Carlo Betocchi
Carlo Betocchi was an Italian poet and writer born on January 23, 1899, in Turin, Italy. Raised in a modest and religious household in Florence after the death of his father, Betocchi's upbringing significantly shaped his literary themes, emphasizing spirituality and personal reflection. He began writing during his secondary education and married at fourteen, eventually having two children. Betocchi served as an officer in World War I and later worked in construction for thirty years, where he found a spiritual connection through physical labor. His literary career took off in the 1920s with the founding of literary magazines, leading to the publication of several poetry collections. He also held a teaching position in literature and continued to write until his retirement in 1969. Betocchi's works are celebrated for their deep connection to Italian culture and Catholicism, and he remained a respected figure in the literary community until his death on May 25, 1986, at the age of eighty-seven.
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Subject Terms
Carlo Betocchi
Poet
- Born: January 23, 1899
- Birthplace: Turin, Italy
- Died: May 25, 1986
- Place of death: Bordighera, Imperia, Italy
Biography
Carlo Betocchi was born on January 23, 1899, in Turin, Italy, to railroad technician Alessandro Betocchi and mother Ernesta Ermini Betocchi. Betocchi was influenced by his father, and the young man became interested in the “practical attitudes of the technical field,” which he cleverly connected with the “humanistic delights of belles letters.”
When he was seven, Betocchi moved with his family to Florence, where he would spend most of his life. He was raised by his mother after his father died. The family was poor and suffered often, though by all accounts still managed to keep a “happy and harmonious” home. Betocchi’s mother was a deeply religious woman, and her influence is evident in the poet’s later themes of devotion and spirituality and in his personal goals of “understanding and self- abnegation.” During his secondary-school education, Betocchi began writing, a practice that would also endure for the rest of his life and may also have provided a much-needed outlet for reflection on his the harsh conditions in which he lived.
At fourteen, Betocchi married. On November 27, 1913, he and Emilia de Palma wed, and they later had two children, Marcello and Sylvia. Two years later, he graduated from his studies in surveying with a diploma from the Istituto Technico Galilei; two years after that, in 1917, he was drafted into the army, where he served as an officer and fought in World War I. By December of 1918, Betocchi had volunteered to go to Cyrenaica, Libya, and he served there until April of 1920.
When he finished his service, Betocchi began work in construction, a field in which he once again endured challenging, heavy work. Again, though, he adopted a light attitude and was friendly toward coworkers. He was fascinated by the experience of working with his hands in the rugged earth, and found it to be a spiritual release from the grueling weather, conditions, and work. Betocchi loved his work, and he remained in construction for thirty years. He continued to read, though and studied Italian literature of the Renaissance and the Middle Ages and the poetry of many cultures and periods.
In 1923, he joined former schoolmates in launching Calendario, and though the magazine folded a year later, Betocchi saw the occasion as an opportunity to begin a career in writing. By 1929, when he and the same friends would cofound Frontespizio, a literary review that would be a forerunning success for eleven years, the poet was hard at work, writing poetry and trying his hand at other genres. In 1932, he published his first collection, and in 1939, after being inducted as a chair in literature at Conservatorio Cherubini in Florence in 1938, he published his second.
He returned to construction work in 1945, and though he published his third book in 1947, he stayed on as a surveyor until poor health forced him to stop. His illness may have been a blessing in disguise; Betocchi went back to Florence and taught until 1969, when he retired from work altogether. He continued to write and edit, though, and felt his poetry was inspired by Italy and by Catholicism. His work has remained popular and has received several awards. Betocchi died at the age of eighty-seven on May 25, 1986.