CARCANO, GIULIO. - Writer, b. in Milan on 7 Aug. 1812, d. on 29 Aug. at Lesa in 1884. Having graduated at Pavia, he took part in the political life of '48 as envoy to Paris of the Milanese provisional government to obtain military aid from France. With the ascendancy of the Austrians in Lombardy he was forced to remain in exile for two years.
His work as a writer belongs, in a minor key, to the Manzonian climate, like that of Tommaso Grossi, whose friend he was. In his four novels: Angiola Maria, Il manoscritto di un vice-curato, Damiano, Gabrio e Camilla the themes of homeland, family and religion predominate. In '47 he began a short poem: S. Paolo, to narrate the life of the Apostle; in '66 he dedicated to Manzoni, his intimate friend, Il Libro di Dio, which contains philosophical reflections, religious meditations and the paraphrase of two entire episodes of the Gospel. He also attempted versions of Holy Scripture in verse: Fiori biblici (Florence 1881). In opposition to the verist school of Guerrini and Praga, he confessed to having composed his short poems in verse: Dolinda di Montorfano, dedicated to Zanella, I fanciulli di Valmigana, Gli orfani to show how scenes of misery can be portrayed from life "without laying bare what there is of vice and baseness in life." Among his prose works mention should be made of the commemoration of Manzoni, and his correspondence: 1827-84. He was a good connoisseur of foreign literatures, especially of English literature; for about forty years he devoted himself to the translation of the works of Shakespeare (12 vols., Milan 1875-1882). The complete edition of the Opere, in 10 vols., was published in Milan (1892-96).
Bibliography
Giovanni Fallani