Pietro Chiari

Pietro Chiari was an Italian Catholic priest, playwright, novelist and librettist.

Life

Chiari was born and died in Brescia. He was a Jesuit until leaving the order in 1747. From 1747 to 1762 he was court poet of Francesco [III d'Este|Duke Francis III of Modena], in Venice, although not at the public cost. During this period he wrote nearly 60 comedies, which from 1761 or earlier often brought him into conflict with his rival Goldoni. With a deep hatred for the style of Molière, Chiari made comédie larmoyante fashionable in Italy under the name commedia fiebile. He also edited the Gazzetta Veneta from 1761 to 1762, when he returned to his birthplace to spend his final years.

Works

Tragedies

Catilina, based on the life of Catilina
Giulio Cesare, based on the life of Julius Caesar
Kouli-Kan, based on the life of Timur
La Morte di Kouli-Kan
Marco Antonio triumviro, based on the life of Mark Antony
Marco Tullio Cicerone, based on the life of Cicero

Novels

La Filosofessa italiana
La Cantatrice per disgrazia, osia le avventure della Marchesa N. N. scritte da lei medesima
Le Memorie di madama Tolot ovvero la giocatrice di lotto
La Bella Pellegrina
La Francese in Italia
La Veneziana di spirito
La Ballerina onorata, o sia Memorie d'una figlia naturale del duca N. V. scritte da lei medesima
La Fantasima, aneddoti castigliani d'una dama di qualità, scritti da lei medesima
Memorie del Barone di Trenk Comandante de' Panduri