Paolo Volponi
Paolo Volponi was an influential Italian writer and poet, born on February 6, 1924, in Urbino, Italy. He grew up in a family involved in the terra-cotta business and spent part of his childhood in rural Fronton, experiences that later informed his literary work. Volponi earned a law degree from the University of Urbino, but his studies were interrupted by his participation in the resistance against German occupation during World War II. He published his first poetry collection, "Il ramarro," in 1948 and later became known for his novels, including "Memoriale," which explores themes of postwar trauma through its main character, Albino Sluggia.
Throughout his career, Volponi worked in various roles, including as a social services consultant at Olivetti and later for Fiat. He was actively involved in politics, serving as an independent senator with Communist Party support from 1983 to 1992. Recognized for his literary contributions, Volponi was the first writer to win the prestigious Premia Strega award twice, for "La macchina mondiale" and "La strada per Roma." His poetry was characterized by concise rhythms and vivid imagery of northern Italy's landscapes. Volponi also had a brief career in film and was an avid art collector. He passed away on August 23, 1994, in Ancona, Italy, leaving behind a legacy that includes a literary prize named in his honor.
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Paolo Volponi
Fiction Writer
- Born: February 6, 1924
- Birthplace: Urbino, Italy
- Died: August 23, 1994
- Place of death: Ancona, Italy
Biography
Paolo Volponi was born in Urbino in northern Italy on February 6, 1924, and attended the Sanzio grammar school there. His father ran a plant that baked terra-cotta, and his mother was the daughter of a minor landowner. He also spent time at his maternal grandparents’ home in rural Fronton. Volponi used his youth as a source for his novel La strada per Roma (the road for Rome).
From 1943 to 1947, he attended the University of Urbino, where he earned a law degree. His studies were interrupted when he fought in the resistance against the German occupation during the winter of 1944 to 1945. In 1948, his first book of poetry, Il ramarro, came out.
From 1950 to 1971, he worked for Adrian Olivetti, who was the head of the company his father founded, as a social services consultant and director of business reports. In 1956, he moved to Ivrea in Piedmont. In 1959, he married Giovina Janello. They had two children, Caterina (1959) and Roberto (1962).
From 1971 to 1975, he worked for Fiat in Turin. In 1975, the family moved to Milan. In 1983, Volponi was elected to the Italian Senate as an independent backed by the Communist Party and served until 1992, when his health began to decline. The family then returned to Urbino, where Volponi lived for the rest of his life.
During the late 1950’s, Volponi was associated with Officina, an avant-garde literary journal, and he helped found the journal Alfabeta in 1979. The main character of his first novel Memoriale is Albino Sluggia, a survivor of a German concentration camp who is suffering from tuberculosis and paranoia and whose first postwar job is in a factory.
Volponi was the first person to win Italy’s most prestigious literary prize, the Premia Strega award, twice, first for La macchina mondiale (The Worldwide Machine) and later for La strada per Roma. The protagonist of La macchina mondiale neglects his farm while he tries to become an inventor.
Volponi also won the Viareggio Prize for his poetry in 1960 and the Raffaello prize in 1993. His poetry was noted for its dry, short rhythms and for its many references to the mountain landscapes of northern Italy. Besides writing and political activity, Volponi acted in two films, Mamma Roma, in which he portrayed a priest, and Due pezzi di pane. He was a prominent collector of art. He died in a hospital in Ancona, Italy, on August 23, 1994. Volponi had suffered from liver and heart problems for years. An Italian literary prize was named after him.