Giuseppe Baretti
Giuseppe Baretti (1719-1789) was an influential Italian writer and literary critic known for his advocacy of both Italian and English literature. Born in Turin, he held various governmental roles in Italy while actively contributing to literary periodicals. His admiration for English literature led him to London in 1751, where he produced notable works, including a dictionary of Italian authors and the Dictionary of the English and Italian Languages (1760), which remains a valuable resource. Baretti also chronicled his travels in Spain and Portugal in his 1762 publication, *Lettere familiari a' suoi tre fratelli*.
After a brief return to Italy, where he championed favored writers and critiqued others through his bimonthly journal, *La frusta letteraria*, Baretti faced government suppression of the publication. He eventually returned to London, continuing to write travel memoirs, including *An Account of the Manners and Customs of Italy* (1768). Notably, Baretti passionately defended Shakespeare's works against Voltaire's criticisms in 1777. Today, he is recognized for significantly popularizing Italian literature in England during the 18th century, with his works compiled in various collections long after his death.
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Giuseppe Baretti
Writer
- Born: April 24, 1719
- Birthplace: Turin, Italy
- Died: May 5, 1789
- Place of death: London, England
Biography
Born in Turin, Italy, on April 24, 1719, Giuseppe Marc’Antonio Baretti has been remembered in the history of literature more for his strenuous efforts on behalf of other writers than for his own output. Baretti held various governmental positions in several cities throughout Italy while making regular contributions to Italian periodicals. As a friend of Samuel Johnson’s and a great admirer of English writing and ideas, Baretti—also known as “Joseph” Baretti—helped to popularize English literature in Italy while also promoting Italian literature in England. In 1751, he moved to London, where he lived for the next nine years. During this time he wrote a dictionary of Italian authors, an Italian grammar, and the Dictionary of the English and Italian Languages (1760); the latter is considered a valuable resource even today. In 1762, Baretti published his Lettere familiari a’ suoi tre fratelli Filippo, Giovanni, e Amedeo, an account of his travels in Spain and Portugal.
At this point, Baretti returned to Italy with the intention of promoting and encouraging the Italian writers he favored, as well as attacking those he labeled “bad authors.” From 1763 to 1765, he edited and brought out a critical bimonthly journal, La frusta letteraria (the “literary scourge” or “literary whip”). Writing under the name Aristarco Scannabue, Baretti attacked pastoral and “Arcadian” poetry, Petrarchan imitators, “neo-classical” purism, and contemporary poets such as Carlo Goldoni. He also attempted to convey English cultural values, especially through translations of English poets, and occasionally published his own poetry. The journal was eventually suppressed by the Venetian government. Baretti therefore returned to London, where he continued to write popular travel memoirs, his An Account of the Manners and Customs of Italy coming out in 1768. However, the critical and polemical style still seemed to bring out his best writing; in 1777, he wrote a passionate defense of the writing of William Shakespeare against the criticisms of Voltaire.
Baretti died on May 5, 1789; today he is assigned primary credit for the popularity of Italian literature in England throughout the 1700’s. A four-volume collection of his works was brought out in 1838 and 1839; a more complete six-volume collection appeared during the years 1911-1936.