Ligurian:
# Antologia da lettiatua ligure

O Conseggio o mette à dispoxiçion de casañe unn’antologia da lettiatua in lengua ligure, stæta realizzâ da-o Lusciandro Guason pe nòstra commiscion.

Chì o lettô o porrià fâse unn’idea da progresciva evoluçion da lettiatua zeneise e ligure inte l’andâ di secoli, segge da-o ponto de vista lenguistico, segge da quello do contegnuo: da-a poexia epico-çivile de l’Anònimo ò do Foggetta, à l’inspiaçion baròcca e gongorista do Cavallo, da-a poexia còmica do Piaggio, a-a lirica de stampo paisaggistico-intimista do Firpo, tutte e tendense vëgnan presentæ, à definî l’imagine de unna lettiatua complessa e ancon oua piaxeive a-a lettua.

L’euvia a l’é scompartia co-a liçensa libera CC BY-ND 4.0. I estræti son de propietæ di respettivi autoî e son pubricæ con finalitæ didattica e de critica letteräia, sensa fin de guägno.

# Secoli XII–XIII

Di secoli dozzen e trezzen i scriti letteräi, coscì comme quelli d’uso offiçiâ, à Zena e in Liguria en ancon tutti in latin, che à quelli tempi a l’ea a lengua de gente instruie. Son in latin i _Annali_ do Caffaro, co-o reisoconto de comme l’é stæto desventegou a menassa do Freirigo o Barbarossa; a l’é in latin a _Chronica civitatis ianuensis_ do Giacomo da Vaze, ch’a ne reciamma e vittöie da Melöia (1284) contra i Pisen, e de Laiasso (1294), contra i Veneçien; e coscì, do mæximo Giacomo, a _Legenda aurea_, co-e seu vitte de santi, de spesso mäveggiose e piñe de gimichie. Son importanti, dapeu, i poeti d’esprescion proensâ: comme da atre bande d’Italia, a segonda lengua de cultua dòppo o latin, a l’é à Zena quella di trovatoî; tra i quæ mensunemmo, in quante nasciui à Zena, Lanfranco Çigaa, Bonifaçio Calvo, Luchetto Gattilusio; e verso a fin do secolo XII o l’é pròpio un proensâ, Raimbaut de Vaqueiras, à deuviâ pe-o primmo o zeneise inte un contesto letteräio – ma pe treppo – into seu _Contrasto co-a dònna zeneise_. Do 1259 a l’é a primma inscriçion in zeneise in sce unna pria tombâ, tanto che da fâ remontâ a-o 1269 gh’é un _Canto de Croxâ_, ch’o l’é a primma testimoniansa de un deuvio letteräio autònomo. O vorgâ zeneise o s’afferma pinnamente solo con l’euvia de l’Anònimo zeneise, visciuo tra a fin do secolo XIII e i primmi de quello apreuvo, o primmo di nòstri poeti, animou da unna grande pascion politica e çivile, in ciù che religiosa.

# Secoli XIV–XV

Di secoli quattorzen e chinzen, sciben che son tempi de lòtte intestiñe e de soggeçion a-e dominaçioin estranxee, a-a Fransa ò à Milan, se deuvia sempre de ciù o zeneise inte de scrittue privæ e inti documenti offiçiæ, tanto che cresce e se diffonde ascì unna produçion de testi à tema religioso, pe-o ciù traduçioin da-o franseise, ò da-o latin pe-o tramite do franseise, comme e _Questioim de Boecio_, che son unna verscion zeneise do _De consolatione philosophiae_, traverso a traduçion franseise do Jean de Meung. Poeta di primmi do Quattroçento, conosciuo pe unna sola poexia, o l’é o Andria De Franchi Burgao, ch’o testimònia a continuaçion de l’esprescion poetica, sciben ch’a no se n’é tramandou a memöia. Se diffonde ascì unna produçion laudistica, basâ in sce di modelli çentro-italien, de vòtte con quarche caratteristica autònoma e numiemmo inte sta lettiatua morale-didascalica o _Tratao de li VII pecai mortali_ do Gieumo da Bavai; tra sti scriti agiografichi arregordemmo ascì quelli do Lucco Paterio, e atri anònimi comme quello de l’_Istoria de lo complimento de lo mondo_ e e _Croniche e overe de papi e imperaoi_, donde tra l’atro attrovemmo e istöie do mago Merlin e do Re Artù, adattaçion da-a «mateia de Bretagna», e a vitta de Carlo Magno, quello che l’é arrivou tra niatri do «çiclo carolingio». Tra e vitte de santi spicca i _Miraculi de la biâ vergem sancta Maria_, donde l’autô anònimo o l’inseisce digrescioin narrative che sfoxan de vòtte into racconto do mistëio ò de l’orrô. Degno de nòtta o l’é o _De Barllam et Jossaffà_, verscion crestianizzâ da vitta do Buddha e tra i atri trattæ agiografichi e morali s’arregòrda _Lo libero de frai Gillio_, traduçion di _Dicta Beati Aegidii_, attribuio à un compagno de S. Françesco e a _Via de lo Paraiso_ con i conseggi a-e dònne pe ëse de brave moggê. O comparisce o primmo autô savoneise do quæ s’agge notiçia: o Aleamme Traversagni, co-a seu volgarizzaçion da _Legenda de Sancta Elizabeth_ do 1455. In zeneise a l’é a lettia e relaçion do Giaxo Axiou in sciâ battaggia de Ponsa (1435), quande Zena a l’ea sottopòsta a-a scignoria de Milan. Inta segonda meitæ do ’400 i scriti zeneixi fan vedde un progrescivo descazze da lengua, da maniman inscidiâ da-i progresci de un italian locale, sempre ciù toscanizzante, in caxon da sempre ciù grande nommiansa da lettiatua italiaña. Do 1473 o fa a seu appaiçion o primmo lunäio in zeneise, intitolou _La raxone de la Pasca_, ch’o l’é ascì o primmo testo à stampa stæto pubricou in Liguria.
# Secolo XVI

O secolo sezzen o l’é quello dominou politicamente da-o Andria Döia, e letteraiamente da-a «reforma» do Foggetta, contra a toscanizzaçion omai prevalente, ch’a se peu osservâ inte ben ben de cansoin à sostëgno oua de unna scignoria, oua de unn’atra, tanto che a Liguria a passa de man da unna potensa à l’atra, con conseguenti sollevi, massacri e invaxoin, comme inta _Opera e lamento de Zena che tracta de la guerra et del saccho dato per gli Spagnoli_ (1522). Da-o remescio de carte sciortià vinçente o Döia, co-a seu fucca tattica de allianse e a seu reforma do Stato, tanto che in lettiatua o Foggetta o restöra unna lengua modeatamente arcaizzante, ch’a veu restituî a-o zeneise unna seu relativa autonomia e a l’à donca unna varsciua politica. I poeti in zeneise do Çinqueçento degni de nòtta ne son arrivæ tramite l’accheuggeita _Rime diverse in lingua genovese_, ciù vòtte restampâ, into corso do secolo, e dòppo o Foggetta, poeta segge lirico che d’inspiaçion sociale e politica, vëgne Bernabé Çigaa Casê, Beneito Schenon e un poeta d’identitæ inçerta, tutti in varia mesua petrarchisti, ma o Çigaa o l’é stæto ascì l’iniçiatô de l’usansa di encòmi in versci pe l’eleçion di Duxi. S’arregòrda ascì o Viçenso Dartoña, traduttô do primmo canto de l’_Orlando Furioso_ e o Bernardo Castelletto. In ponto preusa, pe contra l’avansâ do toscan, continuan çerti uxi offiçiæ, comme i descorsci do Duxe Mattê Senarega, in occaxon da fin do seu mandou e pe saluâ o prinçipe Gio. Andria Döia, a-o seu retorno con l’armâ (1575).

# Secolo XVII

Quello ch’o l’é stæto ciammou «siglo de los genoveses» in caxon de enòrme ricchesse ammuggiæ da-e famigge patriçie e do sprandô di palaçi, o vedde inta lettiatua ligure o trionfo do baròcco e do conçettiximo; i nommi da mensunâ son o Giulian Rosso, o Pantaleo Grimado Moassaña, o Gio. Françesco Baffico, o Fulgensio Baldani, o Peo Giöxeppe Giustinian e atri, ma avanti de tutti o Gian Giacomo Cavallo, ch’o l’à portou in Liguria e contemporanee esperiense europee do _culteraneximo_, con un poin d’ecceçion inte erte sfere da lettiatua italiaña, o savoneise Gabriê Ciabrea. O tiatro o conosce inta Zena do Seiçento un gran desviluppo; da l’incontro do mondo da Comedia de l’Arte con quello do tiatro academico nasce di copioin in zeneise ò con de parte in zeneise, e se parla donca de comedie plurilengue. A difficortæ de comprenscion e a scarsa popolaritæ do tipo ligure rendeivan però neçessäio tradue e parte in zeneise, ò sopprimmile, quande i attoî travaggiavan feua da Liguria. Tra sti autoî de tiatro, arregordemmo Anton Giulio Brignoe Sâ, Françesco Maria Marin, Zane Andria Spinoa, Peo Zane Craviâ, Zane Agostin Pollinâ. Inta segonda meitæ do secolo o comensa un lento descazze politico e econòmico; tra gazibbe piemonteixi pe impadronîse da Repubrica, a cresciua influensa da Fransa e atri fattoî, de l’independensa e da cultua de Zena arresta ciù pöco; l’euvia do Carlo Andria Castagneua, donde se træta do bombezzo de Zena da parte de l’armâ de Fransa e de l’orgoggioso stoiçiximo da çittæ into patîlo, a constituisce un momentanio repiggio de temmi patriòttichi e çivili. Inta rivea de Ponente ven feua i primmi poeti in ligure, sciben con intenti solo che burleschi, o Steva Rosso de Taggia e o Poulo Agostin Orengo de Ventemiggia.

# Secolo XVIII

Aa-i fæti do 1746 vëgne apreuvo un fòrte repiggio da poexia çivile e patriòttica, con unna boña partia de l’euvia do Steva De Franchi ch’a l’é dedicâ a-a sollevaçion contra i austriachi e à l’atto do Balilla; atri autoî degni de nòtta, ch’an trattou l’argomento, en stæti i versezzatoî anònimi do _Trionfo dro pòpolo zeneise_ e da _Libeaçion de Zena_ e soviatutto o Gaitan Gallin, coa-a seu _Cadeña Zeneise_. Into mentre, fin da-i primmi do secolo l’ea comensou à vegnî feua inte Rivee e inte l’entrotæra di poeti che se esprimman inte parlæ locale, comme o Lucco Maria Cappon de Trieua, o Zane Loenso Freirigo Gavòtti do Sascê, o Luçian Rosso de Campo Ligure. O Setteçento o l’é ascì o secolo da traduçion in zeneise da _Gerusalemme Deliverâ_ do Tasso, unn’operaçion portâ à termine da unna squaddra de letteræ, diretti da-o De Franchi. Atri poeti degni de nòtta, dòppo o De Franchi, son Ambreuxo Conti, e di atri anònimi, accuggeiti inte un manoscrito conservou inta biblioteca da Societæ Econòmica de Ciavai, o _Canto Unico_, ò se donca inte di feuggi volanti che voentea çelebran fæti de crònaca comme e vittöie da mainaia ligure, à uso da poexia do Toralbo Armònico in sciô Capitan Maglion. Con l’arrivo de Napolion e a fin da Repubrica Oligarchica, sciòrte à mezo di poeti popolari, ò presunti tæ, che, sotta di nomiagi, cantan e loude do neuvo corso; arregordemmo o «Cittadino Piceda» e o «Baciccia Degradao»; un Antònio Duasso o l’imagina un Dialogo tra doî patriçi, ch’en stæti imprexonæ provvisoiamente inta Salla do Conseggetto, e ancon no arriëscian à rendise conto che o seu dominio o l’é finio. O poeta Antònio Pescetto, in cangio, zeneise ma visciuo à Saña, dòppo avei cantou a nobilitæ çittadiña, o se dedichiâ dòppo a Revoluçion à çelebrâ a Repubrica Democratica e e feste patriòttiche, sarvo dapeu, con l’annescion a-o Piemonte, cantâ e laode do Goernou savoiardo.

# Secolo XIX

O l’é o secolo de l’annescion a-o Piemonte, apreuvo o Congresso de Vienna (1815), no guæi gradia a-i Liguri, e dapeu do Risorgimento Italian; o comensa con l’euvia do Martin Piaggio, o çelebrou autô do _Lunäio do Sciô Regiña_, moderou e prudentiscimo cantô da borghexia, ch’o no manca però de un pittin de satira soçiale e de unna bonellaña confiansa into progresso. Stæta perdua l’autonomia politica, a lettiatua zeneise a descazze da maniman verso o folcloriximo, a poexia còmica, un populiximo de mainea, con di momentanii repiggi verso a tradiçion seria. Do 1835, di desconosciui nemixi de l’assolutiximo monarchico, tian à mezo unna parodia tiatrale da-o Metastasio, _Achille in Sciro_, za stæta rappresentâ a-a fin do secolo avanti contra l’oligarchia, e opportuñamente attualizzâ. Tra i autoî de lunäi l’é da arregordâ o Steva Parodi, ancon ciù reaçionäio do Piaggio; tanto che tra i continuatoî do lunäio reginian, ma de idee libeale, gh’é o Gioane Casassa, compilatô ascì de un avvoxou vocaboläio zeneise-italian; o Luiggi Doria, o Luiggi Domenego Fæña, o Giambattista Vigo, o Andria Pollano. Un atro autô de lunäi degno de nòtta o l’é o præve libeale Luiggi Pedevilla, che pe ben ben de anni o pòrta avanti o _Lunäio do Sciô Tocca_. Tra i autoî de tiatro s’arregòrda o Federico Alizeri e o Luiggi Perseuggio. Saña ascì a conosce o fenòmeno da pubriçistica lunaistica, tra i seu poeti: Françesco Rocchin, Françesco Pissorno, Andria Rocca, Agostin Brun, Feipo Noberasco poæ e figgio, Françesco Marengo. Tra i autoî de stampo risorgimentale, s’arregòrda o Luiggi Stallo, che do 1853 o scrive unna _Vixon de un emigrou italian_, ardente de sprito patriòttico e mazzinian; tra i poeti còmichi che se retreuvan in scê colònne da revista «O Successo», in cangio, arregordemmo Peo Gallian e Aurelio Cappon. Inta segonda meitæ do secolo, se desviluppa ascì unna vasta produçion in preusa giornalistica, e in sce di periòdichi comme «O Balilla» e «O Stafî» treuva spaçio de indagine e reisoconti, di romansi istòrichi comme di atri ispiæ à l’attualitæ, euvie de Edoardo Michê Ciòssa e Giöxeppe Pòggi. O poeta che pe commun o ven tegnuo pe-o ciù rappresentativo do segondo Euttoçento o l’é però o Niccolò Baçigalô, co-o quæ a lettiatua zeneise a vira deçisamente verso o còmico e a parodia, inte l’açettaçion do seu ròllo subordenou a-a lettiatua italiaña, ascì into campo do tiatro: o Baçigalô o l’é in fæto l’autô de primme e ciù avvoxæ comedie do Govi.

# Secolo XX

Do secolo XX se riscontra unna produçion de poexia in ligure ädreitua exageâ: co-o remescio de usanse, de persoñe e de mentalitæ dovuo a-e doe guære mondiale, o desviluppo imprevedibile di mezi de communicaçion e de traspòrto, l’espanscion di commerçi e de l’economia in sce scaa globale, i parlæ e e lengue locale comme o ligure regrediscian comme mai l’ea stæto avanti, tanto de provocâ à tanti unna scindrome da coltua in peigo e caxonâ coscì pe reaçion un repiggio, segge di studdi filològichi in sce l’argomento, segge da produçion in preusa e in poexia. Tra i autoî neuveçentisti, ma ancon ligæ pe tanti aspeti à l’Euttoçento, beseugna mensunâ Carlo Malinverni, Freirigo Gazzo, Lusciandro Monti; a continua a produçion còmica e bossettistica co-o Aldo Aquaron e Giambattista Rapallo (Baciccia); in sce unna via de mezo o tipògrafo anarchico savoneise Giöxeppe Cava, i zeneixi Ettore Ciappe, Augusto Tessada, Feipo Angeo Castello, Marin Merello, Nora Massa; verso un parçiale reneuvamento Italo Mario Angeloni, Françesco Puppo, Alfredo Gismondi, Carlo Domingo Adamoli, Alberto Boccaleone, Peo Lombardo, G.B. Costa, Luiggi Pòggi; do 1930 o giornalista Arturo Salucci o pubrica unn’antologia tutta de sunetti in zeneise, donde se peu attrovâ trasse da produçion de autoî pe do resto desconosciui, de vòtte interessanti. Autoî ligæ, pe un verso ò pe l’atro, a-o tiatro govian son stæti Emerico Valentinetti, Ugo Palmerini, Sabatino Lopez; tanto che di atri che ghe son arrestæ estranei, comme Emilio Del Maestro, Luiggi Anselmi, Oliviero Olivari, Emilio Tixi, Norberto Sopranzi. Diversci autoî an tentou in zeneise de mette in poexia umoristica l’intrapreisa de Combo, apreuvo à l’exempio do romanesco Pascarella, tipica opeaçion dialettale, ma con resultati alterni. Un scingolare espeimento o l’é quello de l’òpera lirica _Scheuggio Campaña_, pe-i versci de Aldo Martinelli, Manuælo Caneixi e Gioane Monlion. Se regòrda ascì l’originäia cuggeita de poexia à quattro moen _A föa do Bestento_ de Còsta e Lombardo. O poeta ciù scignificativo da primma meitæ do Neuveçento o l’arresta Doardo Firpo, con tutto che a seu primmua a segge de vòtte missa in discuscion. Into mentre, a produçion di atri parlæ liguri a l’à conosciuo unna çerta espanscion, co-e euvie de Feipo Rostan, ventemiglioso, Luì Notari, monegasco, Marçello Firpo, mentonasco, Gin De Stefani e Viçenso Jacono, sanremmaschi, tutti presentæ in scê pagine da revista neofelibrista «A Barma Grande». Tra i spezzin beseugna mensunâ Ubaldo Mazzin, tra i poeti de l’Ôtrazovo Ettore Zunin e Angeo Daggio, tra i arascin Ettore Morteo, à Oâ o Colombo Gajon. Into segondo doppoguæra, à un repiggio de tematiche çivile, testimoniou da-i libbretti relativi a-o concorso «Lauro d’Oro», s’azzonta o movemento de imitatoî do Firpo, portæ à pensâ che l’unico poeta lirico inta poexia zeneise o foïse lê e quarchidun o l’à avuo di exiti interessanti, fiña supeioî à quelli do meistro, comme o Sandro Patron, o Vito Elio Petrucci; in sciâ mæxima linia Roberto Della Vedova, Tonin Canepa, Flora Mancini, Luiggi Cornetto. Atri poeti lirichi, estranei a-a linia firpiaña son stæti Guiddo Nilsen, Scirvio Opisso, Rita Cuneo, Rosita Del Buono, Mario Lertoa, Peo Bozzo. Di anni settanta, co-o maggiô interesse à livello naçionale pe-e lettiatue in «dialetto», in Liguria ascì se peu osservâ un scioî de poeti de varia inspiaçion, comme Giulian Balestrê, Sergio Sileri, Angeo De Ferræ, Ernesto Pisan, Emma Midolo, Jean Aicardi, Pia Bandin, Gioane Ghion, Zòrzo Grasci, Rodorfo Badarello, Mario Accornê, Armando Giorgi, Luçian Cravî; tra i ciù scignificativi nommi, sciortii feua tra i anni ’60 e ’80 o Plinio Guidon, attivo ascì comme dramaturgo, e o Roberto Giannon, tutti doî impegnæ inte unna fonda transformaçion da lettiatua in zeneise e conosciui à livello naçionale. In ponto poexia de Rivee, beseugna mensunâ Cesare Vivado, de Impëia, partio da-o neorealiximo do doppoguæra pe arrivâ a-a liriçitæ de tempi ciù recenti; Giöxeppe Cascinelli de Dôçeo, Peo Baccin de Giusvalla, Renso Villa, Andria Capan e Dionisio Böno, de Ventemiggia, Franco D’Imporsan de Sanremmo, Eugenio Giovando, Eugenio Lubran, Renso Fregoso de Spezza, Poulo Bertolan da Særa de Lerxi, Livio Gianolla de Arcoa, Bruno Rombi de Cädessedda, Natalin Trinchê, Carlo Còsta de Ciavai, Paulette Cherici Porello de Monego. Ascì a preusa a l’à conosciuo un çerto desviluppo, à partî da-i racconti e verboe de Guido Pastor de Buxo, fin a-i racconti e föe sestriñe da Elsa Pastorin Alloisio, a-e atre verboe à tema cotidian stæte cheuggeite da-a Maria Terrile Vietz. O tiatro o l’à avuo i seu autoî, stæti missi in luxe da-o premmio «Anna Caroli», tra i quæ o spicca o za mensunou Guidon, e atri comme Enrico Scaravelli, Gianni Poli, Enrico Berio.

# Secolo XXI

O neuvo secolo o s’é de za consummou pe un quarto e o l’é comensou co-a spaiçion de quarchedun di ciù scignificativi nommi do secolo avanti, comme o Petrucci, o Patron, o Giannon. Atri autoî, ch’ean vegnui feua un pittin apreuvo, an portou a-e estremme conseguense e premisse da seu poetica, stæte pòste o secolo avanti, e son stæti Fiorenso Toso, Lusciandro Guason, Danê D. Caviggia; inte sti urtimi anni an attrovou un seu spaçio Bruña Pedemonte, Andreiña Soâ, Danila Oivê, Ansermo Roveda, Enrica Arvigo, o cantante reggae e «poeta de stradda» Marco Carbon, Maria Pia Viale de Valleboña. Atri autoî son vegnui feua de sti urtimi tempi, comme l’arbenganeise Viçenso Bolia, o Roberto Benso ch’o scrive inta varietæ ligure de Carreuxo, o Rico Granæa, ch’o tradue e o diffonde articoli giornalistichi in sce l’istöia de Zena e da Liguria, o Mauriçio Paganelli, de Arbenga, ma ch’o scrive in zeneise, o Poulo Besagno, za conosciuo comme cantautô. A diffuxon de tecniche informatiche a l’à visto ascì a nascion de tentative e espeimenti pe favoî a conoscensa da lengua ligure in sciô web, ma a de maniman ciù fòrte mermansa da prattica viva da lengua parlâ a l’à portou à creâse de dubianse, discuscioin e rattelle in sce costioin de lescico e de grafia, che unna vòtta no saieivan stæte imaginabile, ma che tutte e mainee testimònian a sorvevivensa de un çerto interesse da parte do pubrico pe-a lengua ligure. Un repiggio de interesse o l’é testimoniou ascì da-e tentative de diffonde unna pubriçistica in preusa, comme quella da pagina do «Secolo XIX», «Parlo Ciæo» diretta da-o Dria Aquaron e quella da seu revista «O Stafî», ch’a se inspiava a-i periòdichi in zeneise do segondo Euttoçento.

# Bibliografia essençiale

A primma antologia de poeti liguri a l’é quella ch’a n’à tramandou e euvie di autoî do Çinqueçento: Rime diverse in lingua genovese, (Bartoli, Pavia, 1583), ciù vòtte restampâ fin a-i primmi do secolo apreuvo.

Unn’atra antologia, ciù picciña, a correda l’ediçion do 1745 de _A Çittara zeneise_ do Cavallo (Franchelli, Zena).

Pe attrovâ unn’atra antologia de lettiatua ligure beseugna arrivâ à quella do C. Randaccio, _Dell’idioma e della letteratura genovese_ (Forzani, Romma, 1894).

Giusto apreuvo vëgne F. Donaver, _Antologia della poesia dialettale genovese_ (Libreria Editrice Moderna, Zena, 1910).

Do 1930 sciòrte: A. Salucci, _Çento sunetti zeneixi_ (Libreria Editrice Moderna), unn’antologia reservâ, comme dixe o titolo, a-o sunetto; do mæximo anno, F. Noberasco, I. Scovazzi: _O Cicciollâ – Antologia dialettale savonese_, (Lodola, Saña).

Tra o 1950 e o 1951 sciòrte unna serie de articoli do E. Firpo in sciô cotidian L’Unità, dapeu stæta accheuggeita in volumme co-o titolo _La poesia dialettale genovese_ (S. Marco dei Giustiniani, Zena, 1981).

Do 1960, a l’é a vòtta de M. Boselli, La poesia ligure dalle origini a Edoardo Firpo, (Di Stefano, Zena).

Do 1963, à cua de R. Del Buono Boero, A. Barile, I. Scovazzi sciòrte _Priamâ – Antologia della poesia dialettale savonese_ (A Campanassa, Saña).

Tra o 1986 e o 1989 l’é sciortio quattro volummi de _Semmo gente de Liguria_, antologia à cua do M. Delpino (Ed. Tigullio–Bacherontius, Santa Margaita).

Da lì un pittin, sciòrte a completiscima _Letteratura genovese e ligure_ do F. Toso, (Marietti, Zena, 1989–91), inte sëi volummi, e dapeu restampâ, con de modifiche, do 2000 e do 2010 pe-e ediçioin Le Mani (Zena–Recco). Into mæximo tempo, o Toso o pubrica unna scintexi istòrica da lettiatua ligure co-o titolo complescivo Profilo storico della letteratura ligure in sciô bollettin de «A Compagna».

Do 1997 sciòrte i Saggi sulla letteratura genovese do P. Guidoni, à cua de L. Coveri, F. Toso, R. Trovato (A Compagna, Zena), cheuggeita de sazzi e articoli za stæti pubricæ da l’autô inte varie occaxoin.

Do 1999, sciòrte _Emigranti do rie_, unn’antologia de poeti in ligure do Neuveçento, à cua do F. Toso, da-e ediçioin «In forma di parola», (Bologna) comme n. II, anno XIX da revista In forma di parola.

Do 2019 sciòrte, do A. Guasoni, _Poesia in ligure tra Novecento e Duemila_ (Edizioni Cofine, Romma).

Do 2021 sciòrte, da E. Autelli, _Il genovese poetico attraverso i secoli_ (Lang, Berlin).

Do 2024 o S. Lusito o pubrica _Anthologie de la littérature et de l’usage écrit du monégasque_ (EGC Monaco, Monego), con unna prefaçion de S.A.S. o prinçipe Alberto II de Monego.

English translation:
# Anthology of Ligurian literature

The Council is making available to readers an anthology of literature in the Ligurian language, prepared by Alessandro Guasoni on our commission.

Readers will get a glimpse of the gradual evolution of Genoese and Ligurian literature over the centuries, both in terms of language and content. From the civic-epic poetry of the Genoese Anonym and Foglietta, to the Baroque and Gongorist inspiration of Cavalli; from the comic poetry of Piaggio, to the intimate, pastoral lyricism of Firpo – all literary movements are presented and together comprise a rich corpus that remains enjoyable to read today.

This work is released under the CC BY-ND 4.0 free license. The excerpts are the property of their respective authors and are published for educational and literary criticism purposes, strictly for non-commercial purposes.

# 12th–13th century

In the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, literary writings, like those used for official purposes, in Genoa and Liguria were still all in Latin, which at that time was the language of educated people. The _Annals_ by Caffaro, an account of the thwarted threat posed by Frederick Barbarossa, were written in Latin, as was the _Chronica civitatis ianuensis_ by Iacopo da Varagine, which recounts the victories of Meloria (1284) against the Pisans and Laiazzo (1294), against the Venetians. The _Legenda aurea_, also by da Varagine, depicts the lives of saints, often wondrous and filled with miracles. The poets of Provençal expression are also important, as this language was used by troubadours in Genoa and other parts of Italy, and was second only to Latin in terms of cultural importance. Among them we remember, since they were born in Genoa, Lanfranco Cigala, Bonifacio Calvo, Luchetto Gattilusio. Towards the end of the 12th century, it was a Provençal, Raimbaut de Vaqueiras, who first used Genoese in a literary context – albeit in jest – in his _Altercation with a Genoese woman_. The first inscription in Genoese on a tombstone dates from 1259, while a _Crusade song_, which exhibits the first evidence of independent literary use, dates from 1269. The Genoese vernacular only fully asserted itself with the work of the Genoese Anonym, who lived at the turn of the 12th and 13th centuries. The Genoese Anonym is considered the first among our poets, animated by great political, patriotic, and religious passion.

# 14th–15th century

In the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries – although these are times of internal strife and subjection to foreign rule, whether French or Milanese – Genoese is increasingly used in private writings and official documents, while the production of religious texts also grows and spreads, mostly translated from French, or from Latin via French, such as the _Questioim de Boecio_, which are a Genoese version of _De consolatione philosophiae_, based on the French translation by Jean de Meung. An early fifteenth-century poet known for only one poem, Andrea De Franchi Bulgaro, attests that expression in verse did not die out entirely in that era, although no memory of it has been handed down to us. An encomiastic style also developed from Central Italian models, at times diverging from the norm. We can count among this edificatory literature the _Tratao de li VII pecai mortali_ by Jerome of Bavaria. These hagiographical texts also include the works of Luca Paterio, and other anonymous writers such as the author of the _Istoria de lo complimento de lo mondo_ and _Croniche e overe de papi e imperaoi_. The texts recount the stories of the magician Merlin and King Arthur, adapted from the “materia di Bretagna” and the life of Charlemagne from the “Carolingian cycle”. Other chronicles of saintly deeds include the _Miraculi de la biâ vergem sancta Maria_, which stands out for the anonymous author’s digressions that occasionally develop into tales of mystery and horror. _De Barllam et Jossaffà_, a Christianised version of the life of Buddha, is also noteworthy. Other hagiographic and moral treatises include _Lo libero de frai Gillio_, a translation of the _Dicta Beati Aegidii_, attributed to a companion of St Francis, and the _Via de lo Paraiso_ with advice to women on how to be good wives. The first known author from Savona appears: Alerame Traversagni, with his vernacularisation of the _Legenda de Sancta Elizabeth_ of 1455. Biagio Assereto’s letter and report on the battle of Ponza (1435) was written in Genoese at a time when Genoa was under Milanese rule. In the second half of the 15th century, Genoese writing showed a progressive decline as it was gradually influenced by Tuscan due to the rising fame of Italian literature. In 1473 the first calendar in Genoese appeared, titled _La raxone de la Pasca_, which was also the first printed text published in Liguria.
# 16th century

The 16th century was dominated politically by the figure of Andrea Doria, and in literary terms, by Foglietta’s “reform” against the prevailing Tuscanization of the time. This is evinced in various songs extolling one lordship or another as Liguria experienced constant turnover of power, with consequent revolts, massacres and invasions. The _Opera e lamento de Zena che tracta de la guerra et del saccho dato per gli Spagnoli_ (1522) is exemplary of this trend. In the end, Doria emerged victorious from the upheaval, with his astute tactics of alliances and his reform of the state, while in literature, Foglietta restored a relatively archaic language, seeking to give the Genoese language back its relative autonomy and political significance. Noteworthy poets in 16th century Genoese have been handed down to us through the collection _Rime diverse in lingua genovese_, reprinted several times throughout the century. After Foglietta, a poet of both lyrical and social and political inspiration, come Barnaba Cigala Casero, Benedetto Schenone, and a poet of uncertain identity. All were to varying degrees Petrarchists, but Cigala was also the initiator of the custom of encomiums in verse for the election of Doges. The works of Vincenzo Dartona – translator of the first canto of _Orlando Furioso_ – and of Bernardo Castelletto are also notable. In the face of the expansion of the Tuscan language, certain official prose traditions continued, such as the speeches of Doge Matteo Senarega, on the occasion of the end of his term of office and to greet Prince Gio. Andrea Doria on his return with the fleet (1575).

# 17th century

During the so-called “Century of the Genoese”, named for the spectacular wealth accumulated by Genoa’s patrician families and the splendor of their palaces, Ligurian literature saw the triumph of conceptualism and the Baroque style. Names to remember include Giuliano Rossi, Pantaleo Grimaldi Murassana, Gio. Francesco Baffico, Fulgenzio Baldani, Pier Giuseppe Giustiniani and others, but above all Gian Giacomo Cavalli. It is Cavalli who acclimatized Liguria to the contemporary European experiences of _culteranismo_, supported by an exceptional patron in the upper echelons of Italian literature, Savona-born Gabriello Chiabrera. Theater underwent great development in 17th-century Genoa; the meeting of the Commedia dell’Arte with that of academic theater led to scripts written fully or partially in Genoese (in essence, multilingual comedies). However, lack of outside comprehension of the Ligurian language made it necessary to translate the Genoese parts, or suppress them, for productions outside Liguria. Prominent playwrights included Anton Giulio Brignole Sale, Francesco Maria Marini, Giovanni Andrea Spinola, Pier Giovanni Capriata and Giovanni Agostino Pollinari. In the second half of the century, a slow political and economic decline began. Between Piedmontese plots to seize the Republic, the increased influence of France, and various other factors, the independent Genoese cultural identity was gradually diminished. Carlo Andrea Castagnola’s work, which deals with the bombardment of Genoa by the French fleet and the city’s proud, stoic perseverance, constitutes a momentary revival of patriotic and civic themes. The first poets in Ligurian appear along the Riviera, Stefano Rossi of Taggia and Paolo Agostino Orengo of Ventimiglia – albeit with only burlesque intentions.

# 18th century

The events of 1746 were followed by a strong revival of civic and patriotic poetry, with a large part of Stefano De Franchi’s work dedicated to the uprising against the Austrians and Balilla’s deed. Other notable authors who dealt with the subject include the anonymous authors of _Trionfo dro popolo zeneise_ and _Libeaçion de Zena_, and above all Gaetano Gallino, with his _Cadeña Zeneise_. In the meantime, since the beginning of the century, a number of poets in the Rivieras and hinterland had begun expressing themselves in the local dialects, such as Luca Maria Capponi of Triora, Gian Lorenzo Federico Gavotti of Sassello, and Luciano Rossi of Campoligure. The 18th century was also the century in which scholars directed by De Franchi translated Tasso’s _Jerusalem Delivered_ into Genoese. Other noteworthy poets, after De Franchi, are Ambrogio Conti and other unknown writers responsible for the _Canto Unico_, a manuscript preserved in the library of the Società Economica of Chiavari, or the flyers that frequently celebrated current events. On one such flyer was Toralbo Armonico’s poem on Captain Maglione, which celebrated the victories of the Ligurian navy. With the arrival of Napoleon and the end of the Oligarchic Republic, we see the appearance of (supposedly) popular poets who, under pseudonyms, sing the praises of the new political direction; we recall “Cittadino Piceda” and “Baciccia Degradao”, and a Dialogue imagined by a certain Antonio Durazzo between two patricians, temporarily imprisoned in the Hall of the Minor Council, who cannot fathom that their rule has ended. On the other hand, there was the poet Antonio Pescetto, of Genoese origin but a resident of Savona: initially he sang of the city’s nobility. After the Revolution, he devoted himself to celebrating the Democratic Republic and patriotic festivities, only to then sing the praises of the Savoyard governor after the annexation by Piedmont.

# 19th century

The 19th Century was that of the annexation of Liguria by Piedmont, after the Congress of Vienna (1815), which was not very agreeable to the Ligurians. It was also the century of the Italian Risorgimento. It began with the work of _Martino Piaggio_, the famous author of the _Lunario del Signor Regina_, a moderate and prudish cantor of the bourgeoisie, who did not, however, lack a little social satire and a naive faith in progress. After Genoa lost political autonomy, its literature gradually descended into folklorism, comic poetry, a certain populism; only fleeting traces of its more substantial tradition remained. In 1835, unknown anti-monarchists revived and updated a theatrical parody from Metastasio, _Achille in Sciro_, which had already been performed at the end of the previous century against the oligarchy, and suitably updated it for the times. Among the authors of lunar almanacs, Stefano Parodi, who was even more reactionary than Piaggio, should be remembered. Among the torchbearers of the Reginian almanac, but with liberal ideas, were Luigi Doria, Luigi Domenico Farina, Giambattista Vigo, Andrea Pollano, and Giovanni Casaccia, who authored a famous Genoese-Italian dictionary. Another noteworthy almanac author was the liberal priest Luigi Pedevilla, who for many years carried on the _Lunäio do Sciô Tocca_. Playwrights included Federico Alizeri and Luigi Persoglio. Works on celestial themes were published in Savona, too, with O Canocciale de Savoña and O microscopio e telescopio. Among its poets were Francesco Rocchino, Francesco Pizzorno, Andrea Rocca, Agostino Bruno, Filippo Noberasco (father and son), Francesco Marengo. Among the authors of the Risorgimento, we then recall Luigi Stallo in Genoa, who in 1853 wrote _Vixon d’un emigrou italian_, ardently patriotic and with a Mazzinian spirit. Among the comic poets who found themselves in the columns of the magazine “O Successo”, on the other hand, we recall Pietro Galliano and Aurelio Capponi. In the second half of the century, a vast production of journalistic prose also proliferated, and periodicals such as “O Balilla” and “O Stafî” published investigations and reports. Furthermore, historical novels and pieces on current events were written by Edoardo Michele Chiozza and Giuseppe Poggi. However, the poet commonly considered the most representative of the second half of the 19th century is Nicolò Bacigalupo, with whom literature in the Genoese language turns decisively towards comedy and parody. It is relegated to a subordinate role to Italian literature, including in the theatrical sphere: Bacigalupo is in fact the author of the first and most famous of Govi’s comedies.

# 20th century

The 20th century saw an even more exaggerated production of poetry in Ligurian. The mixture of customs, people and mentalities due to the two World Wars, the unpredictable development of the means of communication and transport, the expansion of trade and the economy on a global scale – these factors caused local languages such as Ligurian to regress as never before. The recession of local languages provoked a resistance against the feeling of cultural erasure felt by many people. Philological studies of local languages, as well as surveys of prose and poetry, resulted as a reaction. Among the 20th century authors – but still linked in many respects to the 19th century – mention must be made of Carlo Malinverni, Federico Gazzo, Alessandro Monti; comic and sketch production continues with Aldo Acquarone, Giambattista Rapallo (Baciccia); somewhere in between were the Savona anarchist printer Giuseppe Cava, the Genoese Ettore Chiappe, Augusto Tessada, Filippo Angelo Castello, Marino Merello, Nora Massa; towards a partial renewal – Italo Mario Angeloni, Francesco Puppo, Alfredo Gismondi, Carlo Domingo Adamoli, Alberto Boccaleone, Pietro Lombardo and G. B. Costa, Luigi Poggi. In 1930, journalist Arturo Salucci published an anthology of sonnets in Genoese, where one can find traces of the production of often unknown, occasionally interesting authors. Authors linked, in one way or another, to Govian theater were Emerico Valentinetti, Ugo Palmerini, Sabatino Lopez, while others remained strangers to it, such as Emilio Del Maestro, Luigi Anselmi, Oliviero Olivari, Emilio Tixi, Norberto Sopranzi. Several authors attempted the humorous narration of Columbus’ enterprise, following the example of the Romanesque Pascarella, a typical dialect operation, but with mixed results. A singular experiment is the lyrical opera _Scheuggio Campaña_, with verses by Aldo Martinelli, Emanuele Canesi and Giovanni Monleone. Also of note is the original four-handed poetry collection _A föa do Bestento_ by Costa and Lombardo. The most significant poet of the first half of the 20th century remains Edoardo Firpo, although his primacy is sometimes questioned. In the meantime, production in the other Ligurian dialects has expanded somewhat, with the works of Filippo Rostan, from Ventimiglia, Louis Notari, from Monaco, Marcel Firpo, from Menton, Gin De Stefani and Vincenzo Jacono, both from San Remo, all presented in the pages of the neo-Felibrist magazine “A Barma Grande”. Among the La Spezia poets we must name Ubaldo Mazzini, among the Oltregiogo poets Ettore Zunino and Angelo Daglio, and among the Alassio poets, Ettore Morteo, in Ovada Colombo Gajone. In the post-World War II period, a revival of civic themes, attested in the booklets relating to the Lauro d’Oro competition, was accompanied by the movement of Firpo’s imitators, who were inclined to think that he was the only lyric poet in Genoese poetic history. Some even had interesting results, almost superior to those of the master himself, such as Sandro Patrone and Vito Elio Petrucci; along the same lines were Roberto Della Vedova, Antonio Canepa, Flora Mancini, Luigi Cornetto. Other lyric poets outside the Firpo line were Guido Nilsen, Silvio Opisso, Rita Cuneo, Rosita Del Buono from Savona, Mario Lertora and Piero Bozzo. In the 1970s, with the increased interest at a national level for literature in “dialect”, a flourishing of poets of various inspirations can also be observed in Liguria, such as Giuliano Balestreri, Sergio Sileri, Angelo De Ferrari, Ernesto Pisani, Emma Midolo, Jean Aicardi, Pia Bandini, Giovanni Ghione, Giorgio Grassi, Rodolfo Badarello, Mario Accornero, Armando Giorgi, Luciano Caprile; Among the most significant names that emerged between the 1960s and 1980s were Plinio Guidoni, who was also active as a playwright, and Roberto Giannoni, both of whom were involved in a profound transformation of literature in the Genoese language and became known nationally. As far as Riviera poetry is concerned, mention must be made of Cesare Vivaldi, from Imperia, who started out from post-World War II neo-realism to arrive at a modern lyricism; Giuseppe Cassinelli from Dolcedo, Pietro Baccino from Giusvalla, Renzo Villa, Andrea Capano and Dionisio Bono from Ventimiglia, Franco D’Imporzano from Sanremo, Eugenio Giovando, Eugenio Lubrano and Renzo Fregoso from La Spezia, Paolo Bertolani from Serra di Lerici, Livio Gianolla from Arcola, Bruno Rombi from Calasetta, Natalino Trincheri, Carlo Costa from Chiavari, Paulette Cherici Porello, from Monaco. Prose, too, has undergone a certain development, starting with the tales and anecdotes of Guido Pastor from Buggio, to the tales and fables of Elsa Pastorino Alloisio from Sestri, and the other anecdotes with an everyday theme collected by Maria Terrile Vietz. Theater had its share of new authors as well, recognized by the “Anna Caroli” prize; among them are the aforementioned Plinio Guidoni, and others such as Enrico Scaravelli, Gianni Poli, Enrico Berio.

# 21st century

One quarter of the new century has already gone by, and it has begun with the disappearance of some of the most significant names of the previous century, such as Petrucci, Patrone and Giannoni. Other authors, who had emerged shortly after, took the premises of their poetry to new depths, and they are Fiorenzo Toso, Alessandro Guasoni and Daniele D. Caviglia. In recent years, Bruna Pedemonte, Andreina Solari, Danila Olivieri, Anselmo Roveda, Enrica Arvigo, reggae singer and “street poet” Marco Carbone and Maria Pia Viale of Vallebona have also gained prominence. Recent times have seen the emergence of authors such as Vincenzo Bolia, from Albenga, Roberto Benso who writes in the Ligurian variety of Carrosio, Enrico Granara who translates and disseminates journalistic articles on the history of Genoa and Liguria, Maurizio Paganelli from Albenga (who however writes in Genoese), Paolo Besagno, already known as a singer-songwriter. The spread of computer technology has also seen the emergence of attempts and experiments to foster knowledge of the Ligurian language on the Wweb, but the ever-increasing decline in the living practice of the language has led to doubts, discussions and disputes over issues of lexicon and spelling, which once would not have been imaginable, but which in any case testify to the survival of a certain public interest in these issues. A resurgence of interest is also evidenced by attempts to disseminate newspaper prose, such as the “Parlo Ciæo” page of the newspaper “Secolo XIX”, directed by Andrea Acquarone, and his magazine “O Stafî”, which was inspired by the periodicals in Genoese of the second half of the nineteenth century.

# Essential bibliography

The first anthology of Ligurian poets is the same one that has given us the works of sixteenth-century authors: Rime diverse in lingua genovese (Bartoli, Pavia, 1583), reprinted several times up to the beginning of the following century.

Another, smaller anthology accompanies the 1745 edition of Cavalli’s _A Cittara Zeneise_ (Franchelli, Genoa).

The next another anthology of Ligurian literature is C. Randaccio’s _Dell’idioma e della letteratura genovese_ (Forzani, Rome, 1894).

Soon after comes F. Donaver, _Antologia della poesia dialettale genovese_ (Libreria Editrice Moderna, Genoa, 1910).

In 1930, A. Salucci published _Çento sunetti zeneixi_ (Libreria Editrice Moderna), an anthology reserved, as per its title, to sonnets; the same year we also have _O Cicciollâ – Antologia dialettale savonese_, edited by F. Noberasco and I. Scovazzi (Lodola, Savona).

Between 1950 and 1951 a series of articles by E. Firpo appeared in the newspaper L’Unità, later collected in a volume by the title _La poesia dialettale genovese_ (S. Marco dei Giustiniani, Genoa, 1981).

In 1960 it was the turn of M. Boselli, La poesia ligure dalle origini a Edoardo Firpo (Di Stefano, Genoa).

In 1963 we have _Priamâ – Antologia della poesia dialettale savonese_, edited by R. Del Buono Boero, A. Barile and I. Scovazzi (A Campanassa, Savona).

Between 1986 and 1989 four volumes of the anthology _Semmo gente de Liguria_ came out, edited by M. Delpino, (Edizioni Tigullio–Bacherontius, S. Margherita Ligure).

Later on, the extremely comprehensive _Letteratura genovese e ligure_ by F. Toso (Marietti, Genoa, 1989–1991) was published, in six volumes, and then reprinted, with changes, in 2000 and 2010, for the published “Le Mani” (Genoa–Recco). At the same time, the same author published a historical synthesis of literature in Liguria entitled Profilo storico della letteratura ligure in the bulletin of the association “A Compagna”.

In 1997, P. Guidoni published Saggi sulla letteratura genovese, edited by L. Coveri, F. Toso, R. Trovato (A Compagna, Genoa), a collection of essays and articles already published by the author on various occasions.

In 1999 we have _Emigranti do rie_, an anthology of poets in twentieth-century Ligurian, edited by F. Toso, for the publisher “In forma di parola” (Bologna), as the second issue of the 19th year of the magazine In forma di parola.

In 2019 _Poeti in ligure tra Novecento e Duemila_ was published, edited by A. Guasoni (Edizioni Cofine, Rome).

In 2021 _Il genovese poetico attraverso i secoli_ was published, by E. Autelli (Lang, Berlin).

In 2024 S. Lusito publishes _Anthologie de la littérature et de l’usage écrit du monégasque_ (EGC Monaco), with a preface by H.S.H. prince Albert II of Monaco.