Italo Calvino

Italo Calvino, born in Cuba in 1923 to Italian parents who were botanists and academics, spent his formative years in Sanremo, Italy. His upbringing was marked by his parents' secular, freethinking, and politically progressive views, influencing his early intellectual development. Despite his father's scientific background, Calvino developed a strong inclination towards literature and storytelling, finding inspiration in adventure tales and American cinema. His education, which included exemptions from religious instruction due to his parents' beliefs, fostered a sense of tolerance for differing viewpoints.

Calvino's early life was shaped by World War II, during which he refused military service and joined the Italian Resistance. This experience, along with his later involvement with the Italian Communist Party and his work at the Einaudi publishing house, profoundly influenced his worldview and writing. His literary career, which began with short stories published in the post-war period, gained international recognition for its originality and intellectual depth, making him one of the most translated Italian writers of his time.

Born in Cuba in 1923, Italo Calvino's parents were both scientists: his father a tropical agronomist and botanist, and his mother a botanist and university professor. They were secular, pacifist, and held progressive political views, including elements of anarchism and Marxism. This background, devoid of religious dogma, led to Calvino's early education in secular institutions and fostered a lifelong tolerance for diverse opinions. The family returned to Italy, settling in Sanremo, where his father pioneered agricultural experiments. This environment, rich with nature and exotic fruits, significantly informed Calvino's early fiction, particularly the landscapes and natural elements that populate his stories. Despite his family's scientific leanings, Calvino was drawn to literature, finding early inspiration in adventure stories and a fascination with visual arts.

Calvino's university studies in agriculture were interrupted by World War II. Refusing military service, he went into hiding and eventually joined the Italian Resistance as part of a Communist brigade, adopting the nom de guerre "Santiago." This period of intense conflict and partisan activity deeply impacted him, reinforcing his commitment to left-wing political ideals. His parents faced severe repercussions for his refusal to serve, being held hostage by the Nazis. Following the war, Calvino settled in Turin, shifting his academic focus to the Arts and immersing himself in the post-war intellectual and political scene. His experiences during the war and his subsequent engagement with communism and the worker's movement provided a crucial backdrop for his literary endeavors.

After the war, Calvino began his literary career, with his short story "Andato al comando" published in the influential magazine Il Politecnico. He secured a position at the Einaudi publishing house, where he interacted with prominent intellectuals and writers. Calvino's literary output is characterized by its imaginative scope and intellectual rigor, often blending genres and exploring philosophical concepts. His best-known works, including the "Our Ancestors" trilogy, "Cosmicomics," "Invisible Cities," and "If on a winter's night a traveler," showcase his unique narrative style and his engagement with themes of reality, perception, and the nature of storytelling. At the time of his death in 1985, Calvino was recognized as the most translated contemporary Italian writer, admired internationally for his distinctive literary contributions.

“Calvino thought his name sounded "belligerently nationalist".”

“Calvino described his parents as being "very different in personality from one another"”

“he and Scalfari founded a university movement called the MUL.”

“she was an example of tenacity and courage… behaving with dignity and firmness before the SS and the Fascist militia, and in her long detention as a hostage, not least when the blackshirts three times pretended to shoot my father in front of her eyes. The historical events which mothers take part in acquire the greatness and invincibility of natural phenomena”

“describing Turin as a "city that is serious but sad".”