Background

Ethnicity: Son of Domenico Piccoli and Flora Mancini, both of Italian heritage

Born in Naples on November 20, 1892, to Domenico Piccoli and Flora Mancini, Valentino was raised in a family that appreciated culture and the humanities. His early exposure to Southern Italy’s artistic and philosophical heritage contributed to his pursuit of literature and critical thought as life vocations.

Education

Piccoli studied philosophy and letters (LL.II. e filos.) at a university level, likely in Naples or Milan. Immersed in an atmosphere shaped by the intellectual ferment of post-Risorgimento Italy and European modernist thought, he developed a critical style that engaged deeply with Italian aesthetic theory and Romantic criticism. His admiration for authors like Giacomo Leopardi and Benedetto Croce is evident in his publications.

Career

Valentino Piccoli began his literary and editorial career as a contributor to Il Secolo between 1918 and 1926, where he worked in both the political and literary sections. He later joined Corriere della Sera in 1926, a testament to his growing reputation in Italy’s cultural journalism.

He collaborated with Il Resto del Carlino, contributed to L'Illustrazione Italiana, and eventually became director of I Libri del Giorno, a prominent book review journal. He published numerous literary essays and was actively involved with the literary life of Milan and Lombardy. Piccoli served as secretary of the Società degli Scrittori Italiani and held positions of influence at the Castello Sforzesco and the Lombard Association of Fine Arts.

His editorial and scholarly activities reflected a dual commitment to cultural preservation and modern critique. He frequently explored aesthetics and literary legacy, particularly with regard to Italian romanticism, symbolism, and metaphysical themes.

Works

More photos

• book

  • Leopardi

    (Reprinted in 2022 from the original edition published man...)

    1926
  • Leopardi. (Leather Bound)

    (Reprinted in 2022 from the original edition)

    1926
  • Leopardi

    (Leopardi: PICCOLI Valentino)

    1926
  • Il martirio di Nazario Sauro

    (Italian Edition (Kindle))

    1916
  • Il martirio di Nazario Sauro 1916
  • Foscolo 1928
  • Vico 1925
  • Introduzione alla filosofia 1925
  • Italia, Alemania y España contra el comunismo 1938

• pamphlet

  • Il romanziere della storia

    (Pamphlet)

    1932

Religion

Rooted in Catholic cultural tradition with philosophical leanings toward Italian spiritual idealism.

Politics

Intellectual liberalism informed by aesthetic humanism; committed to the ethical and cultural responsibilities of writers and critics.

Views

Piccoli viewed literature and philosophy as vehicles for both personal transcendence and social cohesion. Influenced by Gioberti and Croce, he believed in a national cultural mission grounded in Italy’s intellectual and moral traditions.

Membership

Active member of Milanese and Lombard cultural circles: Società degli Scrittori Italiani; Castello Sforzesco Conservatory; Lombardy Fine Arts Association

Personality

Known for precision, clarity, and refinement in both his prose and public engagement. Deeply thoughtful, but not distant; valued for cultural diplomacy and stylistic grace.

Interests

• Book criticism, cultural institutions, Milanese literary salons

• Writers

  Giacomo Leopardi; Ugo Foscolo

Connections

Son of Domenico Piccoli and Flora Mancini

Father:

Domenico Piccoli

Mother:

Flora Mancini

References

• Chi è? Dizionario degli italiani d’oggi Entry on Piccoli Valentino
  1928