17 Facts About Andrea Zanzotto

Andrea Zanzotto was born in Pieve di Soligo, Italy to Giovanni and Carmela Bernardi.

Andrea Zanzotto returned to his home country for a brief period, but in 1926 was forced back to France, remaining in Royan until December of that year.

Thanks to his teacher, Marcellina Dalto, Andrea Zanzotto already knew how to write when he started elementary school in 1927.

In 1928 his father Giovanni took a job as a teacher in a school in Cadore and decided to move with the family to Santo Stefano where Andrea Zanzotto completed his second grade.

Andrea Zanzotto decided to move the family back to Pieve.

Andrea Zanzotto, attending third grade at the time, joined him during summer vacation, but suffered homesickness.

The father insisted then that Andrea Zanzotto take music lessons since music was the passion of the town thanks to the fame of local soprano Toti Dal Monte.

Andrea Zanzotto's father worked in the meantime in Santo Stefano, but was forced, in 1932, due to poorer wages, to return to Annoeullin where he remained until November.

Andrea Zanzotto returned to Pieve in 1933 and although he remained under a ban that prevented him from teaching, he was able to contribute to the upkeep of his family thanks to a part-time position at Collegio Balbi-Valier and to various odd jobs.

Andrea Zanzotto passed it and started to study Greek in order to pass the entrance examination for liceo classico.

Andrea Zanzotto passed the admission examination, finally achieving his classical diploma by examination without formal preparation at the Liceo Canova in Treviso.

Andrea Zanzotto discovered at that time that within the regime and above all in the student clubs, there were many who nevertheless acted with practical autonomy, or in contrast to himself, as he came to be informed by his friend, Ettore Luccini, history and philosophy teacher at the liceo classico.

The news of the outbreak of World War II was met in the town with great consternation, the economic crisis came to the fore, and Andrea Zanzotto's family had to sell half of the house at Col Santa.

In 1941 the substitute teaching position in Valdobbiadene was not renewed, but Andrea Zanzotto managed to find one in Treviso with a middle school.

Andrea Zanzotto received his diploma in Italian literature on 30 October 1942, with a thesis on the work of Grazia Deledda.

Andrea Zanzotto then refused to respond to the recruitment of volunteers organized by the Fascist Party.

Andrea Zanzotto published a prose poem entitled Adagio in issue 10 of Signum, and the first drafts of fiction, lyrical and prose, that would make up the older core of Sull'Altopiano date back to that year.