Research topic: Giovanni Battista Basile

Giovanni Battista Basile , 1575-1632, Italian writer. Basile held several important official positions, devoting his spare time to the study of folklore. He is known for his Lu Cunta de li cunti [the tale of tales] (1634-36), a collection of folk and fairy tales written in the Neopolitan dialect in a vigorous, exuberant style. The collection, usually referred to as Il Pentamerone because its framework is similar to Boccaccio's Decameron, recounts 50 tales told to a prince and his bride by ten women during a five-day period. Cinderella, Rapunzel, Snow White, and many other fairy-tale... Read more