DENI'NA, CARLO GIOVANNI MARIA, born in 1731, at Revello in Piedmont, studied at Saluzzo and Turin, took priest's orders, and was made professor at Pinerolo. Having discussed rather freely, in a play which he composed, the various systems of education, he incurred the dislike of the Jesuits, who had at that time the monopoly of education, and he was dismissed from his chair. Repairing to Milan, he wrote a work, 'De Studio Theologian, et Norma Fidei,' 175S, which was much approved of, and the author was soon after recalled to Piedmont, and appointed professor of humanities and rhetoric in the High College of Turin. lie then began his work on the revolutions of Italy, which is a general history of Italy from the Etruscan times to the beginning of the 17th century : ' Istoria dello ltivoluzioui d'Italia,' in 24 books, to which he added afterwards a 25th book, which brings the narrative down to 1792. This was the first general history of Italy, with the exception of the 'Annals' of Muratori, and although it is at times deficient in sound criticism, it is not destitute of merit. The work has been transl-'nd into almost all the European languages. In 1777 Denina went to Florence,- where he published anonymously his Discorso sull' ltupiego dello Persona,' which was intended as a reply to certain charges brought agaioat his historical work by cede siaatical critics, because Denina hat causured the abuses of monastic institutions, and had questioned the propriety of binding a vast number of persona to celibacy. There was a law in Piedmont by which any native of that country waa forbidden to publish a book, even in a foreign country, without the previous sanction of the Turin censorship. Denius was in consequence deprived of his chair, and banished to his native town. The Archbishop of Turin however took up his defence, and he was allowed to return to the capital, where some time after he received, through the Prussian envoy, an invitation from Frederic II. to repair to Berlin, for the purpose of writing a work on the revolutions of Germany. Dcnitia accepted the offer, and repaired, in 1782, to Berlin, where he remained many years, and where he composed his Rivolazioni della Germania,' and also La Itussiado; being a panegyrical hietorF, in poetical prose, of Pater the Great. He al,o wrote a work in }much on Prussian literature, 'La Pruase Litttiraire sous Frederic II., ou histoiro abrdgde de la plupart dos auteurs, des acadhlicieus, et des artistes qui sent ads on qui ont vdeu dens lee Etats Prusaiens depuis 1740 jusqu'eu 1780, par ordre alpha bdtique, 4 vela. 8vo, Berlin, 1790-91. Be also wrote an 'Essai sur la Via et le Regne de Frederic II. In 1792 Denina revisited Italy, and after his return to Berlin ho wrote Consid6rations d'un Italian cur 'Italic,' in which he gave an account of the contemporary literature of his native country, for the information of the philologists of Gorinany. Another aud a more important work is his ' Vincende della
Lettemtura,' 4 vols. 8vo, in which he sketches with concise but clever touches the progress and vicissitudes of the literature of the various nations of Europe. The book displays a vast extent of bibliographical erudition.
In 1801 Denina was introduced to Napoleon at Mainz, to whom ho dedicated Ills' La Clef des Leagues, ou observations stir l'origine et la formation des principales longues de ''Europa' Soon afterwards ho was appointed imperial librarian. He then removed to Paris, where he wrote his ' Istetia dell' Italia Occidentals; being a sort of supple ment or continuation of his ' Hivoluzioni d'Italia: It Is a history of Piedmont and Liguria, and contains much information derived from the local chronicles and documents, which Denina had consulted while he lived iv his native country. Ile also wrote 'Tableau histo ricity', statistique, et moral do Is Haute Italie,' which was afterwards translated into Italian. Dunina died at Paris, at an advanced ago, in December 1e13. Besides the works above mentioned, he wrote many minor ones, among which the following are deserving of notioe :— 1. ' Guide Litteraire,' belug a sketch of the Prussiau monarchy, and of its civil and literary institutions. 2. 'Della Lodi di Carlo Emmanuele Iii., WS di Sardegna.' 3. ' Elogio storied di Mercurino di Gattinara, Gran Cancelliere doll' Imperatore Carlo V., e Cardivale.' It contains a sketch of the condition of Spain under Charles V.
4. del Cardinale Guala. Bk.:Ailed, who was a papal legate in England about 1222. 5. qtripotine h la question: quo doit on It I'llapague I' Berlin, 1780, and afterwards translated into Spauish. It is a reply to coins harsh judgments upon Spain lu the article 'Espagno' in the ' EneyoloptSdie 516thodique: Denina shows that Spain has contributed more than Is generally supposed to the European stores of sciences, letters, and fine arta. 0. Emile cur lee traces anoiennee du Camaro dee Itallena modernes, des Sardes, et des Cones.' Bonin* was a great supporter of the theory of the Influence of climato on tha character of nations. 7. ' Bibliopea, osaia l'Arte di compor Libri.' 8. ' Istoria polities a littemria della Grecia libera,' which ends at the death of Plidip, father of Alexander.
(Ugoni, Della Letteratura Italiana ncila aeconda Inca des &cola X VIII. ; Barbier, Notice sur la Vie a ka principaux °wage. de in the Magazin Encyclopidigoe for January 1814.)