GIUSTI, itragtA, GIUSEPPE (1809-50). One of the most celebrated and popular of the modern poets and satirists of Italy, born in Monsum mano, near Pistoja. Sprung from an influential Tuscan family, Giusti was early destined for the bar, and at Pistoja and Lucca began the pre liminary studies, which were completed at the University of Pisa, where he obtained his degree of doctor of laws. On quitting Pisa Giusti was domiciled at Florence with the advocate Capo quadri, who subsequently became Minister of Justice, and here he first attempted poetry. Lyri cal compositions of the Romantic School, evincing both elevated and nervous thought, were his ear liest efforts; but he speedily comprehended that satire, not idealisin, was his true forte. In a preeminent degree, Giusti possessed the require ments of the great lyrical satirist—terseness, clearness, and brilliancy. His writings exercised a positive political influence. When the functions of the press were ignored, and freedom of thought was treason, his verses in manuscript were in general circulation throughout Italy, and as sisted in preparing the insurrection of 1848. Then for the first time did Giusti discard the pseu donym of `the Anonymous Tuscan,' and append his name to a volume of verses, bearing on the events and aims of the times. In his political poems he abandoned the beaten track, and adopted many metrical forms instead of the con ventional terza rime or unrhymed hendecasyl lables. All his compositions are short pieces, rarely blemished with personalities, and written in the purest form of the popular Tuscan dialect. Giusti's writings are not only Italian in spirit and wit, but essentially Tuscan. A reverent stu dent of Dante, Giusti himself often reaches an almost Dantesque sublimity in the higher out bursts of his wrath, while he stands alone in the lighter play of ironical wit. In politics an en lightened and moderate Liberal, Giusti was also beloved in private life for his social qualities and his loving and gentle spirit. He died in the dwell ing of his friend the Marquis Gino Capponi, at Florence. His most celebrated pieces are en titled Lo stivale, or the history of a boot (Italy) a humorous narration of all the misfits, ill-usage, and patching allotted to this unfortunate down trodden symbol of his country; Gingillino, a masterpiece of sarcasm, portraying the ignoble career of the sycophant; II Re Travicello, or King Log; II Brindisi di Girella, or the Weathercock's Toast, one of his best pieces, and the Dies Irce, or funeral oration of the Emperor Francis I.,
written in condemnation of the atrocities com mitted in the fortress-prison of Spielberg. Sev eral of Giusti's poems have been excellently ren dered into English verse by W. D. Howells in Modern, Italian l'octs (1887 ) , and into German by Paul Heyse in Italienische Dichtcr, vol. iii. (Ber lin, 1887). Some of the editions of Giusti's I'ocsie are that prepared by Carducci (Florence, 1859; 3d ed. 1879), and several with comments, such as that of Fioretto (Verona, 1876 and since), and that of Bragi (Florence, 1890). Of his prose works, the Epistolario, or Correspondence, ap peared in a second edition (Florence, 1885) ; the Epistolario scello, with annotations by Giutini (Naples, 1892). The best biography of Giusti is that prepared by Cardueci for his edition of the Pocsic. Consult also: Carducci's essay on Giusti in his Primi saggi (Bologna, 1899) ; Biagi (edi tor), Vita di Giuseppe Giusti (Florence, 1893), an autobiography; Leonardis, It Giusti lirico e it Giusti satiric° (Genoa, 1887) ; Horner, The Tus can Poet Giuseppe Giusti and his Times (Lon don. 1864).
jiirrstO-nyiltne. An illustri ous Italian family, distinguished in the annals of Venice and Genoa. MAacANTOSIO ORTSTINIANI was Doge of Venice from 1684 to MSS, during which time the Venetians temporarily wrested the Morea from the Turks. VINCENZO GIUSTINIANI in the seventeenth century, built a magnificent palace among the ruins of Nero's baths at Rome, and stocked it with treasures of painting and sculp ture. He also formed a museum of antiquities, discovered on the spot. In 1807 the Giustiniani family conveyed the collection of paintings to Paris, where they disposed of the greater part by auction, and privately sold the remainder, con sisting of 170 fine paintings, to the artist Bonne maison, who sold them to the King of Prussia. This fragment of the famous Giustiniani Gallery now enriches the Berlin Museum, and a very few of its former treasures are still to be found in the Giustiniani Palace at Rome.