Pier Antonio Quarantotti Gambini: A Literary Life Between Istria and Exile
Pier Antonio Quarantotti Gambini (1910–1965), an Italian author of Istrian descent, gained recognition from Eugenio Montale in 1932. He was born into an aristocratic family and spent his formative years in Semedella, later studying law in Milan. His debut novel, La rosa rossa, was released in 1937, and he worked for the shipping firm Italia in Genoa. After the release of Le trincee in 1942, he took on the role of director at the Hortis civic library in Trieste. His diary, Primavera a Trieste, chronicles his life during the Yugoslav occupation in 1945. In Venice, he led Radio Venezia Giulia and published L'onda dell'incrociatore (1947), which earned him the Bagutta Prize. He passed away on April 22, 1965, with his selected works published in 2015.
Key facts
- Eugenio Montale reviewed Quarantotti Gambini's early stories in Pegaso in 1932.
- Quarantotti Gambini was born in 1910 and died in 1965.
- He was of noble Istrian origin, son of Giovanni and Fides Histriae Gambini.
- He was friends with Umberto Saba and Giani Stuparich.
- He published La rosa rossa in 1937 and graduated from the University of Turin the same year.
- He became director of the Hortis civic library in Trieste in 1942.
- His diary Primavera a Trieste covers the 1945 Yugoslav occupation of Trieste.
- L'onda dell'incrociatore won the Bagutta Prize in 1948.
- The film adaptation Il risveglio dell'istinto (1960) was directed by Roger Debelmas.
- La calda vita (1958) was adapted into a 1964 film by Florestano Vancini.
- He died of a heart attack on April 22, 1965.
- Opere Scelte, edited by Mauro Covacich, was published by Bompiani in 2015.
Entities
Artists
- Pier Antonio Quarantotti Gambini
- Eugenio Montale
- Umberto Saba
- Giani Stuparich
- Italo Svevo
- Giulio Einaudi
- Roger Debelmas
- Dalida
- Florestano Vancini
- Mauro Covacich
- Ludovico Pratesi
Institutions
- Pegaso
- L'Italia Letteraria
- La Stampa
- Università di Torino
- Italia (shipping company)
- Einaudi
- Biblioteca civica Hortis
- Radio Venezia Giulia
- Rai
- Bompiani
- Artribune
Locations
- Istria
- Capodistria
- Semedella
- Trieste
- Milan
- Turin
- Genoa
- Udine
- Venice
- Poland