Abstract

This essay focuses on the presence of Torquato Tasso within the Crestomazia della Prosa by Giacomo Leopardi, with specific attention to the Filologia section. Leopardi includes two Tasso’s quotations related to the writing of the epic poem: the first from the Discorsi dell’arte poetica, the second from the Discorsi sul poema eroico. This study analyzes the printed editions Leopardi could have used to read Tasso’s theoretical texts; then, it compares the passages selected by Leopardi for his Crestomazia with Tasso’s Discorsi. Some significant textual differences lead to a wider reflection about Leopardi’s interest in the epic genre, as it is evident by numerous notes in his Zibaldone.