Giovanni Francesco Straparola
Encyclopedia
Giovanni Francesco "Gianfrancesco" Straparola (c. 1480 – c. 1557) was an Italian
writer and fairy tale
collector from Caravaggio, Italy
. He has been termed the progenitor of the literary form of the fairy tale
in Europe. Charles Perrault
borrowed most of his stories from Giovanni Francesco Straparola and Giambattista Basile
.
While his given name is likely to have been "Giovanni Francesco", the last name of "Straparola" is not plausible. It is not typical of a family name of that time and place, and the literal meaning of it, "babbler", seems a likely nickname for a writer.
Straparola's main work is two-volume collection Le piacevoli notti (published in English
as The Nights of Straparola or The Facetious Nights of Straparola
), with 75 stories. Modelled on Decamerone, it has participants of a 13-night party in the island of Murano
, near Venice
, tell each other stories that vary from bawdy to fantastic. It contains the first known written versions of many fairy tales.
Among the tales included were:
Venice was the first place in Europe where the book-buying public included considerable numbers of literate artisans. This accounts for the predominance in Straparola's tales of stories involving social rise.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
writer and fairy tale
Fairy tale
A fairy tale is a type of short story that typically features such folkloric characters, such as fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, dwarves, giants or gnomes, and usually magic or enchantments. However, only a small number of the stories refer to fairies...
collector from Caravaggio, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. He has been termed the progenitor of the literary form of the fairy tale
Fairy tale
A fairy tale is a type of short story that typically features such folkloric characters, such as fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, dwarves, giants or gnomes, and usually magic or enchantments. However, only a small number of the stories refer to fairies...
in Europe. Charles Perrault
Charles Perrault
Charles Perrault was a French author who laid the foundations for a new literary genre, the fairy tale, with his works derived from pre-existing folk tales. The best known include Le Petit Chaperon rouge , Cendrillon , Le Chat Botté and La Barbe bleue...
borrowed most of his stories from Giovanni Francesco Straparola and Giambattista Basile
Giambattista Basile
Giambattista Basile was an Italian poet, courtier, and fairy tale collector.- Biography :Born to a Neapolitan middle-class family, Basile was, during his career, a courtier and soldier to various Italian princes, including the doge of Venice. According to Benedetto Croce he was born in 1575, while...
.
While his given name is likely to have been "Giovanni Francesco", the last name of "Straparola" is not plausible. It is not typical of a family name of that time and place, and the literal meaning of it, "babbler", seems a likely nickname for a writer.
Straparola's main work is two-volume collection Le piacevoli notti (published in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
as The Nights of Straparola or The Facetious Nights of Straparola
The Facetious Nights of Straparola
]The Facetious Nights of Straparola , also known as The Nights of Straparola, is a two-volume collection of 75 stories by Italian author and fairy-tale collector Giovanni Francesco Straparola...
), with 75 stories. Modelled on Decamerone, it has participants of a 13-night party in the island of Murano
Murano
Murano is a series of islands linked by bridges in the Venetian Lagoon, northern Italy. It lies about 1.5 km north of Venice and measures about across with a population of just over 5,000 . It is famous for its glass making, particularly lampworking...
, near Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
, tell each other stories that vary from bawdy to fantastic. It contains the first known written versions of many fairy tales.
Among the tales included were:
- The Pig King
- Costantino Fortunato, the oldest known variant of Puss-in-Boots
- Ancilotto, King of ProvinoAncilotto, King of ProvinoAncilotto, King of Provino is an Italian literary fairy tale written by Giovanni Francesco Straparola in The Facetious Nights of Straparola....
, the oldest known variant of The Dancing Water, the Singing Apple, and the Speaking BirdThe Dancing Water, the Singing Apple, and the Speaking BirdThe Dancing Water, the Singing Apple, and the Speaking Bird is an Italian fairy tale collected by Thomas Frederick Crane in Italian Popular Tales... - Biancabella and the SnakeBiancabella and the SnakeBiancabella and the Snake is an Italian literary fairy tale written by Giovanni Francesco Straparola in The Facetious Nights of Straparola....
- Maestro Lattantio and His Apprentice DionigiMaestro Lattantio and His Apprentice DionigiMaestro Lattantio and His Apprentice Dionigi is an Italian literary fairy tale written by Giovanni Francesco Straparola in The Facetious Nights of Straparola....
- Guerrino and the Savage ManGuerrino and the Savage ManGuerrino and the Savage Man is an Italian literary fairy tale written by Giovanni Francesco Straparola in The Facetious Nights of Straparola....
, the oldest known variant of Iron JohnIron John"Iron John" is a German fairy tale found in the collections of the Brothers Grimm, tale number 136, about a wild man and a prince... - Fortunio, the earliest European appearance of a story about killing or injuring someone while attempting to shoo away a fly (Aarne-Thompson-Uther type 1586)
- Costanza / CostanzoCostanza / CostanzoCostanza / Costanzo is an Italian literary fairy tale written by Giovanni Francesco Straparola in The Facetious Nights of Straparola.-Synopsis:...
Venice was the first place in Europe where the book-buying public included considerable numbers of literate artisans. This accounts for the predominance in Straparola's tales of stories involving social rise.
External links
- SurLaLune Fairy Tale Pages: The Facetious Nights of Straparola, an English translation of many tales