ALFANI, AUGUSTO. - Academician of the Crusca, philosopher and educationist, b. in Florence on 17 Nov. 1844, d. there in 1923. A teacher of philosophy, he followed the somewhat eclectic spiritualist current of Augusto Conti; he cooperated effectively in the compilation of the Crusca vocabulary; he wrote on philology, philosophy, politics and history; but he placed his best work in the education of childhood and youth, making use of his culture and his easy narrative vein to enlighten and stimulate them to study, to duty, to love of country, family and religion, following the example of our great men, especially Dante and Manzoni.
For children he wrote several recreational tales: Dal vero, In casa e fuori, Ernestino e il suo nonno (conversations of a fresh and gentle morality), La Vespa (a most original autobiography of a little dog), Re Moro (autobiography of a horse), and moralizing little works, rich in good advice: Lavori e Arnesi, Dialoghi; I tre amori del cittadino: la Casa, la Patria e il Lavoro. With the two periodicals La Scuola and Lettere di famiglia he vigorously continued a lively battle for the formation of Italians against the invading materialist spirit. But his fame as an educational writer is linked above all to: Il carattere degli Italiani, effective and well-judged rules for the formation of an upright and firm character; and to Battaglie e Vittorie, where he reviews (continuing the example of M. Lessona in Volere è potere) the various industries, illustrating them with distinguished figures of Italians who excelled in them.
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