Mario Luzi
Mario Luzi was an influential Italian poet and educator, born on October 20, 1914, in Castello, near Florence. He began writing poetry at a young age and published his first collection, *La barca*, while still a university student. Luzi graduated in 1936 with a degree in French literature and was notably influenced by literary figures such as Dante, Proust, and Joyce. His work, particularly during Italy's Fascist period, aligned him with the hermetic movement, though he distinguished his approach by viewing poetry as a profound philosophical exploration rather than an escape from reality.
Throughout his career, Luzi faced challenges as the postwar literary climate often contrasted with his poetic vision. He taught at various institutions, including the University of Urbino, and authored numerous poetry collections. His contributions earned him several prestigious awards, including the Premio Marzotto and the Viareggio prize. In addition to his literary accomplishments, Luzi was recognized by Pope John Paul II and appointed a life senator in 2004. Despite multiple nominations for the Nobel Prize for Literature, he did not receive the award but remains regarded as one of the prominent Italian poets of the twentieth century.
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Mario Luzi
Poet
- Born: October 20, 1914
- Birthplace: Castello, near Florence, Italy
- Died: February 25, 2005
- Place of death: Florence, Italy
Biography
Mario Luzi was born in Castello, near Florence, Italy, on October 20, 1914. His father, Ciro Luzi, was the station master at Castello and his mother, Margherita Papini Luzi, was a Catholic of intense faith. Mario Luzi was educated at schools in Florence and Siena, and he produced his first poem at the age of nine.
Luzi published his first collection of poetry, La barca, while still a student at the University of Florence. In 1936, he graduated with a degree in French literature. His thesis on François Mauriac, published two years later with the title L’Opium chrétien (Christian opium), reflects the philosophical influence of his early study of Dante, Marcel Proust, and James Joyce.
During the Fascist domination of Italy, Florence served as an oasis of cultural freedom. In this fertile environment, Luzi became a proponent of the hermetic movement, a kind of expressive writing from Florentine poets, and he collaborated on several journals. In 1940, he published his second volume of poetry, Avvento notturno (nocturnal advent). The book was hailed by many members of the hermetic movement as an exemplary image of their poetics. However, a fundamental difference exists between Luzi’s concept of poetry and that of the hermetics. Luzi never considered poetry an escape or evasion from reality, but rather a deep and intense philosophical search.
The literary climate in Italy during the postwar years, the period of neorealism, was hostile to Luzi’s poetry. For him, this was a time of meditation, studying, and reading. His literary interests shifted toward Anglo-Saxon culture and he became an educator. Between 1945 and 1955, Luzi taught in San Miniato and Parma, then in Rome at the Liceo Scientifico. Next, Luzi returned to Florence, where he joined the university faculty as a professor of French literature.
While he was teaching, Luzi published dozens of poetry collections. From 1962 to 1981, Luzi worked as a professor of comparative literature at the University of Urbino. He won the Premio Marzotto Narrative o Poesia in 1957 for his Onore del vero and the Premio Taormina in 1964 for Nel magma. Other honors included the 1953 Carducci prize, the 1971 Fiuggi prize, the 1978 Viareggio prize, the 1985 Mondello award, and the Librex Guggenheim in 1986. He was also commissioned by Pope John Paul II to write a piece about Easter in 1999, and in 2004 he was appointed a life senator. Luzi’s several nominations for the Nobel Prize for Literature, however, never resulted in his winning that award. Luzi is considered by many critics to be one of the most talented Italian poets of the twentieth century.