Anton Giulio Barrili

Born in Savona in 1836, Anton Giulio Barrili first prepared for a legal career but left it for journalism in Genoa. He took part as a volunteer in the 1859 campaign and later served with Garibaldi in 1866 and 1867, experiences that helped shape the patriotic spirit often linked with his writing.

From the mid-1860s onward, he published a long stream of novels, along with plays, short fiction, and verse. Reference works describe him as a prolific and widely read author, especially known for contemporary and historical narratives; among the titles most often remembered are Capitan Dodero, Val d'Olivi, Il merlo bianco, and La montanara.

Barrili was active beyond literature as well. He directed the Genoese newspaper Movimento, served as a deputy in the Italian parliament, and later became a professor of Italian literature at the University of Genoa, eventually serving as rector. He died in Carcare in 1908.