He began writing in his teens, producing the largely unpublished, but currently quite famous, historical novel Amore e Patria (Love and Country); then, although nominally studying law at the University of Catania, he used money his father had given him to publish his I carbonari della montagna (The Carbonari of the Mountain) in 1861 and 1862.
Dia mulai menjejaki dunia tulis menulis sejak masa remaja, membuat puluhan macam novel sejarah yang tak diterbitkan seperti Amore e Patria (Love and Country); lalu, meskipun sedang menempuh pendidikan hukum di Universitas Catania, dia menggunakan uang yang diberikan ayahnya untuk menerbitkan bukunya I Carbonari della Montagna (The Carbonari of the Mountain) pada tahun 1861 dan 1862.