Giovanni Meli (4 March 1740 – 20 December 1815) was an

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

poet. Meli was born in Palermo. , after studying philosophy and

medicine Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care pr ...

he worked as a doctor in

Cinisi Cinisi (; scn, Cìnisi ) is a town and a '' comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Palermo in Sicily. As of 1 January 2022 it has a population of 11.846. Geography The town is part of the Palermo metropolitan area, borders with the municipaliti ...

in the

province of Palermo The Province of Palermo ( it, provincia di Palermo; Sicilian: ''pruvincia di Palermu'') was a province in the autonomous region of Sicily, a major island in Southern Italy. Its capital was the city of Palermo. On 4 August 2015, it was replaced ...

. It was during this early period of his life that he discovered the bucolic poets and the poetic value of his native Sicilian language, which he used thereafter in all of his literary works.

Works

His first published piece, ''La Bucolica'' (1766-1772), was inspired by ''Arcadia'' by

Jacopo Sannazaro Jacopo Sannazaro (; 28 July 1458 – 6 August 1530) was an Italian poet, humanist and epigrammist from Naples. He wrote easily in Latin, in Italian and in Neapolitan, but is best remembered for his humanist classic '' Arcadia'', a masterwor ...

. It was written while he was still working as a doctor in

. He returned to Palermo soon after, already widely known as a scientist and poet. He dedicated the rest of his life to both collecting works of Sicilian poetry, but most importantly, writing and publishing his own works. His ''Poesi siciliani'' in five volumes was published in 1787, and an edition in six volumes was published in 1814. Besides ''La bucolica'', these collections also contain examples of his satirical verse, such as: ''La fata galanti'' (The courteous fairy, 1762); ''Don Chisciotti e Sanciu Panza'' (''Don Quixote and Sancho Panza'', 1785-1787, a parody inspired by

Miguel de Cervantes Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (; 29 September 1547 (assumed) – 22 April 1616 NS) was an Early Modern Spanish writer widely regarded as the greatest writer in the Spanish language and one of the world's pre-eminent novelists. He is best kno ...

' ''

Don Quixote is a Spanish epic novel by Miguel de Cervantes. Originally published in two parts, in 1605 and 1615, its full title is ''The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha'' or, in Spanish, (changing in Part 2 to ). A founding work of West ...

''); ''Favuli murali'' (moral fables, 1810-1814; ''Origini dû munnu'' (the origin of the world, 1768); ''Elegii'' (elegies) e ''Canzunetti'' (little songs).

Achievements

On the tondello (made in gold - unique example -, in silver and in bronze) the face of the poet with a graduate head is depicted on the obverse, while on the reverse the Meli is consecrated as the new "Sicilian Anacreon". The only example in gold was delivered to Meli, together with an autograph letter sent on August 12 from Naples by Prince Leopold himself, composed as follows: " ''Abate Meli you liked to associate mine with your great name, dedicating your immortal poems to me, and you did it with so much spirit and with so much heart, that I would not be able to show you my liking enough: I should be showing you my particular esteem for your poetic talents and for your valuable personal qualities. I prefer to unite my desires with those of all the good ones, so that you may live long in virtue, and of the Letters of which you are the delight and the adornment.'' ''Apollo was the father of Aesculapius , and it is perhaps for this reason that you are just as good a doctor, and therefore everyone must have a new interest in your prosperity. I have procured to eternalize my admiration for you, by having a Medal coined in your honor, like one in gold for you, and others in silver and bronze for your friends, and with these the assurances of my particular consideration'' ”.

Example

''Don Chisciotti e Sanciu Panza'' (Cantu quintu)

(~1790)

References

* Accessed May 17, 2007 1740 births 1815 deaths Writers from Palermo Sicilian-language poets Burials at San Domenico, Palermo {{Sicily-stub