Historical and personality archives

Antognini, Carlo

Art and literature critic, and publisher, Antognini was born in Ancona on August 9, 1937. Confined to his room because of an accident he suffered at a young age, he studyed by himself European and world literature, particularly Anglo-American literature. His extensive reading guided him to a career as a literary critic from 1964 for the newspaper “L’Avvenire d’Italia”... 

Bedeschi, Lorenzo

Priest, partisan, and historian, Bedeschi was born in Prati, a district of Bagnacavallo (Province of Ravenna), in 1915. During his career as professor of contemporary history at the University of Urbino, he established the Centro studi per la storia del modernismo. Then, together with the rector Carlo Bo, in 1989, he worked at the creation of the Romolo Murri Foundation in Urbino: Bedeschi’s archive is housed there... 

Castellani, Silvestro

Artist and restorer, Castellani was born in Urbino in 1940, into a family of artists: his grandfather Federico was a carpenter and his father Leonardo a painter and engraver. As soon as graduated in 1968 from Istituto Statale d’Arte in Urbino as a master engraver he began his restoration work with the Tintori-Rosi-Del Serra group, moving to Florence for six years...

Conti, Antonio

Playwright writer and writer, Conti was born in Acqualagna (Province of Pesaro e Urbino) on September 3, 1897, to Egidio Conti and Michela Lazzarini. His father, who was an elementary school teacher, educational director, and researcher, created the “Vocabolario metaurense”, a dictionary of dialects from the Metauro valley... 

Garrone, Dino

Literary critic and writer, Garrone was born in Novara to Giovanni Garrone and Maria Antonietta Mercalli. He moved to Pesaro as a child so that his sister Carla, a violinist, could attend the Rossini Conservatory. His father, a bank director, remained in Novara due to work reasons. As he was a very talented student, Garrone he graduated from Liceo Mamiani and continued his studies at the University of Bologna... 

Hemmeler, Antonio

Chemist and university professor, Hemmeler was born in Florence on February 1, 1898, to Anton Hemmeler and Teresa Rizzi. His father, who was a wealthy Swiss entrepreneur, married Teresa that came from the Rizzi family of Modena, owners of the local steelworks. The family settled in Florence, where Antonio and his brother Luigi, two years older than him, spent thier childhood and completed their high school studies...

Lunardi, Raul

Writer and poet, Lunardi was born in Sassoferrato (Province of Ancona) on February 10, 1905, into a modest family with an inclination towards art. His father, who was a municipal employee, had a passion for theater; his mother, who came from a family of artisan-artists in wrought iron, loved poetry. In 1925, Lunardi graduated as an electromechanical technician in Rome...

Varese, Claudio

Critic and essayist, Varese was born in Sassari on August 23, 1909. He went to a Liceo in Cagliari and he continued his  studies at Scuola Normale Superiore in Pisa, where he graduated in 1930, with a thesis on the Gerusalemme Liberata with Attilio Momigliano, the professor he assisted until 1933... 

Volponi, Paolo

Writer, poet, and politician, Volponi was born in Urbino on February 6, 1924, to Teresa Filippini and Arturo Volponi. His father owned a small brick furnace and his mother came from a family of small landowners. In 1925, his sister Maria Luisa was born. In Urbino, he attended Liceo Classico Raffaello...