Carte Umberto Fracchia

The filing of papers and books that belonged to Umberto Fracchia (Lucca 1889-Rome 1930) is the personal library of the writer, between 4,500 books and periodicals (represented with 67 titles) deposited with the birthplace of Bargone (Sestri Levante), correspondence and other documented materials added to the bibliographic heritage of the University Library of Genoa, after a preliminary intervention of adjustment initiated by Professor Franco Contorbia with colleagues Beniscelli Alberto, Ernesto Citro, Matilde Dillon Wanke and Franco Vazzoler.
Vast and diverse, the fund is divided into eight separate series. The intense activity of Fracchia is testified by section named after him with the Carte d’Autore (Author’s Cards): preparatory materials, manuscripts and drafts due to production fiction, poetry, essays, drama and journalism, published and unpublished, of the Tuscan author. Letters, postcards, diaries and family’s notebooks or literary components of interest, however, the number of matches, which distinguish the dense correspondence on the first two years of life of the weekly "The Literary Fair '(1925-1927) directed by Fracchia (nearly 1,800 pieces for 336 senders, many of which are the first major literary landscape during that time such as Sibilla Aleramo, Alvaro, Bacchelli, Baldini, Bontempelli, Cecchi, Longanesi, Montale, Moretti, Ojetti, Papini, Prezzolini, Pirandello, Saba , Timpanaro) and the group of 27 letters (1928-1930) between Fracchia and Maria Brusini, admirer of Giovanni Verga and author of a correspondence(1887-1896) with the Sicilian writer published on the 'Italia Letteraria' in 1929. Approximately 270 papers prevailing of administrative nature connected to the relations between Umberto Fracchia and publishing house Mondadori represent the  most important nucleus of editorial series, together with the material relating to the rights of the press, the reduction of theatre and film work and the involvement of Fracchia with the designe of the series ‘Vita dei Santi’ (Life of the Saints') curated by Fracchia for the publishing house The Agiografica. Under the auspices of “La Fiera Letteraria” ("The Literary Fair") two subsequent editions of the Book festival took place meaning the first sale of Italian manuscripts; survive nell'omonima section of the fund 64 documents survive in the homonymous section: letters, manuscripts and drafts of printed articles and texts or poetic narrative, in good part left on the 'Fiera Letteraria’ (Library Fair), authors like Bacchelli, Baldini, Corazzini, De Amicis, Govoni, Malaparte, Savinio and Verga.

The collection of Varie (Miscellaneous) series is then completed, including amongst others a collection of press cuttings, frontespieces with dedications, posters and publishing advertising and the series Laberio, with documents dating back to the first half of the nineteenth century and regarding the activity and the maternal ascending property of Fracchia.

Bibliography

Umberto Fracchia direttore della "Fiera Letteraria" negli anni 1926-26. Catalogo regesto del carteggio tra Umberto Fracchia ed i collaboratori della Fiera, posseduto dalla Biblioteca Universitaria di Genova , a cura di Ernesto Bellezza, Mario Franceschini e Rita Piaggio, Genova, 1987; M. Franceschini, Le carte di Umberto Fracchia e altri fondi moderni della Biblioteca Universitaria di Genova, in Archivi Letterari in Liguria fra '800e '900, "Atti del Convegno di Studi",Genova, 25-26 novembre 1988, p.50-54; Umberto Fracchia : i giorni e le opere, a cura di Andrea Aveto e Federica Merlanti, Firenze, Società editrice fiorentina, [2006].

Date of acquisition

Once entered, it became part of the bibliographic heritage of the Biblioteca Universitaria di Genova in the years 1980-82.

Consistency

- Sottoserie Narrativa

- Sottoserie Poesia

- Sottoserie Teatro

- Sottoserie Traduzioni e curatele

- Sottoserie Saggi e articoli

- Sottoserie Frammenti

- Sottoserie Appunti

- Sottoserie Disegni

- Carte Altri

Serie Corrispondenza

- Sottoserie «La Fiera letteraria»-«L'Italia letteraria»

- Appendice Bargone

- Sottoserie Corrispondenza in morte di Umberto Fracchia

- Sottoserie Attività gioralistica

- Sottoserie Attività letteraria

- Sottoserie Bruna Luciani

- Sottoserie Vittorio Luciani

- Sottoserie Varie

- Sottoserie Familiare

- Sottoserie Nozze Luciani-Fracchia

Serie Editoriale

Serie Festa del Libro

Serie Iconografia

Serie Laberio

Serie Luciani

Serie Varie

Accessibility

Today the series Corrispondenza - Sottoserie «La Fiera letteraria»-«L'Italia letteraria» (except the Appendice Bargone) and the Festa del libro are accessible on line near the site Archivio digitale del Novecento letterario italiano.

Manager of the project for the Library

Dott.ssa M.T. Sanguineti.