THOUAR, PIETRO. — Educator and writer, born in Florence on 23 October 1809; died there on 1 January 1861.
An undisciplined pupil, he worked as a proofreader, first for V. Battelli, then for G. Vieusseux; there he had the opportunity to acquire, on his own, a broad and varied culture. But it was R. Lambruschini who won him over to a constant apostolate on behalf of children: Lambruschini greatly praised the writings entrusted to him and wanted him as his collaborator on the periodical Guida dell’educatore. In 1841 he joined the Soprintendenza agli studi; in 1848 he became director of the Pia Casa di lavoro; in 1860, director of the first male teacher-training school established in Florence.
Having enrolled in « Giovane Italia », he devoted himself fully to the education of the people, following the Tuscan political movement. With the aim of replacing the rather insipid almanac Il Sesto Caio Baccelli, in 1832 he published Il Nipote di Sesto Caio Baccelli, more serious and better suited to educating the reader, which, after a struggling existence, ceased publication in 1848, as did his Giornale dei fanciulli. Works that achieved considerable success and remained in use for a long time and with considerable effectiveness in schools are the two popular tales Una madre and Le testitore, the Racconti storici, the Racconti per i fanciulli and the Racconti per i giovinetti; in these, the fluency and clarity of the language, the spontaneity of the narration, and the liveliness of feeling blend into a serene composure aimed at the slow and sure reform of character. He anticipates and paves the way for Collodi and De Amicis, but is unable to refrain from making the moral purpose too explicit and from an affected prolixity.