Ugo Foscolo stands as a towering figure in Italian Romanticism, regarded as a pivotal lyric poet since Petrarch. His life, marked by personal turmoil and artistic innovation, encapsulates the spirit of 19th-century Italy. Born into a melting pot of Greek and Italian heritage, Foscolo's journey from a Venetian upbringing to exile and eventual death in England mirrors the themes of longing and displacement that permeate his work.

Early Life and Influences

Ugo Foscolo, originally baptized as Niccolò, entered the world in 1778 as the son of Andrea Foscolo, a Venetian physician, and Diamantina Spathis, a Greek tailor's daughter. In his early childhood, the family relocated to Spalato, Italy, where his father had accepted a directorial position at a local hospital. This move shaped Foscolo's formative years, especially with the birth of his siblings in quick succession—two brothers and a sister arriving between 1780 and 1787.

Transition and Loss

The untimely death of his father in 1788 prompted young Foscolo to return to his birthplace, the island of Zante, to live with maternal relatives. His mother, meanwhile, sought to establish a new home in Venice by 1792. During this period, Foscolo attended the school of San Cipriano in Murano, laying the educational groundwork that would support his literary ambitions.

Romantic Entanglements and Literary Beginnings

In Venice, Foscolo found himself drawn into the vibrant intellectual sphere centered around Isabella Teotochi's literary salon. By 1795, his attendance evolved into a romantic liaison with Teotochi, culminating in her divorce from Carlo Antonio Marin the following year. Despite his deep feelings, Teotochi married another, plunging Foscolo into a profound depression—a personal crisis that heavily influenced his autobiographical novel, Last Letters of Jacopo Ortis, echoing Goethe’s melancholic style.

Revitalizing Italian Literature

After overcoming his emotional struggles, Foscolo embarked on a mission to breathe new life into Italian literature. His early creative efforts have largely been lost, but his drama Tieste successfully premiered in 1797, showcasing his dramatic flair. That same year saw the fall of the Venetian Republic to Napoleon, forcing Foscolo to adapt his career to journalism amidst the political upheaval.

Military Service and Literary Success

By 1799, Foscolo's life took a martial turn as he joined the National Guard of Bologna and endured injuries in combat, including during the siege of Genoa against the British—a people whose Romantic literature he greatly admired. This duality of conflict and admiration foreshadows his later life in England. Meanwhile, his novel Last Letters of Jacopo Ortis was published in 1802, closely followed by Poesie in 1803, both receiving acclaim for their evocative exploration of emotion and sensibility.

Napoleonic Era and Love Affairs

Between 1804 and 1806, Foscolo served under Napoleon in northern France, finding both romance and conflict. During this period, he engaged in a passionate affair with Sophia Hamilton, an Englishwoman who bore him a daughter, Floriana, though her existence remained unknown to him until much later. Upon returning to Italy in 1806, Foscolo published On Sepulchres, a meditation on mortality influenced by the English graveyard poets, further solidifying his standing as a leading literary voice.

Disfavor and Exile

Despite his literary achievements, Foscolo's fortunes waned as he fell out of favor with the Napoleonic regime. In 1809, a promising professorship at the University of Pavia was abruptly rescinded. His dramatic work, Aiace, was undermined by rivals, and by 1813, despite the success of Ricciarda, Foscolo faced exile from Italy.

Life in Exile and Legacy

Seeking refuge first in Switzerland and later in England by 1817, Foscolo's final years were marked by financial insecurity and ongoing literary production. In England, he contributed insightful essays on Italian literature to the British press while evading creditors. He died in Turnham Green, near London, yet his legacy endured; his remains were eventually repatriated to Florence in 1871, symbolically bringing home the poet who lived much of his life as an exile.

Foscolo's life and work embody the Romantic ideal of the eternal wanderer. His poetry and prose articulate the profound sense of longing and exile felt across Europe during his time, firmly establishing him as a critical voice in the transition to modern Italian literature.