Giuseppe Antonio Borgese
Giuseppe Antonio Borgese was a notable Italian literary figure born in Sicily, whose career spanned multiple countries and disciplines. He began his education in Palermo and later graduated from the Institute of Superior Studies in Florence, where he focused on Italian Romantic literary criticism. Borgese's literary journey included a diverse array of roles, such as a lecturer in German literature, which led to significant publications, including his influential essay collection, *La vita e il libro*. His early nationalist sentiments shifted after serving as an officer in World War I, resulting in a disillusionment that influenced his acclaimed novel, *Rubè*.
In the politically charged 1920s, Borgese continued to write and teach, while also engaging in travel to promote cultural understanding. He emigrated to the United States in the early 1930s to escape the oppressive regime of Mussolini and published works denouncing fascism. His writings during this period, including *Goliath: The March of Fascism*, showcased a more politically charged perspective. Throughout his life, Borgese's contributions to aesthetics, culture, and politics significantly impacted the Italian literary canon. After his passing, his extensive personal papers were donated to the University of Florence, preserving his legacy for future generations.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Giuseppe Antonio Borgese
Writer
- Born: November 12, 1882
- Birthplace: Polizzi Generosa, Sicily, Italy
- Died: 1952
Biography
Born in a village in the province of Palermo on the island of Sicily, Giuseppe Antonio Borgese became one of Italy’s most prominent men of letters. Beginning his education in Palermo, he moved to study literature at the Instituto di studi superiori (Institute of Superior Studies) in Florence, graduating in 1903. His dissertation on the history of Italian Romantic literary criticism, published as a book, launched his literary career.
He married the Florence poet Maria Freschi; they had two children. In 1939 he divorced then married Elizabeth Mann (daughter of the German writer Thomas Mann) and fathered two more children.
In 1907, Borgese spent two years in Germany writing articles for Italian newspapers intended to broaden Italians’ appreciation of other cultures. He returned to Italy as a lecturer in German literature at the University of Turin, during which time he wrote essays and articles on Italian and European literature, later published as a collection, La vita e il libro (1910-1911), considered one of his most significant literary works. He accepted a post as chair of the department of German literature at the University of Rome, where his writing uncharacteristically turned to advocating nationalism. He joined the Italian army during World War I, serving as an officer, an experience that changed his attitudes about war and nationalism. This disillusionment is reflected in his first work of fiction, the novel, Rubè, a work later acclaimed as one of the best novels of Italian twentieth century literature.
In the politically turbulent 1920’s, Borgese taught at the University of Milan as professor of aesthetics and history of criticism while writing two more novels, three collections of short stories, and critical essays later collected in two books. He embarked on a period of travel, again writing to broaden ethnocentric views. At the beginning of the 1930’s, he took a position at the University of California, a move enabling him to avoid the oath of allegiance to Fascism that Italian Premier Benito Mussolini demanded. He took positions at Smith College and then the University of Chicago, where his writing took a more political edge. He married again, became a United States citizen, and wrote seven books, five of which were published first in English. He denounced fascism in the first book he published in English, Goliath: The March of Fascism (1937). Collaborating with other intellectuals, he urged the United States to enter the war in defense of core values. In the publication by the Committee to Frame a World Constitution, Common Cause (1940), which he edited, he asserted the need for a supranational state and drafted a world constitution. Borgese returned to Italy for the last years of his life, teaching in Milan.
Borgese’s work, both analytical and creative, helped shape the Italian literary canon. He wrote on aesthetics, culture, the history of ideas and politics, espousing the importance of unity and democracy. After his death, his wife donated fifty-four boxes of papers and twenty-five diaries to the University of Florence.