Christopher Columbus… Elisabeth Schwarzkopf… Martin Sheen… Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn… Biographies Multiposts


Biografie di personaggi famosi e storici

Encyclopedia of Biographies of famous and historical figures

Biographies online:

  1. Biography of Francesco Borromini
  2. Biography of Christopher Columbus
  3. Biography of Joseph Conrad
  4. Biography of James Hetfield
  5. John Landis biography
  6. Biography of Elisabeth Schwarzkopf
  7. Biography of Martin Sheen
  8. Biography of Clifford d. Simak
  9. Biography of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

Biography of Francesco Borromini

Sinuous merveilles
Libra September 25, 1599
August 3, 1667
Francesco Castelli better known as Borromini, architect from the brilliant and tormented personality, was born in Bissone on Lake Lugano, on 25 September 1599.
Stonecutter at la Fabbrica del Duomo di Milano, later moved to Rome, where he participated in the St. Peter's Factory since 1619, led at the time by Carlo Maderno. Here he studied ancient works and those of Michelangelo, since large model.
Maderno's death was to aid in the construction of Gianlorenzo Bernini canopy of San Pietro (and yet is known only as "Bernini canopy"). Immediately finding himself at odds with Bernini, began its activity autonomously with the project for the Church and cloister of San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane called San Carlino.
In the same year he executed the modernization of Palazzo Spada and Palazzo Falconieri. In 1637 he began the construction of the oratory and the Convento dei Padri Filippini ended only using 1649 for concave and convex surfaces alternate (which represent a typical characteristic of Borromini's architectural thought), which project outside dynamic tensions. Between 1642 and 1660 Borromini built the Church of Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza. "The Interior has a central plan formed by two intersecting equilateral triangles, and three apses and three niches alternate, creating an incentive plan that had never been used before. The same compositional balance can be found outside in the tiburium covering the dome and lantern ". (www.storiadellarte.com).
In 1646 he received from Pope Innocent X Pamphili commissioned to transform the Church of San Giovanni in Laterano. Borromini he reconciled the need for preservation of the ancient basilica, with static problems which had come to create, including pairs of columns within large pillars. In 1657 innocent X decided to exempt the architect of his duties for the disagreements created for the construction of the Church of Sant'Agnese in piazza Navona. By this time, began years of crisis that did not finish even with the creation of the College of Propaganda Fide.
Borromini there is described as a loner, impetuous, melancholic and very cranky. In life, suffered much of the rivalry with Bernini, sunnier and predisposed to human relationships, even though, in terms of career and consideration, Borromini was able still to enjoy the patronage of Pope Innocent X.
But his depressive nature, and the growing frustration that stemmed from the success of rival, in addition to a series of negative events (such as the dispute with Pope Innocent X), drove him to suicide. He was found dead in Rome on August 3, 1667, after being thrown against a sword.
Bruno Zevi wrote in "News of Borromini" (cronache e storia architecture 519, June 1999): "the case is specific and unrepeatable Borromini: is the heroic effort, almost superhuman, to an architectural revolution in a social context and unhelpful closed despite the new addresses of science. The foothold to late Antiquity, Gothic, Michelangelo was not only an attempt to legitimize the heresy under a cover of authoritative references, but also intimate, desperate, finding a partner.
Borromini can be used for all purposes, even to a modernized borrominismo service. The elements of his design approach, from light to regulators, from continuity to plastic mistilineo, curved structures at decorative selections, can be used to counter the more disarming Borromini because driven by a real passion, the desire to avenge, in any way, the failure of the 17th century. [ . . . ]
The Baroque Bernini gives the crisi a sumptuous screenplay, and spiritually the back compared to the anxieties and anguishes mannered. It is logical that both Borromini dragged contradictory impulses: If there is no other humanism, maybe we should go back to the humanism, which is impossible. Carry on Michelangelo's revolution? It seems unrealistic, but it's the only way plausible, even though it will cost defeats, falls, hypochondria, suicide.
Despite qualms, embarrass, enormous obstacles, the classical world is destroyed, place not in crisis. A new language, where each item is used in a sense diametrically opposite to the original one, that is secularized. By Borromini you pass to Wright and decostruttivisti.
Four centuries have passed since his birth. In 1999, it can be said that Borromini won. The dream pursued during five millennia, from the age of the caves, now became a reality: an architecture liberated from rules, precepts, universal laws, idols, principles, harmonic and taboos, proportional geometric constraints and stereometrici, mechanical relationships between inside and outside; an architecture of degree zero, anti-democratic, authoritarian, marked by the needs and desires of individuals and groups. This would be unthinkable without the revolutionary contribution of Borromini.

Biography of Christopher Columbus

There, where no one has gone before
Leo August 3, 1451
May 20, 1506
Christopher Columbus, the Italian Navigator and Explorer that needs no introduction, he was born in Genoa on August 3, 14Son of Domenico, a wool Weaver, and Susanna Fontanarossa, the future Navigator was not interested in learning the secrets of the art paternal but drew his attention already at sea and in particular geographical landforms of the then known world. However until twenty years followed, not to thwart the wishes of his father, his father's craft. Later he began to travel by sea to serve various commercial companies.
Him know he attended regular schools (indeed, it says that there never put foot), and that all information in its possession, the school came from the wise and patient work of his father, who taught him well and draw maps.
For some time she lived with her brother, Columbus, Bartholomew, a cartographer. He is skilled in reading and drawing cards, he studied the works of many geographers, sailed on many ships, from Africa to Northern Europe. As a result of these studies and contact with the Florentine geographer Paolo dal Pozzo Toscanelli (1397-1482), became convinced of the new theory was that the Earth was round and not flat as it was claiming for millennia. In light of these new revelations, which opened up infinite horizons in the head, Colombo began to cultivate the idea of reaching India, sailing westward.
To achieve the feat but needed funds and ships. He turned to the courts of Portugal, Spain, France and England but for years did not find literally anyone willing to give him confidence. In 1492 the monarchs of Spain, Ferdinand and Isabella, after some hesitation, decided to fund the trip.
First expedition (1492-1493)
On August 3, 1492 Columbus set sail from Palos (Spain) with three ships (the world-famous Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria) with Spanish crew. After stopping at the Canary Islands from 12 August to 6 September, sailed westward and sighted land, landing on Guanahani, which he named San Salvador, taking possession on behalf of the Kings of Spain.
It was the official day October 12, 1492 discovery of the Americas, which conventionally marks the beginning of the modern age.
Columbus believed he arrived on an island of the Japanese archipelago. With further exploration southward, he discovered the island of Spain and the modern Haiti (which he named Hispaniola.) The January 16, 1493 sailed to Europe and arrived in Palos on 15 March.
King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella gave him honors and wealth planning for a second expedition.
Second expedition (1493-1494)
The second expedition consisted of seventeen ships, with nearly 1500 people on board, including priests, doctors and farmers: the intent was to spread Christianity, to assert Spanish sovereignty over lands discovered, settle, cultivate and bring to Spain the gold.
The departure from Cadiz on September 25, 1493 and, after the usual stop at the Canary Islands (where they were loaded on board even pets), she sailed on 13 October.
After arriving in Hispaniola, Columbus continued exploration, discovering Santiago (now Jamaica) and exploring the southern coast of Cuba (which Columbus did not recognize anyway as the island, convinced that part of the continent). After having been made in Spain by an advance shipment of 500 slaves, on 20 April 1496 sailed for Europe and reached Cadiz 11 June, with two ships that had built in the colonies.
Third and fourth shipment (1498-1500, 1502-1504)
He set out again with a fleet of eight ships and after two months at sea arrived on the island of Trinidad off the coast of Venezuela, then back to Hispaniola. Meanwhile the Spanish kings, accortisi Columbus was a good Admiral but essentially incapable of governing his men, sent on a place their emissary, Francisco De Bobadilla, with the task of administering justice on behalf of the King. But one of the profound reasons of this move was also due to the fact that Columbus actually defended the Indians against the mistreatment of the Spaniards.
Colombo refused to accept the authority of the effluent, which in response had him arrested by returning it in Spain.
After all these vicissitudes Colombo was exonerated and freed. Two years later he was able to make one last trip during which ran into a terrible storm unfortunately that caused the loss of three of the four ships at his disposal. However insistently for other sailed eight months along the coast between Honduras and Panama, before returning to Spain, tired and sick.
He spent the latter part of his life nearly forgotten, in a difficult financial situation and without having made really have discovered a new continent.
He died on May 20, 1506 in Valladolid.
A statue (pictured) stands solemn in the middle of the square of the old port of Barcelona, where Christopher Columbus with a pointing finger towards the sea indicates the direction for the new world.

Biography of Joseph Conrad

The unconscious peeps
Sagittarius December 3, 1857
August 3, 1924
The novels of Joseph Conrad, considered one of the main authors between ' 800 and ' 900, are sea stories and adventure: stories of men living on the waves, dragged and ships draggers who face extraordinary loneliness, treacherous waters, endless, Devourer of worlds, continuous risk prey. And indeed before a novelist, Conrad was truly a man of the sea: orphaned of mother and father imprisoned for political issues (the family was originally a part of Poland annexed by Russia), grew up in the dream to sail the seas and far from Earth who had procured, since childhood, so much pain.
Joseph Conrad, born Józef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski, despite being born in Poland (Berdichev on December 3, 1857), is in fact considered an English writer. His family belonged to the landed gentry of Poland, then under Russian rule. The father, Patriot and man of letters, died in 1867, after many years of political exile (his mother was already dead in 1865). Entrusted to the care of an uncle, the young Conrad celebrates her secondary education in Krakow.
At the age of seventeen, driven by an irresistible vocation for the sea life, he left for Marseille, where he boards as seaman. Browse means to him know especially the nautical world which also identified trafficking, smuggling, men who embarked to escape some kind of guilt. It meant they were worlds meet in short, not only geographically the Antipodes of civil Europe. After long experience serving in the French merchant marine and, from 1878, in the uk, where it reaches the degree of sea captain. In 1886 he became a British subject.
For twenty years traveling the seas for almost everyone, but especially in the Malay Archipelago. Attention from her first novel Almayer's folly ", and encouragement of some writers (Galsworthy, Wells, Ford Madox Ford, Edward Gamett) cause him, left the Navy and settled in England, to devote himself entirely to literary activity.
More unique than rare, Conrad became a master of literature writing in a language not his own, learned when he was already a man made. Its basic theme is the loneliness of the individual, at the mercy of the blind case hits the sea is often elected as a symbol. The lone hero of Joseph Conrad is almost always a fugitive or an outcast, marked by misfortune or remorse, close relative of the fallen angel dear to the romantics, who won his stoicism dealing with identity proofs that fate has reserved.
Among his many masterpieces include "an outcast of the Islands" (1894), "The negro of narcissus" (1896), "youth" (1898), "heart of darkness" (a strong denunciation of colonialism and a novel, perhaps few people know, formed the canvas for the Francis Ford Coppola film "Apocalypse Now"), "Typhoon" and "Lord Jim" (1900).
In these works probe the Conrad evolutionary stages of the unconscious that sometimes seem to anticipate the technique of "stream of consciousness" that then Virginia Woolf and James Joyce become literary genre.
After other various publications, gets a good success with "linea d'ombra" (1917), another masterpiece, which has become the symbol of the difficulties of growing up and what this entails.
Unrepeatable, sondatore writer as few of the human soul, Joseph Conrad died of a heart attack on August 3, 1924, Kent Bishopsboume (Ukraine).

Biography of James Hetfield

Leo August 3, 1963
James Hetfield was born in California on August 3, 1963.
From a young age shows a decent musical talent, albeit without finding its way from the start: starts a career as a musician.
After several format band with friends and classmates, and after having covered several musical roles within the same, in 1981 he founded finally Metallica.
At the beginning you could enjoy in full the thrash metal style a bit immature then, over the years, experience has been refined and improved. The original line-up, during the life of the group, underwent some changes and blows but James remains the leader of Metallica.

John Landis biography

Director in blues
Leo August 3, 1950
Born in Chicago on August 3, 1950, John Landis is the author of many cult films including the legendary "The Blues Brothers" (with John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd) and "an American Werewolf in London". It's just a teenager when he began working as a postman for the famous movie production house 20th-Century Fox. In its films, still considered the milestones of cinema of all time, you notice its adolescent sensibility characterised by transgressive vein and fantastic.
This experience and his long apprenticeship allow him to learn many important personalities, which will collect a wealth of anecdotes. Reaches a moderate level of confidence with Alfred Hitchcock: when the teacher arrives the news of a lifetime achievement award by the American Film Institute, "he says sarcastically before John Landis:" This means I'm dead. "
Animated by a remarkable strength of character and a great desire to work, John Landis spends his apprenticeship by attending as much as possible the movie sets. Enthusiasm drives him to work as a production assistant for many different movies. It's 1978 when it finally can put themselves to the test and make itself known with its "Animal House": the result looks like a real triumph.
International film critics has always divided on the evaluation of the eclectic Director: there are those who recognize him as the author of worship, and who considers him a simple author of comedy a bit too overrated. John Landis escapes controversy calling themselves a "good craftsman", giving perhaps the responsibilities that his figure of author.
Its not seems a false modesty: Landis, who never lost his reverence towards the classical authors, has always been a cinephile to 360 degrees. It is able to attend with the same passion a Federico Fellini retrospective and, at the same time step with enjoyment in the films more trash. Has a collection of memorabilia and autographed posters from famous filmmakers.
Jatin wrote on: film.it Marchetti "John Landis belongs to that generation from sixty-eight who tried to take control of the media to operate a rebellion from inside, trying to knock over the mechanisms of the cultural industry through the consolidation of screwball comedy, a genre that aims to undermine excessive strokes insolence sellout façade of the company.
As you scroll through the characters of his films can be seen as the Director has always tried to express his subversive gaze by contacting the "different", excluded swooping in a well-ordered and harmonious context and puts up with its chaotic vein ".

Biography of Elisabeth Schwarzkopf

No one like you
Sagittarius December 9, 1915
August 3, 2006
Olga Maria Elisabeth Frederike Schwarzkopf, regarded as one of the greatest singers in the field of vocal chamber music, was born on December 9, 1915 in Jarocin, Poland. As a child shows a strong interest in music. He sings his first opera in 1928 as Eurydice in a school production of "Orfeo ed Euridice" by Gluck in Magdeburg, Germany.
In 1934 is admitted to the Hochschule in Berlin, under the leadership of Lula Mysz-Gmeiner initially as a mezzo soprano; following courses of piano, viola, harmony and counterpoint. Elisabeth is a complete musician and great culture, quality is not always attributable to the category of singers.
Later, in Berlin, he studied with Dr. Egonolf as coloratura soprano.
In 1938 the first official debut in the awkward "Parsifal", then comes cast for several seasons at the Vienna State Opera. In 1946 Elisabeth Schwarzkopf signed an exclusive contract with EMI, a partnership initiated by the legendary Walter Legge "deus ex machina" of the label and a man of profound culture and sensitivity. The two will establish a legendary artistic and productive but also sentimental, becoming husband and wife.
The contribution to the maturation of the expressive singer will be crucial, as will many other great artists that reads always knew well advise and direct. He beautiful made history records.
An outstanding interpreter of every kind of repertoire, Schwarzkopf was reported in particular how wonderful Mozart interpreter. The genius of Salzburg donated the magic of her velvety timbre, supported by spasmodic attention to words and text.
In 1955 was awarded personally by Toscanini with Golden Orpheus award, all the more important because it defended by master parmense, typically so stingy to favorable reviews.
In these years he performed in major European theaters also winning in Strauss repertoire, shaping an unforgettable Marschallin, key figure of the "Rosenkavalier". But even in lieder achievements are nothing short of dizzying: stay memorable, in that regard, a statement of Mario Bortolotto when, in introducing a book of the writings of Glenn Gould, speaking of an engraving of Strauss Lieder with pianist Schwarzkopf, States that "[...] should be heard on their knees ".
Over the years, the great artist has thinned out its activity, retreating gradually in a glorious dusk and dedicating himself to teaching. In 1992 he received from Queen Elizabeth II, DBE (Dame of the order of the Empire), the uk's highest honor.
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf dies at 90 years, in Austria, on August 3, 2006.

Biography of Martin Sheen

Family roles for family audiences
Leo August 3, 1940
Born in Dayton Ohio in the American region on August 3, 1940 in a large family (the father of Spanish origin, Irish mom), his real name is Ramón Gerardo Antonio Estévez. Have a passion for acting at an early age. The father, however, did not indulge in this, so is forced to reach New York with money given to him by a Marian priest to try to realize his dream.
With tenacity and effort the aspiring actor manages to form a small theater company. Soon comes her first important occasion, playing an important role in the play "The subject was roses Lady", at the Broadway Theatre. In 1968 he took part in the film version of the same. In the 1973 film "Badlands" in which she plays an important role with actress Sissy Spacek.
One of the most famous movies of Sheen, for which the actor gets nominated for "best actor" for the Emmy Award is "The execution of Private Slovik", a television film that tells the story of an American soldier during the American civil war. Sheen's interpretation in this movie strikes to the point the Director Francis Ford Coppola, who chose him as the protagonist of the famous film "Apocalypse Now" (1979). During the filming, though, Martin Sheen is abusing alcohol and he suffered a heart attack.
In 1982 won nine Oscars in the film "Gandhi". For the television series "the West Wing-all the President's men," Sheen-who plays the President of the United States of America-is nominated for six nominations for the Emmy Awards "as the best main interpreter. Also gets two SAG Awards and a Golden Globe for her film career.
Among the many films that participated we remember some of the most rewarded: "Wall Street" (1987, Oliver Stone) in which one of the protagonists, as well as Michael Douglas, there is Charlie Sheen's son; "JFK-a case still open" (1991, Oliver Stone), "the President-a love story" (1995, by Rob Reiner); "Try to get me" (2002, by Steven Spielberg, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks and Christopher Walken); "The Departed-the good and the bad" (2006, directed by Martin Scorsese, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson).
Some nod to the actor's private life: in 1961 Sheen marries Janet Templeton. The couple gives birth to four children, all entered into the world of film and entertainment: in addition to the aforementioned Charlie Sheen, there are even Emilio Estevez, Ramon Estevez and Renée Estevez.
In an interview, at the age of 65 years, the actor has revealed his desire to continue University studies not completed during his youth, to chase the dream of becoming an actor.
Another great passion of Martin Sheen is politics. With liberal activist, Sheen is fighting vehemently against the death penalty, abortion and war. In 2004 the sided election campaign of Howard Dean, the Democratic candidate. After a short time supports John Kerry. In 2006, the New York Times, appears an article in which it is stated that Martin Sheen was chosen as Senate candidate from the Democratic Party. But the actor refuses, citing the reasons not to meet the requirements for doing so. The year before Sheen asks to be received by the then us President George w. Bush to express his dissent to war convinced in Iraq.
Among his most recent works include "The Double-double identity," released in March 20The protagonist of the film (a thriller) is Richard Gere, while Sheen plays the role of head of the CIA, Tom Higland. The Martin Sheen's next film out in theaters is "The Amazing Spider-Man" where will play Uncle Peter.

Biography of Clifford d. Simak

Till the end of time
Leo August 3, 1904
April 25, 1988
Mystic, moralist and Clifford Donald Simak is the greatest exponent of that particular type American Sci-Fi can be identified as "pastoral" because rooted in love for the land and the countryside. Born on August 3, 1904 in Millville, Wisconsin rural, by father immigrated to Bohemia and American mother, he spent all his youth there: the rural landscapes of his paternal grandfather's farm will return frequently in bucolic settings and in rural characters of his novels.
As Fritz Leiber and Ray Bradbury, Simak systematically ignores or speculative scientific implications of science fiction, to devote himself to his characters, their feelings, their confront reality larger than them, investigating more willingly their personal universe that what's around them. Though sensitive to fashions, Simak has touched in his fiction the classic themes of science fiction: the alien invasion at that time travel, up to Lycanthropy, metamorphosis, paranormalità and occultism.
But the professional vocation manifested at an early age is for journalism, so much so that twenty-five years is former editor of a local newspaper in Michigan. Passion never exhausted since, despite the literary successes and translated books in the world, from 1949 until his retirement will work stably for "Minneapolis Star".
Science fiction fever hits him since childhood, erupted with virulence after leafing through the pages of the legendary magazine "Amazing Stories". His first story, "The Cubes of Ganymede" was however rejected by the magazine and will never be published.
His first work to have the honor of prints is "the world of the Red Sun" (on the equally legendary "Wonder Stories"), a tale heavily influenced by the standards of the time, still flattened on the taste of prose published by popular magazines. Much more personal and original style and the theme will be "the creator", which appears in 1935 to "Marvel Tales".
After a period away from sci-fi Simak begins in 1944 publication of the series of stories that will be then gathered in a volume that will give life to his masterpiece: "City" (appeared in Italy with the title of "Years"). These stories all appeared on "Astounding" between 1944 and 1947, except one, "The trouble with ants", rejected by tetragono Campbell, Chief of the magazine, and set aside for later appear on "Adventure" in 1951.
After all, his relationship with John w. Campbell were not idyllic. The writer was more unnerved by the fact that Campbell would respond to submissions with more than letters of rejection were mainly short essays on the work.
However a final tale entitled "Epilog", appeared in 1973 on "Astounding: The John w. Campbell Memorial Anthology" and then was added to the book.
"City" is a beautiful novel about the end of man, speaks of a wasteland and repopulated by ants technology, while the memory of what happened is preserved by dogs who bought not only the word but also a higher than human ethics: is the projection into a future impossible just to think, a time when realistically you admit the demise of the human species but without catastrofismi with humour and melancholy irony.
Simak contributed to the success of the new magazine "Galaxy" by Horace Gold, especially with the publication in installments of "beyond the invisible", an intricate temporal story where a man fighting for the rights of androids.
Clifford d. Simak disappeared on April 25, 1988 at the age of 83 years, at the Riverside Medical Center in Minneapolis.
Isaac Asimov said of him: "it is one of three people to whom I owe my education and career as a writer. I have to thank John Campbell and Fred Pohl of obligation, and Cliff Simak for his example ".

Biography of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

Radiography of repression
Sagittarius December 11, 1918
August 3, 2008
Alexander Isaevic Solzhenitsyn was born in Kislovodsk (Russia) the December 11, 1918, from a fairly wealthy family. His father died a few months before his birth in a hunting accident, his mother moved with Cub in Rostov-on-Don. In 1924, because of the expropriation order from the regime, the two are in misery. Nevertheless, Alexander continues his studies and major in mathematics in 19In the same year he enlisted as a volunteer in the Red Army and sent to the Western front. Receives even an award.
But in February 1945, because of a letter (caught) in which strongly criticises Stalin, is arrested, transferred to the Moscow Lubyanka Prison, sentenced to eight years in a concentration camp and to confinement for life. Solzhenitsyn's pilgrimage begins from a camp to another. In 1953, the house arrest of Kok-Terek, in Kazakhstan, is allowed to work as a teacher. In the meantime, collects a huge amount of notes about the horrors of the camps, and he meditated on the reasons of intrinsic life of man and his profound moral value.
In 1961 the magazine Novy Mir published "one day of Ivan Denissovic," the first masterpiece of the writer. The novel is a terrible indictment of the Stalinist lager and against all those who want to stifle the freedom of man. In recounting the day "type" of deported (in this case, in fact, the emblematic Ivan Denissovic), Solzhenitsyn gives a realistic image, although very raw, Siberian concentration camp, where every man's life was put into play and where he was not only physical existence to be a prisoner, but they are also the thoughts and feelings to be conditioned. With this book, destined to great fame, was born in fact Solzhenitsyn "case". From now on the events that affect him and his works will be closely related.
After another two key novels ("Cancer Division" and "the Gulag Archipelago"), begins the fight against the writer. Awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 1970, was expelled from Russia in 1974 and only then travels to Stockholm, where a memorable speech pronunciation. It claims to speak not for himself but for the millions of people destroyed in the sadly famous Soviet Gulag.
With his second wife, whom he married in 1973, and three children from her, had settled in America, back to his homeland in 1994 with plane landing in Kolyma, symbol of Stalinist concentration camps, and to return to Moscow to Vladivostok by train, through the immense Russian landa.
Until 2000, despite the wariness with which his compatriots have continued to treat him, Alexander Solzhenitsyn has reconciled with his beloved country, which has long been persecuted as dissident, met with President Vladimir Putin.
Literary critic Anthony Davis wrote in letters of fire final words on Russian writer and its role in the twentieth century: "the importance (but the word is inadequate) of Solzhenitsyn, not for the history of literature but for that of the world, is immense. It is often said, and with some reason, that was Karol Wojtyla to bring down the Berlin wall. With many more reasons it must be said that it was the Russian writer almost single-handedly shot down the real socialism and even the philosophy from which it drew inspiration. A ' titanic undertaking. You have wondered at some time in your life to serving literature. Behold, the literature on some occasions can serve this, knocking down a regime, fold an empire. And it is not an exaggeration. Just think of the life of Solzhenitsyn, even before reading his work, just look at his books, put on a table as the models for a still life, to understand what just happened. Solzhenitsyn is a force (as we say in physics but also in SF movies of Lucas). Remember the guy in Tiananmen Square in front of the tank? Solzhenitsyn is a bit like him, adding that the tank disassembled with bare hands (there are more than bare hands of a writer?). Though Solzhenitsyn is not known as it should be known (in Italy) ". An incentive to read the lyrics of this great intellectual.
Alexander Isaevich Solzhenitsyn, died of heart failure at the age of 89 years, on the evening of August 3, 2008.