author

Ernesto Masi

1837–1908

A lively Italian historian and man of letters, he wrote about the eighteenth century and the Risorgimento with a clear, accessible style. His books range from political history to literary portraits, showing a writer interested as much in people and culture as in events.

1 Audiobook

Vincenzo Monti (1754-1828)

Vincenzo Monti (1754-1828)

by Ernesto Masi

About the author

Born in Bologna in either 1836 or 1837, and dying in Florence in 1908, Ernesto Masi was an Italian historian, essayist, and public official. Sources agree that he worked within the Ministry of Public Instruction after Italian unification, and later served as a school administrator; in his later years he also taught the history of the Risorgimento at the Cesare Alfieri institute in Florence.

He is remembered especially for studies of the Italian eighteenth century and of the people, politics, and culture surrounding the Risorgimento. Reference works describe him as a moderate in politics and as a prolific writer whose interests covered political history, literary history, manners, and biography.

Among the works associated with him are Parrucche e sanculotti nel secolo XVIII, La monarchia di Savoia, Donne di storia e di romanzo, and La vita. His writing was often noted more for its vivid, explanatory quality than for heavy scholarly argument, which helps explain why his books can still feel approachable to modern readers.