Maria Giuseppa Guacci

Maria Giuseppa Guacci was born in Naples on 20 June 1807 into a family from the city's lower middle class. His father Giovanni was a printer (according to some sources he was the architect of the royal theatres), while his mother Saveria Tagliaferri was the first to believe in her daughter's talent and encourage her literary vocation. Maria Giuseppa began writing verses very early, already at the age of eight, without any formal preparation. The turning point came when at thirteen she met the poet Domenico Piccinini, who became her private teacher and who went to her house two or three times a week to have her read the great classics such as Ariosto. In 1830, at the age of twenty-three, Maria Giuseppa entered Basilio Puoti's famous school in Palazzo Bagnara. This was a crucial moment in his education: the Puoti school was in fact one of the most important cultural centers in Naples, frequented by intellectuals who would become leading figures of the Italian Risorgimento. Here he became friends with personalities such as Luigi Settembrini, the Imbriani brothers, Antonio Ranieri and Francesco De Sanctis. With them he shared not only a passion for literature, but also liberal political ideals that led them to commit themselves to Italian independence. Nineteenth-century Naples was full of literary salons, meeting places where intellectuals, artists and nobles gathered to discuss literature, politics and culture. Maria Giuseppa frequented the most important: that of the Count of Camaldoli Francesco Ricciardi, that of Giuseppe De Cesare and that of Carlo Troja. It was in Troja's house that in 1833 she met Antonio Nobile, a young astronomer who worked at the Capodimonte Observatory whom she married two years later. From their union two children were born: Arminio, who followed in his father's footsteps by becoming an astronomer, and Emilia, who became a professor of moral philosophy and director of a section of the National Library of Naples. A significant episode was the meeting with Giacomo Leopardi, which Antonio Ranieri brought to his meetings. The great poet from the Marche had a notable influence on the production of Maria Giuseppa, who was struck above all by the themes of melancholy and youthful illusions. Maria Giuseppa's poetic production was collected in three volumes of Rime published in 1832, 1839 and 1847. The first volume was a great success and many reprints. He also collaborated with magazines and newspapers of the time such as Omnibus, Museum of Literature and Philosophy and Weekly Sheet of Science and Letters and Arts. In 1833 she received the medal of meritorious member of the Tiber Academy, but the most important recognition was being admitted to the Accademia Pontaniana in Naples, one of the most prestigious cultural institutions in Italy. Maria Giuseppa did not limit herself to literature, but actively dedicated herself to social commitment. During the cholera epidemic that hit Naples between 1836 and 1837, he personally did his utmost to help the poorest, visiting the degraded neighborhoods of the city. From this experience a History of Cholera was born, published only in 1978. Her interest in education led her to found the "Society of nursery schools" in 1840, anticipating the establishment of public kindergartens by many years. She also published educational manuals such as the Alphabet (1841) and the Second Readings for children aged 9 to 12 (1846), convinced that education was the only path to social progress. In November 1848, he fell ill with tracheitis, which rapidly worsened. He died in Naples on 25 November 1848, aged just 41. Maria Giuseppa Guacci Nobile represents a significant figure of the Italian Risorgimento, not only for her literary production, but above all for her social and political commitment. In an era when women had few opportunities for public expression, she managed to gain recognition as an intellectual and use her position to promote education and help those most in need. His life demonstrates how literature and civil commitment could go hand in hand, anticipating themes and battles that would become central in united Italy.