Mario Rigoni Stern facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mario Rigoni Stern
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Mario Rigoni Stern in 1958
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| Born | 1 November 1921 Asiago, Italy |
| Died | 16 June 2008 (aged 86) Asiago, Italy |
| Occupation | Novelist |
| Nationality | Italian |
| Genre | World War II |
Mario Rigoni Stern (born November 1, 1921 – died June 16, 2008) was an Italian writer and a veteran of World War II. He is famous for his books that often shared his own experiences, especially from the war and his deep love for nature and the mountains where he grew up.
Contents
His Life Story
Mario Rigoni Stern was born and grew up in Asiago, a beautiful plateau area in northeastern Italy. In 1938, he tried to join the Navy but was not accepted. Instead, he joined a very tough climbing course called the Alpini in the Aosta Valley. The Alpini are a special mountain infantry corps of the Italian Army. Only a few students finished this course each year, and he was one of them.
When World War II started, his Alpini group was sent to invade France. He later wrote about this experience in the first part of his book Quota Albania. He also took part in the invasion of Albania and Greece, which he detailed later in the same book.
The Sergeant in the Snow
His first and most famous book, Il sergente nella neve (The Sergeant in the Snow), was published in 1953. This book is based on his own experiences as a sergeant major in the Alpini during the difficult retreat from Russia in World War II. It is his only book that has been translated into English and Spanish. He later said that his greatest achievement was managing to bring all 70 of the men under his command back to Italy safely.
The Sergeant in the Snow was later included in a collection of Italian war novels by the Alfred A. Knopf publishing house. Other well-known books by Mario Rigoni Stern include Le stagioni di Giacomo (Giacomo's Seasons), Storia di Tönle (The Story of Tönle), and a collection of short stories called Sentieri sotto la neve (Paths Beneath the Snow).
Nature and His Books
Mario Rigoni Stern's novels are often like his own life story. They are strongly connected to the natural world. He wrote with great detail about life and wildlife in the mountains. He loved mountaineering and hunting and had a deep appreciation for nature's wonders. His book Il bosco degli urogalli (The Wood of the Black Grouse) is a great example of this love for nature.
Awards and Special Mentions
Mario Rigoni Stern received several important awards for his writing:
- He was awarded the Premio Campiello and the Premio Bagutta for his book Storia di Tönle.
- He also won the Italian PEN prize for Sentieri sotto la neve.
- He received a silver medal for his service in the Russian Campaign during the war.
- An asteroid in space, named 12811 Rigonistern, was named in his honor. This means that scientists recognized his importance by giving his name to a small celestial body.
His Books
- Il sergente nella neve (1953), translated into English as The Sergeant in the Snow (1954)
- Il bosco degli urogalli (1962)
- Quota Albania (1971)
- Ritorno sul Don (1973)
- Storia di Tönle (1978), translated into English as The Story of Tonle (1998, 2012)
- Uomini, boschi e api (1980)
- L'anno della vittoria (1985)
- Amore di confine (1986)
- Arboreto salvatico (1991)
- Le stagioni di Giacomo (1995)
- Sentieri sotto la neve (1998)
- Inverni lontani (1999)
- Tra due guerre e altre storie (2000)
- L'ultima partita a carte (2002)
- Stagioni (2006)
See also
In Spanish: Mario Rigoni Stern para niños
