Giambattista Basile facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Giambattista Basile
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| Born | February 1566 Giugliano in Campania, Kingdom of Naples (present-day Italy) |
| Died | February 1632 |
| Pen name | Gian Alesio Abbatutis |
| Occupation | Poet, writer, courtier |
| Language | Italian, Neapolitan |
| Notable works | Lo Cunto de li Cunti |
Giambattista Basile was an Italian writer and poet. He lived from February 1566 to February 1632. He is famous for collecting many old fairy tales. His books contain some of the oldest versions of well-known European fairy tales.
Life of Giambattista Basile
Giambattista Basile was born in a town called Giugliano in Campania. This town was near Naples in Italy. His family was from the middle class.
Basile worked for different Italian princes. He was a courtier, which means he served in a royal court. He also worked as a soldier. One of the rulers he served was the doge of Venice.
He started writing poems when he was in Venice. Later, he went back to Naples. There, he worked for Don Marino II Caracciolo. This prince was from Avellino. Basile dedicated one of his poems, L’Aretusa, to him in 1618. By the time he died, Basile had become a "count."
Basile's Writings
Basile's first known writing was in 1604. It was an introduction to a book by his friend, Giulio Cesare Cortese. The next year, his song Smorza crudel amore was set to music. In 1608, he published his poem Il Pianto della Vergine.
The Tale of Tales
Giambattista Basile is best known for his collection of fairy tales. The book is called Lo cunto de li cunti overo lo trattenemiento de peccerille. This means "The Tale of Tales, or Entertainment for Little Ones" in the Neapolitan language.
The book was published after he died. His sister, Adriana Basile, released it in 1634 and 1636. She used the pen name Gian Alesio Abbatutis. Later, the book became known as Il Pentamerone.
For a while, people didn't pay much attention to the book. But then, the Brothers Grimm praised it highly. They said it was the first "national" collection of fairy tales. After that, it became very famous.
Many of the fairy tales in this collection are the oldest known versions. For example, it has the earliest European versions of Rapunzel and Cinderella. The Chinese version of Cinderella is even older, from around 850–60 AD.
Basile spent a lot of time in the courts of nobles. The stories in Pentamerone are set in the forests and castles of Basilicata. The city of Acerenza is especially featured.
See also
- In Spanish: Giambattista Basile para niños
