FOSCOLO UGO: (1778-1827) Italian writer, revolutionary and poet. A printed 8vo title page removed from an edition of Dell´Origine e Dell´Ufficio della Letteratura (` On the Origin and the Office of Literature´), signed and inscribed by Foscolo in Italian to Costantino Naranzi, further adding a sentiment in both Ancient Greek ( ´?????? ??????????´ , i.e. philías mn?mósynon) and Italian (´ricordo di amicizia´) as a token of his friendship. Irregularly trimmed to the left edge, some light foxing and minor fraying to other edges, G

Costantino Naranzi (1776-1837) Italian consul, a close childhood friend of Foscolo from their time in Zante (Zakynthos). Naranzi was a significant figure in the poet's personal life, and their bond was so strong that Foscolo dedicated his very first collection of poems, Versi dell'adolescenza (1794), to him when they were both still teenagers.

Dell´Origine e Dell´Ufficio della Letteratura was the title of the inaugural lecture Foscolo delivered at the University of Pavia in January 1809. It is considered a seminal oration where Foscolo defines the social and ethical role of literature. He argues that the ´office´ (duty) of literature is to preserve collective memory, inspire civic virtue, and provide a moral foundation for a nation.