Dictionary.net

An Italian poet, historian of literature, and critic; born in Athens, of German parentage, in 1848. His youth was spent in Roumania; he studied law at Naples; became a tutor at the University of Rome in 1874, and in 1882 professor of literature at Turin, a post he still holds. "Poems", light in spirit and substance, "Medusa", a powerful but somewhat heavy tragic outburst, and some occasional effusions, speak well for his poetic talent. In prose he is a master when dealing with "The Origin of the Modern Drama", "Historical Literature and its Methods", and "The Legend of the Terrestrial Paradise".