TALE OF TALES
Between 1634 and 1636 Giambattista Basile wrote the first collection of short stories
entirely devoted to childhood, "Lo Cunto de li Cunti overo Lo
trattenemiento de' peccerille" (= trattenemiento de peccerille" (The
tale of tales, or how to entertain kids) in the Neapolitan language,
published posthumously thanks to the author's sister, Adriana Basile, a
famous singer.
The Cunto has been the source of inspiration for the literary genre of the fairy-tale in European literature. Some of the most famous fairy tales - Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Puss in Boots - are the result of reductions or adjustments from Basile's tales. Benedetto Croce said of this important work: "Italy has in Lo Cunto de li Cunti by Basile, the oldest, richest and most artistic of all the books of folk tales".
"Lo Cunto" is a collection of tales of folk origin, written in Neapolitan dialect, and inserted in a frame along the lines of the Decameron. The narrative is divided into five days (hence the other title of Pentamerone), each including ten fairy tales.
The Cunto has been the source of inspiration for the literary genre of the fairy-tale in European literature. Some of the most famous fairy tales - Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Puss in Boots - are the result of reductions or adjustments from Basile's tales. Benedetto Croce said of this important work: "Italy has in Lo Cunto de li Cunti by Basile, the oldest, richest and most artistic of all the books of folk tales".
"Lo Cunto" is a collection of tales of folk origin, written in Neapolitan dialect, and inserted in a frame along the lines of the Decameron. The narrative is divided into five days (hence the other title of Pentamerone), each including ten fairy tales.
http://www.italyheritage.com/great-italians/literature/basile-giambattista.htm
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