author
Giovanni Battista Casti
1724–1803
Best known for sharp, witty satire, this 18th-century Italian poet wrote comic opera librettos and verse that poked at courts, politics, and human vanity. His work still feels lively for the way it mixes elegance with mischief.
1 Audiobook
I Tre Giulj o sieno Sonetti di Niceste Abideno sopra l'Importunità di un Creditor di Tre Giulj
by Giovanni Battista Casti
About the author
Born on August 29, 1724, in Acquapendente in the Papal States, Giovanni Battista Casti became an Italian poet, satirist, and librettist. He is often remembered for comic opera texts as well as for verse satire, a form in which he built a reputation for being clever, observant, and boldly funny.
Casti spent much of his life moving in literary and courtly circles across Europe. After taking holy orders early in life, he turned toward a more worldly literary career, and his writing often reflected a skeptical eye on power and manners. Among the works most closely associated with him are Poema tartaro and Gli animali parlanti (The Talking Animals), both noted for their satirical bite.
He died in Paris on February 5, 1803. Readers coming to Casti today often find a writer who used humor not just to entertain, but to expose pretension and folly with unusual energy.