Biography of Edmondo De Amicis

The last of the Manzoni

21 October 1846
March 11, 1908
Poet of the brotherhood, and goodness, Edmondo De Amicis was born on 21 October 1846 in Oneglia, Italy, another important Patriot and enlightenment, Giovan Pietro Vieusseux (1779-1863). He first studies in Piedmont, Cuneo and Turin before then. Enter the Military Academy of Modena and comes out second lieutenant, in 1865. The following year fought in Custoza. While continuing in his military career, tries to follow his vocation to writing: in Florence Italy "military" and directs the public newspaper, meanwhile, "military life" (1868), the success of which allows the abandonment of herself--which, however, he loves-to devote himself to his passion of writing. In 1870, as a correspondent of "La Nazione", join the of Rome coming to Porta Pia.
Now free from military engagement begins a series of trips-including on behalf of "La Nazione"-of which leaves testimony by publishing lively relationships. This is how "Spain", in 1873; "Holland" and "memories of London", in 1874; "Morocco", in 1876; Constantinople in 1878; "At the gates of Italy", in 1884, dedicated to the city of Pinerolo and its surroundings, until his trip to America whose diary, titled "Ocean", is dedicated to Italian immigrants. Closed season, De Amicis falls into Italy and began to devote himself to educational literature that makes him, as well as a talented writer, also a pedagogue: it is precisely in this field that making, in 1886, his masterpiece, "Heart" that despite the ostracism of Catholics no religious content, collects a staggering success and is translated into many languages.
Again publishes, among others, "the novel of a teacher", in 1890; "Between school and home" in 1892; "La maestrina degli operai" in 1895; "The carriage of all", in 1899; "In the realm of the Matterhorn", in 1904; "The idiom" in 1905. He contributes to various publications of Socialist inspiration. The last decade of his life is marked by the death of his mother, by the failure of his marriage to Teresa Boassi and by the suicide of his son Furio tied their family for conditions created furious and continuous invivibilità quarrels of parents. Edmondo De Amicis died in Bordighera (Imperia) on March 11, 1908, at the age of 62 years.
Daddy it instils in his pedagogical works around the moral rigor that derives from his military education, and from being a fervent Patriot and enlightenment, but remains an author strongly linked in his time: the book "Heart", which represents a fundamental point of reference formative early ' 900, was later much criticized and downsized because of the changes of the times that made it obsolete. Even at the expense of its thickness of writing that deserves to be dusted off and reconsidered the whole work of De Amicis. With "the idiom" is characterized as the ultimate upholder of the theses of Alessandro Manzoni which advocated a modern, effective and purified by Italian Classics and rhetoric. Other works by Edmondo De Amicis: "sketches of military life" (1868); "Short stories" (1872); "Memories of 1870-71" (1872); Memories of Paris (1879); "The two friends" (1883); "Amore e ginnastica (1892); "Social question" (1894); "The three capitals: Turin-Florence-Rome" (1898); "The temptation of bicycle" (1906); "Cerebral Cinema" (1907); "Company" (1907); "Memories of a trip to Sicily" (1908); "New literary and artistic portraits" (1908).
Article contributed by the team of collaborators.