Giovanni Macchia (14 November 1912 – 30 September 2001) was an Italian literary critic and essayist.
Born in
Trani, the son of a magistrate, Macchia moved with his family to Rome in 1923, where, in 1934, he graduated in letters and philosophy with a thesis on
Charles Baudelaire
Charles Pierre Baudelaire (, ; ; 9 April 1821 – 31 August 1867) was a French poet, essayist, translator and art critic. His poems are described as exhibiting mastery of rhythm and rhyme, containing an exoticism inherited from the Romantics ...
as a critic, a topic which was later one of his main subject of studies. He attended master classes at the
Collège de France and at
La Sorbonne.
[ Enrico Guaraldo (2006).]
Macchia, Giovanni
. '' Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani - - Volume 67''. Treccani.
Starting from 1938, he was a lecturer of French letters and literature at the
University of Pisa, at the
University of Catania and at
La Sapienza in Rome, where he also founded and directed the Institute of history of the theatre and performing arts.
His essay about
Marcel Proust,'' L'angelo della notte'', got him a
Bagutta Prize in 1979. Other main subjects of his analysis include the European theatre, the
French moralists, and the
Age of Enlightenment
The Age of Enlightenment (also the Age of Reason and the Enlightenment) was a Europe, European Intellect, intellectual and Philosophy, philosophical movement active from the late 17th to early 19th century. Chiefly valuing knowledge gained th ...
.
[Serenella Rolfi (1993).]
Macchia, Giovanni
. '' Enciclopedia Italiana - V Appendice''. Treccani.
A member of the
Accademia dei Lincei since 1962, he was awarded the
Legion of Honor in 1990. In 1992, he received a
Balzan Prize.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Macchia, Giovanni
1912 births
2001 deaths
People from Trani
Italian literary critics
Recipients of the Legion of Honour
Sapienza University of Rome alumni
Academic staff of the Sapienza University of Rome
Academic staff of the University of Pisa
Academic staff of the University of Catania