The Charm of Books: Byron in Ugolino's Tower
The exhibition The Charm of Books: Byron in Ugolino’s Tower was organized by the Department of Philology, Literature and Linguistics at the University of Pisa as part of the 2022 PRIN project Reviving the Liberal: Literature and Politics between Britain and Italy, 1821–23, in collaboration with the Scuola Normale Superiore and with the support of the University Library System (SBA) and the University Library of Pisa.
This scholarly initiative aimed to enhance the value of Pisa’s historical literary heritage by showcasing valuable early nineteenth-century editions of Byron’s works held in the collections of the University Library of Pisa, the University of Pisa Library System, and the Library of the Scuola Normale Superiore.
The selected volumes, including some rare first Italian translations, bear witness to the early dissemination of Lord Byron’s work in Italy. These items serve as essential documents for the study of Byron’s reception within the Italian—specifically Tuscan—cultural context of the early nineteenth century. They further highlight the significance of the time spent in Tuscany by the intellectuals of the so-called Pisan Circle, and their influence on the local literary and cultural scene, with particular emphasis on the editorial enterprise of The Liberal. Prose and Verse from the South.
As a matter of fact, at the heart of the exhibition were the two precious volumes of the first edition of this periodical, whose project was first conceived at the time of Byron and Shelley’s meeting in Ravenna in July 1821, and materialized with Hunt’s arrival in Pisa in the summer of 1822. The Liberal emerged in a heterogeneous environment characterized by vibrant intellectual exchange and by a geographical, political, and cultural position that was eccentric relative to the British context. Its founders conceived of literature as playing an active role in societal transformation and as a medium for cosmopolitan and transnational values. The periodical was profoundly influenced by Italian cultural and literary traditions and promoted a Southern European outlook and an “Anglo-Italian radicalism” that stood in open contrast to the conservative climate prevailing in contemporary Britain.
The exhibition offered the public the opportunity to engage directly with unique historical artifacts (among which an autograph letter addressed by Lord Byron to Mary Shelley) in the evocative setting of the Torre della Fame (“Tower of Famine”), creating an immersive cultural experience that emphasised both the value of the displayed volumes and the significance of the historical site. The exhibition was designed to be both scientifically rigorous and broadly accessible to a diverse audience.
As part of the local schools’ PCTO (Paths for Transversal Skills and Orientation) initiatives, a guided tour service was offered for visitors interested in deepening their knowledge of Lord Byron and the Pisan Circle.
The exhibition was intended for university and secondary school students, scholars of English literature and the history of printing, enthusiasts of rare books and local history, as well as citizens and tourists interested in Pisa’s cultural heritage.
Inaugurated on June 27, 2025, and open until July 5, 2025, the exhibition was a great success with the public and received significant coverage in both local and national media (press review).
Documents
Percy Bysshe Shelley to Leigh Hunt (Hampstead), Pisa, August 26, 1821
My dearest friend,
Since I last wrote to you, I have been on a visit to Lord Byron at Ravenna. The result of this visit was a determination, on his part, to come and live at Pisa; and I have taken the finest palace on the Lung’Arno for him. But the material part of my visit consists in a message which he desires me to give to you […] He proposes that you should come and go shares with him and me in a periodical work, to be conducted here; in which each of the contracting parties should publish all their original compositions, and share the profits. He proposed it to Moore, but for some reason or other it was never brought to bear. There can be no doubt that the profits of any scheme in which you and Lord Byron engage, must from various, yet co-operating reasons, be very great.
Ultimo aggiornamento
05.08.2025