Recanati 1789, Naples 1837. Son of count Monaldo, an educated but reactionary man against innovation, he studied privately making use of his father’s extraordinary library. Leopardi learnt Latin, Greek, Jewish and a few modern languages. At eighteen he already was an outstanding scholar, but his health had been jeopardized by the long hours spent indoors.

Before the age of twenty he wrote various essays among which “Storia dell’Astronomia” (1813). At the trough of the depression he had fallen into he wrote “L’Appressamento Della Morte” as well as several patriotic poems such as “All’Italia”, “Sopra il Monumento di Dante” (1818), “Zibaldone” (1817-1832) where he exposed his pessimistic concept of life and “Operette Mortali” (1824-1834) where he blame ‘step-mother’ nature for all kinds of suffering. It is in this period that he also wrote his most famous lyrical poems “L’infinito”, “La Sera del Di di Festa”, “Alla Luna”, “Il Sogno” and “La Vita Solitaria” (1819-1821).

In 1826 he published a comment on Francesco Petrarca’s “Rime” yet, in spite of a more lively social and working life his melancholy did not improve.Leopardi travelled to Florence where he met Giovanni Battista Niccolini, Pietro Colletta, Niccolň Tommaseo and Alessandro Manzoni. He also went to Pisa where his health slightly improved and he was inspired to write “A Silvia”.

His physical ailments however forced him to return to Recanati where he wrote “Le Ricordanze”(1829), “La Quite Dopo La Tampesta” (1829), “Il Sabato del Villaggio” (1829), “Canto Notturno di Un Pastore Errante Dell’Asia” (1830), and “Il Passero Solitario”. Hoping to carry on without having to turn to his father for help, he once more traveled to Florence where he met Antonio Ranieri and the noble woman Fanny Targioni Tozzetti with whom he fell in love – unrequited. In 1883 Leopardi followed Ranieri to Naples where he spent the last four years of his life. There he composed most of his satirical works such as “Paralipomeni della Batracomiomachia”. In 1836 he wrote “La Ginestra”, which seemed to be a re-awakening of his youthful energy rebelling against nature and destiny, but his last sad poem “Il Tramonto Della Luna” ended his creative talent.