La corrispondenza come ‘ritratto d’autore’

Abstract

The unpublished manuscript of Charles Palissot de Montenoy (1730-1814), of which a transcription is offered here, was owned by the Forteguerriana Library in Pistoia. This manuscript constitutes a significant piece in the historical-literary reconstruction of the events linked to the affirmation, in France, of Enlightenment ideals. Entitled Quelques-unes de mes lettres, it contains mostly unpublished letters addressed by Palissot to various personalities such as Voltaire, D’Alembert, François de Neufchâteau, l’abbé Aubert, Madame de Bellecour, and Fréron. Drafted in 1784, the manuscript may be seen as a substantially positive portrait of the author in the context of controversies that raged around his works.

Keywords

• Enlightenment. France. Letters. Palissot de Montenoy. Theatre