Alfonso Gatto
| Alfonso Gatto | |
|---|---|
| Born |
17 July 1909 Salerno, Italy |
| Died | 6 March 1976 (aged 66) Orbetello, Italy |
| Occupation | Poet, writer, art critic, painter, and editor of literary journals |
| Nationality | Italian |
| Period | 1932–1974 |
| Genre | Poetry, theatre, fiction, essay |
| Subject | Love, emotional conflict, political engagement |
| Literary movement | Hermeticism (poetry) |
| Notable awards | Bagutta Prize (1955), Viareggio Prize (1966) |
| Spouse | Jole (eloped) |
Alfonso Gatto (17 July 1909 – 6 March 1976) was an Italian author. Along with Giuseppe Ungaretti and Eugenio Montale, he is one of the foremost Italian poets of the 20th century and a major exponent of hermetic poetry.
Gatto had a difficult childhood, studied at the Salerno classic lycaeum where he discovered his passion for poetry and literature. In 1926 he attended the University of Naples Federico II, but he had to discontinue his studies due to financial problems. Like many Italian poets of his age, such as Eugenio Montale and Salvatore Quasimodo, he never graduated.
Gatto fell in love with the daughter of his maths teacher, Jole, and being only 21 he eloped with her to Milan. From that moment his life became quite restless and adventurous, with many changes of residence and employment: he was first a bookshop assistant, a college instructor, a proofreader, a journalist, a teacher. In 1936, because of his open anti-fascist activism, he was arrested and jailed at the San Vittore prison in Milan.
During those years, Gatto had been a contributor to various innovative journals and magazines of the Italian literary culture. In 1938 he founded the magazine Campo di Marte together with writer Vasco Pratolini and commissioned by Italian publisher Vallecchi, but it only lasted a year. It was however a significant experience for Gatto, who was able to enter the leading literary circles.
"" had been created as a fortnightly magazine (first issued on 1 August 1938) and with the specific remit of educating the public in the artistic and literary production of all genres. The magazine was directly connected with the so-called Florentine Hermeticism.
...
Wikipedia