This dissertation examines the general traits of Decadentismo and Scapigliatura and the position of the art and literary critic Vittorio Pica and the writer Carlo Dossi in representing and promoting themes directly linked to these two literary trends. Pica’s essays on the leading European writers of the day are published in All’avanguardia (1890) and Letteratura d’eccezione (1898). These two books are responsible for the introduction of French Decadentism in Italy. Pica is also known for categorizing decadent authors under the literary phenomenon of “arte aristocratica.” This is the term that Pica resorts to when classifying the ‘ultra aristocratic’ tendencies of authors worthy of this prestigious stature. Carlo Dossi is one of the most appealing figures within the Scapigliatura. His position within the movement is examined in light of the narrative and linguistic divertissement displayed in his works, the interplay of the subjective narratorial voice of the “I” and the writer’s revolutionary role within the Italian literary canon. Special emphasis is given to Dossi’s dismantling of the traditional literary text, the literature of the fantastic, humor and the role of the reader. These themes are exemplified in his personal journal Note azzurre and in the novels, L’altrieri, Vita di Alberto Pisani and La desinenza in A. Although Dossi the writer and Pica the critic produced works that are entirely different in nature, the dissertation attempts to draw attention to a series of convergences and divergences between the two of them.

This dissertation examines the general traits of Decadentismo and Scapigliatura and the position of the art and literary critic Vittorio Pica and the writer Carlo Dossi in representing and promoting themes directly linked to these two literary trends. Pica’s essays on the leading European writers of the day are published in All’avanguardia (1890) and Letteratura d’eccezione (1898). These two books are responsible for the introduction of French Decadentism in Italy. Pica is also known for categorizing decadent authors under the literary phenomenon of “arte aristocratica.” This is the term that Pica resorts to when classifying the ‘ultra aristocratic’ tendencies of authors worthy of this prestigious stature. Carlo Dossi is one of the most appealing figures within the Scapigliatura. His position within the movement is examined in light of the narrative and linguistic divertissement displayed in his works, the interplay of the subjective narratorial voice of the “I” and the writer’s revolutionary role within the Italian literary canon. Special emphasis is given to Dossi’s dismantling of the traditional literary text, the literature of the fantastic, humor and the role of the reader. These themes are exemplified in his personal journal Note azzurre and in the novels, L’altrieri, Vita di Alberto Pisani and La desinenza in A. Although Dossi the writer and Pica the critic produced works that are entirely different in nature, the dissertation attempts to draw attention to a series of convergences and divergences between the two of them.