GOZZI, CARLO, COUNT (1720-18o6), Italian dramatist, was born at Venice on Dec. 13, 17 20. At the age of sixteen he joined the army in Dalmatia; three years afterwards he returned to Venice, where he was reputed the wittiest member of the Granelleschi society, to which his satirical pieces had gained him admission. This society aimed at preserving Tuscan literature pure and untainted by foreign influences. Gozzi flouted the innovations of Pietro Chiari, but he also turned his wit against Goldoni and wagered that he could attract audiences by plays on the most puerile subjects. His comedy, Fiaba dell' amore delle tre mela rancie, was one of several slight and witty pieces based on fairy tales. These pieces were praised by Goethe, Schlegel, Madame de Stael and Sismondi; and one of them, Re Turandote, was translated by Schiller and later made the subject of operas by Weber, Busoni and Puccini. In his later years Gozzi wrote trag edies in which the comic element was introduced; he also copied Spanish models. He died on April 4, 18o6.
His collected works were published under his own superintendence, at Venice, in 1792, in 10 volumes. See Gozzi's own work, Memorie inutili della vita di Carlo Gozzi (3 vols., Venice, 1797 ; new ed., 2 vols., 191o) , translated into French by Paul de Musset (1848) , and into English by J. A. Symonds (1889) ; and Magrini, I tempi, la vita e gli scritti di Carlo Gozzi (Benevento, 1883).