Vitaliano Brancati
Vitaliano Brancati was an influential Italian novelist born in 1907 in Pachino, Sicily, and raised primarily in Catania. After earning a degree in literature from the University of Catania in 1929, he embarked on a career that included writing plays and teaching literature to support himself. Notably, Brancati is recognized for his transition from an early alignment with Fascism, as seen in his initial works and contributions to the magazine Critica Fascista, to a prominent anti-Fascist stance later in life. This shift, influenced by the anti-Fascist writer Giuseppe Borgese, positioned Brancati as a critical voice against the repressive regime, earning him significant acclaim for his satirical takes on Sicilian society. He also collaborated with peers to launch the literary review Ebe, further establishing his literary presence. Although often regarded as a moralist, his later work, including the posthumously published "Paolo il caldo," showcases his evolving stylistic abilities. Brancati passed away in 1954 in Turin due to complications from a routine surgery. He is remembered both for his literary contributions and his critical engagement with the socio-political landscape of his time.
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Subject Terms
Vitaliano Brancati
Fiction Writer, Poet and Playwright
- Born: July 24, 1907
- Birthplace: Pachino, Sicily, Italy
- Died: September 25, 1954
- Place of death: Turin, Italy
Biography
The novelist Vitaliano Brancati was born in Pachino, part of Syracuse Province in Sicily, in 1907, but spent most of his youth and adolescence residing in Catania. Having graduated from the University of Catania with a degree in literature in 1929, Brancati wrote numerous plays, many of which he saw performed at the onset of his career. Although a writer predominantly, Brancati also taught literature at the Istituto Magistrale to increase his income.
Brancati is best known for his anti-Fascist novels, which are somewhat of an oddity considering that he was a member of the Association of Fascist Writers in 1937, yet many of his subsequent works are humiliating satires of manipulative Fascism. His conversion to anti-Fascism was drastic since Brancati’s early works, including the playsFedor (1928) and Piave (1932), as well as his writings for the magazine Critica Fascista, revealed an enthusiasm for Fascism. However, the counsel of anti-Fascist Giuseppe Borgese swayed the young writer to oppose the repressive party.
When his views split from Fascism, Brancati grew out of favor with the domineering Italian government, but he received widespread international acclaim as a keen critic of contemporary Sicilian society. Brancati also branched out with his close colleagues and with them launched a literary review, Ebe. Literary historians recognize him mostly as a moralist, but the posthumous publication ofPaolo il caldo(1955; Paolo the hot) indicates that he had been developing as a stylist as well.
Brancati exchanged vows with Anna Brancati in 1946. She became the mother of his only child, Antonia, who was born in 1947. In 1954, Brancati succumbed in Turin, Italy, to heart failure resulting from what should have been a routine operation for the removal of a cyst.