electorate, making laws, and overseeing the government via hearings and inquiries. Th ...
ary system.
De Roberto uses the literary style of ''
Verismo
In opera, ''verismo'' (, from , meaning "true") was a post-Romantic operatic tradition associated with Italian composers such as Pietro Mascagni, Ruggero Leoncavallo, Umberto Giordano, Francesco Cilea and Giacomo Puccini.
''Verismo'' as an ...
'' (the Italian expression of
literary Naturalism) and adopts no privileged point of view (neither the narrator's nor any other's), but instead displays a plurality of voices. Mass scenes are present, as well as the detailed description of various social backgrounds. The primary aim of all members of the Uzeda family is to retain power regardless of the changes that occur, even if this requires actions that the reader will undoubtedly judge to be cynical or even absurd. De Roberto portrays a world undergoing fundamental change, but which seemingly holds no hope for the future: no aspect of society is represented as free from corruption.
The novel was adapted to cinema by director
Roberto Faenza
Roberto Faenza (born 21 February 1943) is an Italian film director. Born in Turin in 1943, Faenza received a degree in Political Science and a diploma at the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia.
Career
Faenza made his directing debut in 1968 ...
in 2007.
Works
Monographs
* (essays, criticism)
* (posthumous publication)
The Uzeda Family chronicles
*
* Published in English as
* (posthumous publication)
Short story collections
* (2nd edition) Milan: Libreria editrice Galli. 1892. (3rd edition) Milan: Fratelli Treves. 1910. (4th edition) Milan: Fratelli Treves. 1919.
* (2nd edition) Milan: Fratelli Treves. 1890 (4th edition) Milan: Libreria editrice Galli. 1896. (7th edition) Milan: Galli, Baldini & Castoldi. 1898.
*
*
*
Letters
* Edited by Sarah Zappulla Muscarà. Catania: Tringale. 1978.
* Edited by Sarah Zappulla Muscarà. Rome: Bulzoni. 1979.
* Critical edition edited by Teresa Volpe. Rome: Aracne Editrice. 2013.
Poetry
*
Theatrical works
* (1912)
* (1918, never staged) – dramatic treatment of (''Agony'') from 1897
* (1913, never staged) – dramatic treatment of from 1911
Other writings
*
* Edited by Niccolò Giannotta 1881. (Literary debut)
* Edited by Niccolò Giannotta. 1883. (Essays and criticism)
* (2nd edition) Milan: Baldini, Castoldi & C. 1902. (Revised edition) Milan; Rome: Mondadori. 1923. (Novel)
* (Essay)
* (Essay)
* (Serial publication) Published in English as
*
*
*
*
*
*
* Catania 1907 Expo. Illustrated album compiled under the direction of Federico De Roberto. Catania: Galatola. 1908.
*
*
*
*
* (Stories)
*
*
* (Stories)
*
*
*
* (One-act play)
* Edited by Sarah Zappulla Muscarà. Rome: Curcio. 1979.
*
* (Various articles of literary and cultural criticism)
*
*
* Edited by Carlo A. Madrignani for the collection . Milan: Arnoldo Mondadori Editore. 1984 . ** Contains: (novels) ; ; ; (stories) ; ; ; ; (from ) ; ; (from ) ; (from ) ; ; ; ; (essays and prefaces) ; ; ; ; preface to ; preface to ; ; ; ; chapter XV from ; ; ; (letters) to Ferdinando Di Giorgi; to his mother; to Luigi Albertini.
References
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*
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:De Roberto, Federico
19th-century Italian novelists
19th-century Italian male writers
20th-century Italian novelists
20th-century Italian male writers
1861 births
1927 deaths