Cultura e letteratura tra Italia e Cina

For centuries relations between Europe and China were concurrent with the interaction between Italy and the Chinese Empire. This situation ended in the 19th century when Great Britain forcibly opened China to international trade. At the end of the century, knowledge of the Italian Risorgimento, with such heroes as Garibaldi, Mazzini, and Cavour, inspired some Chinese intellectuals in their effort to launch a national renewal. During this period Dante was appreciated for his endeavour to create a new literature while also forging a new national language: this was the main goal pursued by the first generation of Chinese Reformists of the May Fourth Movement of 1919. This paper retraces the translations and knowledge of various Italian authors in China in the early 20th century, including some Futurists, D’Annunzio and also Collodi and De Amicis, whose masterpieces became so famous in China as to be shortlisted among the one hundred literary translations that deeply influenced Modern China.