Abstract

This article examines Patrizia Gasparini’s recent edition of the correspondence between two prominent nineteenth-century philologists, Gaston Paris and Pio Rajna. Spanning from 1872 to 1902, their letters reflect the development of Romance philology in France and, later, in Italy. The correspondence addresses various issues regarding the origins of French epic literature and highlights the differing perspectives of the two scholars. It also sheds light on their contrasting personal and professional situations: Paris, the son of a professor at Collège de France, enjoyed a rapid and distinguished career, while Rajna faced more challenging beginnings. Despite Paris’s prominence among his contemporaries, such as Taine and Renan, Rajna’s contributions to philology may have had a more substantial impact.