Edmondo De Amicis

Born in Oneglia, Italy, in 1846, Edmondo De Amicis became one of the country’s best-known writers of the late 19th century. He was educated at the military academy in Modena and first served as an artillery officer before turning toward journalism and literature.

His writing ranged widely: travel books, essays, poetry, short fiction, and novels. He is remembered above all for Heart (Cuore, 1886), a children’s book presented as a schoolboy’s diary, which became an international success and helped make him a lasting figure in children’s literature.

De Amicis died in Bordighera in 1908. Alongside the emotional directness of Heart, readers also value him for travel writing and socially minded work that reflects the ideals and tensions of newly unified Italy.