The Worries and Labors of a Reviewer. Filippo Luigi Polidori, the «Biblioteca Nazionale» and Felice Le Monnier

Abstract

During the Italian Risorgimento, the name of Felice Le Monnier has been constantly associated with the publishing of volumes and book series that shaped the cultural identity of the newborn nation. One book series especially, the «Biblioteca Nazionale», represented the strive to harmonize civil/political engagement with literary tradition. Although this book series has been subject to several studies, none of them delved into the processes and editorial practices behind it. Some unpublished letters at the Federiciana Library in Fano (Marche) may be the answer: the letters between the publisher Felice Le Monnier and his proofreader, the intellectual Filippo Luigi Polidori, could fill the editorial gap of the «Biblioteca Nazionale». Many of the letters account for the selections of the volumes, the relationship with contemporary authors and other contributors, the technical part of the book revision process, and the vicissitudes of Polidori’s life as well.