Antonio Muscettola, Duke of Spezzano (25 January 1628 — 21 October 1679), was a

Neapolitan Neapolitan means of or pertaining to Naples, a city in Italy; or to: Geography and history * Province of Naples, a province in the Campania region of southern Italy that includes the city * Duchy of Naples, in existence during the Early and High ...

nobleman and writer.

Biography

Antonio Muscettola was born in Naples, of a noble family originally from

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

. He graduated in law from the

University of Naples The University of Naples Federico II (; , ) is a public university, public research university in Naples, Campania, Italy. Established in 1224 and named after its founder, Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, Frederick II, it is the oldest public, s ...

. Muscettola was a copious writer of lyrics, tragedies, prose discourses, and didactic verse letters. At the same time he held various public offices in the Kingdom of Naples. His youthful production included the

novel A novel is an extended work of narrative fiction usually written in prose and published as a book. The word derives from the for 'new', 'news', or 'short story (of something new)', itself from the , a singular noun use of the neuter plural of ...

''Armidauro'', the

tragicomedy Tragicomedy is a literary genre that blends aspects of both tragedy, tragic and comedy, comic forms. Most often seen in drama, dramatic literature, the term can describe either a tragic play which contains enough comic elements to lighten the ov ...

''La Stella'' (based on a Spanish play), the

librettos A libretto (From the Italian word , ) is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major l ...

for music ''Armida'' and ''Radamisto'' and satirical compositions: nothing of this first production survives, especially the satires, which the author himself destroyed. Back in Naples, he took part in the cultural life of the city. He collected the first compositions ready for printing in two volumes, the Poems and the dramatic novel ''La Rosminda'', both printed in Naples in 1659; the lyrics were reissued in Venice in 1661. His most known works are the tragedy ''La Belisa'' (Loano, Gio. Tommaso Rossi, 1664), the ''Prose'' (Piacenza, Gio. Bazacchi 1665) and the

hagiography A hagiography (; ) is a biography of a saint or an ecclesiastical leader, as well as, by extension, an adulatory and idealized biography of a preacher, priest, founder, saint, monk, nun or icon in any of the world's religions. Early Christian ...

''Vita di Santa Barbara vergine e martire.'' The second part of his Poems and the poetry collection ''Il gabinetto delle Muse'', inspired by Marino's ''Galeria'', were printed in 1669 by Zaccaria Conzatti, Venice. On 15 April 1660 he began a correspondence with

Angelico Aprosio Angelico Aprosio (born Ludovico Aprosio, 29 October 1607 – 23 February 1681) was an Italian Augustine monk, scholar, and bibliophile. Biography Aprosio was born into a wealthy family in Ventimiglia. As a young man he felt called to the reli ...

that lasted until his death. He also corresponded regularly with

Antonio Magliabechi Antonio di Marco Magliabechi (or Magliabecchi; 29 October 1633 - 4 July 1714) was an Italian librarian, scholar and bibliophile. Biography He was born at Florence, the son of a burgher named Marco Magliabechi, and Ginevra Baldorietta. His father ...

and was a friend of Lorenzo Crasso,

Lorenzo Magalotti Lorenzo Magalotti (24 October 1637 – 2 March 1712) was an Italian philosopher, author, diplomat and poet. Magalotti was born in Rome into an aristocratic family, the son of Ottavio Magalotti, Prefect of the Pontifical Mail: his uncle Lorenz ...

and Giuseppe Battista. In 1677 he published under the

pseudonym A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true meaning ( orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individual's o ...

of Costantino Vatelmo the

comedy Comedy is a genre of dramatic works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. Origins Comedy originated in ancient Greec ...

''Rosaura ovvero l’innamorata scaltra'' (Naples, Antonio Bulifon). His last work, the ''Epistole familiari'', was published in Naples in 1678. Muscettola died in Naples on October 21, 1679. Muscettola managed to imitate both Marino and Chiabrera, favouring a mild sententiousness founded on antithesis rather than extended metaphor. Many of his lyrics are included in

Benedetto Croce Benedetto Croce, ( , ; 25 February 1866 – 20 November 1952) was an Italian idealist philosopher, historian, and politician who wrote on numerous topics, including philosophy, history, historiography, and aesthetics. A Cultural liberalism, poli ...

's influential

anthology In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs, or related fiction/non-fiction excerpts by different authors. There are also thematic and g ...

of Baroque poetry.

Notes

Bibliography

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Muscettola, Antonio People from Naples 17th-century Neapolitan people 1628 births 1679 deaths Writers from the Kingdom of Naples 17th-century Italian poets 17th-century Italian male writers Italian Baroque writers Marinism