Poesia e impegno civile: Giuseppe Montani e la formazione intellettuale di Dionisio Solomos

This article will examine in depth the personal and intellectual rela- tionship between Dionisio Solomos and Giuseppe Montani, which was established during the years of Solomos’ training in Pavia and continued at least until 1826, the date of the last known letter of their correspondence. There are few examples of the exchange of letters between the two, little is known regarding their frequency, but among the few documents preserved there are letters that contain expres- sions of deep and melancholy affection. The context reflects the environment in which Solomos was edu- cated: a Pavia animated by nationalistic political fervour combined with discussions on language and the debate between classicists and romantics, which probably went to forming the young Greek’s first considerations on the national language. In the same years, especial- ly during the experience of the Conciliatore, Montani also began to outline his own critical position, abandoning late Arcadian classicism and supporting reasons for a social and civil literature. Their two paths went ahead at the same pace until Solomos’ return to his homeland, then their paths diverged: Montani was to begin collaborating on the Anthologia by Giovan Pietro Vieusseux consol- idating his own critical perspectives, while Solomos spent a period of study and experimentation to appropriate the Greek language, which led to his first, and one of his most significant works, l’Inno alla libertà. It is interesting to evaluate within this framework the intellectual re- lationship between the two and the actual influence of Montani on his young friend, including his harsh review regarding Rime improv- visate, which appeared in the May 1824 issue of the Anthologia; an attempt will be made to justify those harsh criticisms and assertive exhortations.