Giambattista Basile (Naples, 4 February 1583 (date of baptism)[1] – February 1632) was an Italian poet, courtier, and fairy tale collector. His collections include the oldest recorded forms of many well-known (and more obscure) European fairy tales.[2] He is chiefly remembered for writing the collection of Neapolitan fairy tales known as Il Pentamerone.
Born in Naples into a middle-class family, Basile was a soldier and courtier to various Italian princes, including the doge of Venice. In Venice he began to write poetry. Later he returned to Naples to serve as a courtier under the patronage of Don Marino II Caracciolo, prince of Avellino, to whom he dedicated his idyll L’Aretusa (1618). By the time of his death he had reached the rank of "Count" Conte di Torone.[3]
Basile's earliest known literary production is from 1604 in the form of a preface to the Vaiasseide of his friend the Neapolitan writer Giulio Cesare Cortese. The following year his villanellaSmorza crudel amore was set to music and in 1608 he published his poem Il Pianto della Vergine.
He is chiefly remembered for writing the collection of Neapolitan fairy tales titled Lo cunto de li cunti overo lo trattenemiento de peccerille (Neapolitan for "The Tale of Tales, or Entertainment for Little Ones"), also known as Il Pentamerone published posthumously in two volumes by his sister Adriana in Naples, Italy in 1634 and 1636 under the pseudonym Gian Alesio Abbatutis. It later became known as the Pentamerone. Although neglected for some time, the work received a great deal of attention after the Brothers Grimm praised it highly as the first national collection of fairy tales.[4] Many of these fairy tales are the oldest known variants in existence.[5] They include the earliest known European versions of Rapunzel and Cinderella with the Chinese version of Cinderella dating from 850–60 AD.[6] Tales of Pentamerone are set in the woods and castles of the Basilicata, in particular the city of Acerenza.
In popular culture
The 2015 film Tale of Tales is a screen adaptation loosely based on his fairy tale collection.
^Vincenzo Palmisciano, «Novità per il profilo biografico di Andreana, Giovan Battista Basile e Giulio De Grazia», in Archivio Storico per le Province Napoletane, CXL dell'intera collezione, 2022, pp. 161–166.
^Steven Swann Jones, The Fairy Tale: The Magic Mirror of Imagination, Twayne Publishers, New York, 1995, ISBN0-8057-0950-9, p38
^Ockerbloom, John Mark (ed.). "Online Books by Giovanni Battista BASILE (BASILE, Giovanni Battista, Count di Torone)". University of Pennsylvania. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
^See Ruth Bottigheimer: Fairy tales, old wives and printing presses. History Today, 31 December 2003. Retrieved 3 March 2011. Subscription required.
Sources
Croce, Benedetto (2001). "The Fantastic Accomplishment of Giambattista Basile and His Tale of Tales". In Zipes, Jack (ed.). The Great Fairy Tale Tradition: From Straparola and Basile to the Brothers Grimm. New York: W W Norton. ISBN0-393-97636-X.
Swann Jones, Steven (1995). The Fairy Tale: The Magic Mirror of Imagination. New York: Twayne. ISBN0-8057-0950-9.
Professor S. Cicciotti's page about G. B. Basile (in Italian)
Online text of some stories, in English (from Taylor translation) 4 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine
From Court to Forest: Giambattista Basile's "Lo cunto de li cunti" and the Birth of the Literary Fairy Tale, Nancy L. Canepa (Wayne State University Press, 1999)
Giambattista Basile's "The Tale of Tales, or Entertainment for Little Ones", Translated by Nancy L. Canepa, Illustrated by Carmelo Lettere, Foreword by Jack Zipes (Wayne State University Press, 2007)
Giambattista Basile at Library of Congress, with 31 library catalogue records
April 18, 2023
giambattista, basile, naples, february, 1583, date, baptism, february, 1632, italian, poet, courtier, fairy, tale, collector, collections, include, oldest, recorded, forms, many, well, known, more, obscure, european, fairy, tales, chiefly, remembered, writing,. Giambattista Basile Naples 4 February 1583 date of baptism 1 February 1632 was an Italian poet courtier and fairy tale collector His collections include the oldest recorded forms of many well known and more obscure European fairy tales 2 He is chiefly remembered for writing the collection of Neapolitan fairy tales known as Il Pentamerone Giambattista BasileBorn 1583 02 04 February 4 1583Naples Kingdom of Naples present day Italy Died23 February 1632 1632 02 23 aged 66 Giugliano in Campania Kingdom of Naples present day Italy Pen nameGian Alesio AbbatutisOccupationPoet writer courtierLanguageItalian NeapolitanNotable worksLo Cunto de li Cunti Contents 1 Biography 2 In popular culture 3 See also 4 References 4 1 Citations 4 2 Sources 5 External links and resourcesBiography EditBorn in Naples into a middle class family Basile was a soldier and courtier to various Italian princes including the doge of Venice In Venice he began to write poetry Later he returned to Naples to serve as a courtier under the patronage of Don Marino II Caracciolo prince of Avellino to whom he dedicated his idyll L Aretusa 1618 By the time of his death he had reached the rank of Count Conte di Torone 3 Basile s earliest known literary production is from 1604 in the form of a preface to the Vaiasseide of his friend the Neapolitan writer Giulio Cesare Cortese The following year his villanella Smorza crudel amore was set to music and in 1608 he published his poem Il Pianto della Vergine He is chiefly remembered for writing the collection of Neapolitan fairy tales titled Lo cunto de li cunti overo lo trattenemiento de peccerille Neapolitan for The Tale of Tales or Entertainment for Little Ones also known as Il Pentamerone published posthumously in two volumes by his sister Adriana in Naples Italy in 1634 and 1636 under the pseudonym Gian Alesio Abbatutis It later became known as the Pentamerone Although neglected for some time the work received a great deal of attention after the Brothers Grimm praised it highly as the first national collection of fairy tales 4 Many of these fairy tales are the oldest known variants in existence 5 They include the earliest known European versions of Rapunzel and Cinderella with the Chinese version of Cinderella dating from 850 60 AD 6 Tales of Pentamerone are set in the woods and castles of the Basilicata in particular the city of Acerenza In popular culture EditThe 2015 film Tale of Tales is a screen adaptation loosely based on his fairy tale collection See also EditCharles Perrault Giovanni Francesco Straparola Brothers GrimmReferences EditCitations Edit Vincenzo Palmisciano Novita per il profilo biografico di Andreana Giovan Battista Basile e Giulio De Grazia in Archivio Storico per le Province Napoletane CXL dell intera collezione 2022 pp 161 166 Steven Swann Jones The Fairy Tale The Magic Mirror of Imagination Twayne Publishers New York 1995 ISBN 0 8057 0950 9 p38 Ockerbloom John Mark ed Online Books by Giovanni Battista BASILE BASILE Giovanni Battista Count di Torone University of Pennsylvania Retrieved 3 April 2023 Croce 2001 pp 888 889 Swann Jones 1995 p 38 See Ruth Bottigheimer Fairy tales old wives and printing presses History Today 31 December 2003 Retrieved 3 March 2011 Subscription required Sources Edit Croce Benedetto 2001 The Fantastic Accomplishment of Giambattista Basile and His Tale of Tales In Zipes Jack ed The Great Fairy Tale Tradition From Straparola and Basile to the Brothers Grimm New York W W Norton ISBN 0 393 97636 X Swann Jones Steven 1995 The Fairy Tale The Magic Mirror of Imagination New York Twayne ISBN 0 8057 0950 9 External links and resources EditWorks by Giambattista Basile at Project Gutenberg Works by or about Giambattista Basile at Internet Archive Works by Giambattista Basile at LibriVox public domain audiobooks Giambattista Basile in Dizionario biografico degli italiani in Italian La vita di Giambattista Basile in Italian SurLaLune Fairy Tale Pages Il Pentamerone by Giambattista Basile Archived 4 May 2020 at the Wayback Machine Illustrations by Warwick Goble Archived 14 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine Illustrations by George Cruikshank Archived 14 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine Professor S Cicciotti s page about G B Basile in Italian Online text of some stories in English from Taylor translation Archived 4 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine From Court to Forest Giambattista Basile s Lo cunto de li cunti and the Birth of the Literary Fairy Tale Nancy L Canepa Wayne State University Press 1999 Giambattista Basile s The Tale of Tales or Entertainment for Little Ones Translated by Nancy L Canepa Illustrated by Carmelo Lettere Foreword by Jack Zipes Wayne State University Press 2007 Giambattista Basile at Library of Congress with 31 library catalogue records Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Giambattista Basile amp oldid 1148024818, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
