Giorgio Vigolo
Giorgio Vigolo was an Italian poet, critic, and novelist born on December 3, 1894, in Rome. Growing up in a musical family, with both parents as musicians, he was exposed to a rich cultural environment that fostered his love for literature, philosophy, and music. Vigolo published his first poetry collection, "La cittá dell'anima," in 1923, and he articulated his poetic philosophy in an essay titled "Della poesia come foundamenti," which, despite being written in 1929, was not published until 1962. His literary contributions include translations of Romantic poets such as Friedrich Hölderlin and E. T. A. Hoffmann, as well as a collection of music criticism released in 1971. Vigolo achieved significant acclaim later in life with works like "La fame degli ocche" and "Il canocchiale metafisico," both published in 1982. He passed away in January 1983, with posthumous publications continuing to highlight his legacy. Throughout his career, Vigolo received numerous awards, including the Cavaliere di Vittorio and various literary prizes, reflecting the impact of his work that often explored the interplay between the soul and reason, as well as fantasy and reality.
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Giorgio Vigolo
- Born: December 3, 1894
- Birthplace: Rome, Italy
- Died: January 1, 1983
- Place of death: Rome, Italy
Biography
Giorgio Vigolo was born December 3, 1894, in Rome, Italy. His parents, Umberto and Bettina Venturi Vigolo, were both musicians. His mother’s uncle, Pietro Venturi, was mayor of Rome. He received a humanistic education in music, literature, and philosophy and grew up reading the works of Arthur Rimbaud, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Friedrich von Schiller, and Immanuel Kant.
Vigolo’s first collection of poetry, La cittá dell’anima (the city of the soul), was published in 1923. He presented his own poetics in the essay, “Della poesia come foundamenti” (on poetry as foundation). Although the essay was written in 1929, it was not published until 1962. His translation of the Romantic poet Frederic Hölderlin appeared in 1958. Vigolo had earlier translated E. T. A. Hoffmann.
His music criticism was published in 1971 in the collection Mille e una sera all’opera e al concerto (a thousand and one evenings at the opera and concert). He earned much success late in his life when he published a collection of poetry, La fame degli ocche (the hunger of the eyes), a prose volume, Il canocchiale metafisico (the metaphysical telescope), and a novel, La Virgilia (Virgilia), in 1982. He died in January, 1983. La vita del beato Pirolèo (the life of the saintly Pirolèo) was published posthumously, in 1983.
Vigolo’s awards include the Cavaliere di Vittorio, the Merit of the Republic, and the Croix de Guerre. In addition, he is a recipient of the Marzotto, Bagutta, and Viareggio literary prizes. The publication career of Giorgio Vigolo spanned sixty years and includes poetry, literary criticism, music criticism, and fiction. His visionary work is noted for its tensions between the soul and reason, fantasy and reality.