Attilio Bertolucci (18 November 1911 – 14 June 2000) was an Italian poet and writer. He was father to film directors Bernardo and

Giuseppe Bertolucci Giuseppe Bertolucci (27 February 1947 – 16 June 2012) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. He directed 26 films between 1972 and 2012. He was the younger brother of Bernardo Bertolucci. Selected filmography * '' Berlinguer, I Lo ...

Biography

Bertolucci was born at San Lazzaro ( province of Parma), to a family of agricultural bourgeoisie. He began to write poems very early. In 1928 he collaborated with the ''Gazzetta di Parma'', where his friend

Cesare Zavattini Cesare Zavattini (20 September 1902 – 13 October 1989) was an Italian screenwriter and one of the first theorists and proponents of the Neorealist movement in Italian cinema. Biography Born in Luzzara near Reggio Emilia in northern Italy, ...

was editor-in-chief. The following year Bertolucci published his first poetical collection, ''Sirio''. In 1931 he started studying law at the

University of Parma The University of Parma ( it, Università degli Studi di Parma, UNIPR) is a public university in Parma, Emilia-Romagna, Italy. It is organised in nine departments. As of 2016 the University of Parma has about 26,000 students. History During the ...

, which however he left soon afterwards in favour of artistic and literary studies. In the following year his work ''Fuochi di Novembre'' gained him the praise of Italian poets such as

Eugenio Montale Eugenio Montale (; 12 October 1896 – 12 September 1981) was an Italian poet, prose writer, editor and translator, and recipient of the 1975 Nobel Prize in Literature. Life and works Early years Montale was born in Genoa. His family were che ...

. In 1951 he moved to

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

. His marriage to Ninetta Giovanardi had given him two sons, Bernardo (1941–2018) and

Giuseppe Giuseppe is the Italian form of the given name Joseph, from Latin Iōsēphus from Ancient Greek Ἰωσήφ (Iōsḗph), from Hebrew יוסף. It is the most common name in Italy and is unique (97%) to it. The feminine form of the name is Giuse ...

(1947–2012), both future film directors. In 1951 he also published ''La capanna indiana'' and won the

Viareggio Prize The Viareggio Prize ( it, Premio Viareggio, italic=no or ) is an Italian literary prize, first awarded in 1930. Named after the Tuscan city of Viareggio, it was conceived by three friends, , Carlo Salsa and Leonida Rèpaci, to rival the Milanes ...

for literature. In this period he cemented a friendship with

Pier Paolo Pasolini Pier Paolo Pasolini (; 5 March 1922 – 2 November 1975) was an Italian poet, filmmaker, writer and intellectual who also distinguished himself as a journalist, novelist, translator, playwright, visual artist and actor. He is considered one of ...

. ''Viaggio d'inverno'' ("Winter Voyage") of 1971 is one of Bertolucci's finest works. This work saw a noteworthy change of style in Bertolucci's poetry: while the first works were, according to Franco Fortini, characterized by "the choice of a humble language for pastoral situations", ''Viaggio d'inverno'' was more complex and was marked by an unsureness of feelings. From 1975, together with

Enzo Siciliano Enzo Siciliano (27 May 1934 – 9 June 2006) was an Italian writer, playwright, literary critic and intellectual. Siciliano was born in Rome. He was collaborator of Alberto Moravia, Pier Paolo Pasolini, Elsa Morante and many other famous w ...

and

Alberto Moravia Alberto Moravia ( , ; born Alberto Pincherle ; 28 November 1907 – 26 September 1990) was an Italian novelist and journalist. His novels explored matters of modern sexuality, social alienation and existentialism. Moravia is best known for his de ...

, he directed the literary review ''

Nuovi Argomenti ''Nuovi Argomenti'' is an Italian literary magazine which was started in 1953 in Rome. History and profile ''Nuovi Argomenti'' was founded by Alberto Carrocci and Alberto Moravia in Rome in 1953. Soon they were joined by Pier Paolo Pasolini. He ...

''. He won another Viareggio Prize for the narrative poem ''Camera da letto'' (1984–1988). His last work was ''La lucertola di Casarola'' (1997), a collection of works from his youth and other unpublished poems. Bertolucci died in Rome in 2000. Selections of his poetry has been translated into English by

Charles Tomlinson Alfred Charles Tomlinson, CBE (8 January 1927 – 22 August 2015) was an English poet, translator, academic, and illustrator. He was born in Penkhull, and grew up in Basford, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire. Life After attending Longton High Sc ...

and

Allen Prowle Allen, Allen's or Allens may refer to: Buildings * Allen Arena, an indoor arena at Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee * Allen Center, a skyscraper complex in downtown Houston, Texas * Allen Fieldhouse, an indoor sports arena on the Univer ...

Bibliography

*''Sirio'' (1929) *''Fuochi di novembre'' (1932) *''La capanna indiana'' (1951) *''The bedroom'' (''La camera da letto'', 1988, English translation by Luigi Bonaffini); *''Viaggio d'inverno'' (1971) *''La camera da letto'' (2 vols., 1984–1988, poem-novel) *''Aritmie'' (1991, essays) *''Verso le sorgenti del cinghio'' (1993) *''Una lunga amicizia'' (1994, letters) *''La lucertola di Casarola'' (1997) *"Sunshine and Shadows" (2010, English translations by Allen Prowle)

Honour

* : Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (2 may 1996)

References

External links

Two poems by Attilio Bertolucci
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bertolucci, Attilio 1911 births 2000 deaths University of Parma alumni Writers from the Province of Parma Italian male poets 20th-century Italian poets 20th-century Italian male writers Knights Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic