Doctor Antonio: A Tale of Italy - Softcover

Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

GIOVANNI DOMENICO RUFFINI, was born in 1807 in Genoa, and studied at Genoa University, were he graduated as an advocate (lawyer) in 1830. He was a keen supporter of the 'Young Italy' party which was campaigning for the unification of Italy. This brought him into conflict with the ruling powers and he moved to the south of France in 1833 and then on to Switzerland. During his time in exile, like many of his fellow 'Unificationists' he was sentenced to death in absentia. In 1836 he moved to England, and learnt English. His health suffered in the English climate and he moved to Paris. In 1848, the promulgation of the new Sardinian constitution allowed him to return to Italy. He was elected as a deputy to the Sub-Alpine Parliament, representing Taggia; a town near San Remo where some members of his family were landowners. He took a prominent part in the affairs of Sardinia, (then the ruler of Liguria), and in 1849 he received the appointment of Sardinian minister in Paris. He had only held this post for a few weeks, when the battle of Novara resulted in the abdication of his patron, King Charles-Albert, and Ruffini once more sought refuge in London. Here he started writing, and in 1852 Lorenzo Benoni was published, and in 1855, his most popular work, Doctor Antonio. was published. In 1875 he retired to Taggia, the district that he had described so glowingly in Doctor Antonio, where he spent the last few years of his life. Ruffini died in September 1881 and is buried, with his mother Elenora, and brother Agosto, in the Taggia cemetery.