Camillo Sbarbaro
Camillo Sbarbaro was an Italian poet and translator born in 1888 in Santa Margherita Ligure, near Genoa. He spent most of his life in his hometown, where he lived with his sister. Sbarbaro developed a passion for botany, which inspired his posthumously published study "Licheni" in 1967. During World War I, he served in the Italian army and later became friends with notable poet Eugenio Montale, who honored him with dedications in his poetry collection "Ossi di seppia." After the war, Sbarbaro taught Greek in Genoa but faced difficulties during the Fascist regime due to his refusal to join its political party, leading to his resignation.
Sbarbaro began his literary career with his first poetry collection, "Rèsine," published in 1911, followed by the well-regarded "Pianissimo" in 1914. His body of work includes several other collections, such as "Trucioli," "Liquidazione," and "Fuochi fatui." In addition to poetry, he was a skilled translator, bringing Greek classics and French literature, including works by Flaubert and Zola, to Italian readers. He passed away in 1967, leaving behind a rich literary legacy.
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Camillo Sbarbaro
Writer
- Born: January 12, 1888
- Birthplace: Santa Margherita Ligure, Italy
- Died: October 31, 1967
- Place of death: Savona, Italy
Biography
Camillo Sbarbaro was born in 1888 in Santa Margherita Ligure, Italy, near Genoa. Sbarbaro spent almost all of his life living in Santa Margherita Ligure with his sister. Early in his academic career, he developed an interest in botany and that interest was reflected in his study Licheni, published posthumously in 1967.
At the outset of World War I, Sbarbaro enlisted in the Italian army to serve as a soldier. Shortly after the war he met Eugenio Montale, who would become one of Sbarbaro’s best friends; indeed, Montale would dedicate two poems to Sbarbaro in his collection entitled Ossi di seppia. After the war, Sbarbaro taught Greek at a school in Genoa. The Fascist regime was in power, and Sabarbaro greatly opposed its ideals. After refusing to join the Fascists’ political party, Sbarbaro was forced to resign his teaching position.
Sbarbaro published his first poetry collection, Rèsine, in 1911. A more prominent collection, Pianissimo, was published in 1914 and republished in 1954. The poems in Pianissimo originally appeared in the Florentine journal La Voce. His other poetry collections include Trucioli, first published in 1920 and republished in 1948 to include more recent poems; Liquidazione in 1928; Poesie in 1961, with an enlarged version in 1971; Rimanenze in 1955; Fuochi fatui in 1962; Gocce in 1963; and Quisquilie in 1967. In addition to writing poetry, Sbarbaro translated Greek classics, including the works of Sophocles, Aeschylus, and Euripides, and he also translated French literature, including the works of Gustave Flaubert, Émile Zola, Honoré deBalzac, and Stendhal. Sbarbaro died in 1967.