Intellectual and spiritual development: the self-cultivation of the modern man in Giacomo Leopardi

Abstract

This article analyzes some features of Giacomo Leopardi’s (1798-1837) cultural and spiritual self-cultivation project, built in response to the weakening process of Italian culture in the nineteenth century. The poet’s proposals redefine cultural sources and models, opening a new possibility for a national self-awareness development and constitution of an actual self-image.