Giacomo Leopardi, Count (June 29, 1798 – June 14, 1837) is generally considered, along with such figures as Dante, Ariosto and Tasso, to be among Italy's greatest poets and also one of its greatest thinkers in general.

Biography

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Born in Recanati, Italy, he was a son of Monaldo Leopardi, a minor nobleman of a small village in Marches that at the time was ruled by the papacy. Giacomo's mother was the marquise Adelaide Antici Mattei.

His father was a weak, reactionary man, bound to antiquated ideas and prejudices, while his mother was a despotic, cold, religious fanatic who was obsessed with rebuilding the financial fortunes of the family, destroyed by the tragic gambling addiction of Monaldo. At home, the rigorous discipline of religion and savings reigned supreme. Giacomo's infancy, which he passed with his younger brothers Carlo and Paolino, left its mark on the poet, who recorded his experiences in the poem Ricordanze.

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