Giuseppe Botero

Giuseppe Botero (Novara, Province of Novara, Italy, 1815 – northern Italy, 30 May 1885), was an Italian writer in various literary genres, representative of the romantic literary movement and also an educator.

Biography

Botero lived his childhood under the custody of his mother, because his father, a surgeon by profession, died when Giuseppe was just a baby. He shared the early years of his life together with his two brothers and two sisters. At an early age, he was sent to an educational institution, never able to see his family again, but with the satisfaction of being successful in his school life.

He devoted himself to being an educator for much of his life, serving as principal in high schools and lyceums in various cities in northern Italy. He completed his Bachelor of Literature studies at the University of Turin.

A year after finishing his military career, he became a teacher.

During his years of activity as an educator, this Piedmontese combined that activity with the production of literary works in different genres. In the educational field, he was known for being a person dedicated to the formation of his young students in values and different academic facets. In the literary field, he was characterized by composing works where he expressed his affectionate and delicate character, especially in the parables he composed. In this genre, he made writings of an educational nature, following the example of La Mennais and Lessing.

The parables are a class of writings that were used in times before Botero's life, to provide teachings to the people in general, but in a very limited way in Italy. During his lifetime, very few authors used them as a literary genre of writing.

One of his works was the novel Ricciarda oi Nurra ei Cabras (Speech delivered on the occasion of the solemn inaugurationby the Arona civic administration of the monument erectedin memory of Giuseppe Botelli) Speech Novara, Italy 1844 Elogio funebre del padre Luigi de' Marchesi Dal Pozzo(Funeral eulogy of the father Luigi de 'Marchesi Dal Pozzo) Speech Novara, Italy 1845 Per l'inaugurazione del piroscafo San Carlo(For the inauguration of the steamship San Carlo) Speech Novara, Italy 1845 Delle lodi dei Santi Martiri Gratiniano e Felino, patroniprincipali della citta di Arona: discorso del professore abateGiuseppe Botero (Of the praises of the holy martyrs Gratiniano and Felino,principal patrons of the city of Arona: speech by the professorabbot Giuseppe Botero) Speech Novara, Italy 1846 In morte di Giberto Pertossi(In the death of Giberto Pertossi) Speech Novara, Italy 1847 Monte Mesma(Mount Mesma) Monograph Novara, Italy 1854 Ricciarda o i Nurra e i Cabras(Ricciarda or the Nurra and the Cabras) Novel Cagliari, Italy 1855 Virtù' e Patria (Virtue and Homeland) Parable Moncalvo, Italy 1858 Raffaele(Raffaele) Short story Cagliari, Italy 1859 Il Galeotto di San Bartolomeo(The convict of Saint Bartholomew) Short story Turin, Italy 1861 Nella di Cortemilia(Nella of Cortemilia) Short story Turin, Italy 1862 La Tradita (The Betrayed) Novel Piacenza, Italy 1862 Parabole ad uso delle madri e delle maestre(Parables for the use of mothers and teachers) Parable Florence, Italy 1863 Lo studente (The student) Speech Piacenza, Italy 1865 Didimo Frate(Twin Brother) Short story Palermo, Italy 1869 Eloisa Basili(Eloisa Basili) Short story Piacenza, Italy 1869 La mia Donna(My Woman) Parable Faenza, Italy 1870 Speranza – Per le nozze della gentile damigella MariaOmboni e l'egregio signore Pietro Zappa alla cugina sposa (Speranza – For the wedding of the kind maid Maria Omboniand the distinguished gentleman Pietro Zappa, to his cousinbride) Parable Faenza, Italy 1870 Per le nozze dell'ingegnere architetto Pietro Rossini e la gentildonzella Anna Tomba agli sposi(For the wedding of the architect engineer Pietro Rossini and thegentle damsel Anna Tomba, to the newlyweds) Parable Faenza, Italy 1872 Viver bene e fare il bene(Live well and do good) Parable Faenza, Italy 1873 Amore e Natura(Love and Nature) Parable Faenza, Italy

Career as an educator

Torricelli Lyceum in Faenza, Italy – Year 1930. One of the educational institutions where Giuseppe Botero was president, between 1869 and 1875.

In 1849, he was assigned the chair of Italian literature, teaching at the high school of Cortemilia. one of the oldest and most traditional secondary schools in Italy, located in the city of Faenza, in the province of Ravenna. He received the position from Valentino Cigliutti.

From 1865 and until 1874 – during a large part of Botero's period as president of the institute, one of the most important events in the history of the lyceum was held: the Annual Literary Festival, through which each year the institute paid homage to an Italian writer of the past, with the active participation of the students of the educational establishment through different disciplines and cultural expressions.

Another important event for the lyceum during Botero's presidency was the return of the institution in 1873 to its former headquarters in the Jesuit convent, in the same city of Faenza. The convent facilities were duly remodelled and prepared to accommodate the educational staff and their students.

Giuseppe Botero assumed the position of president of the lyceum (later renamed Torricelli-Ballardini) until 1875, before being replaced by Francesco Brizio.

On 30 May 1885, Botero died in Italian territory, 10 years after finishing his work as a teacher at the Torricelli Lyceum and after a 30-year career as a writer and 26 years as a licensed educator.