Annibale Guasco

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Annibale (or Annibal) Guasco, doctor of law, began to actively participate in the public life of his hometown in the 90s, taking on representative positions. His literary debut, in 1567, dates back to his militancy at the Accademia degli Illustrati in Casale Monferrato; later, he was among the members of the Inquieti of Milan and of the Immobili of Alessandria (of the latter he was also elected Prince, in two different periods). To the occasional writings composed for these institutions, an Opera [...] in octave rhyme is added, for the nativity of the Lord, the reduction in verse of the novella IV, 1 of the Decameron (La Ghismonda [...] in octave rhyme), various volumes of lyrics and letters, as well as philosophical and civic discourses. Some of his poetic tests, dictated by praiseworthy intentions, are dedicated to members of the Savoy dynasty, towards whom Guasco professes his "devotion". An "ancient servitude" that is consolidated when his daughter Lavinia is accepted at the court of the Infanta Caterina Michela (Catalina Micaela) of Habsburg, Duchess of Savoy. As a "gift" to accompany the damsel, just eleven years old, to Turin, offering her precepts of behavior, Annibale composes a short monological treatise of institutio, the Reasoning to D. Lavinia his daughter, of the manner of governing herself in court (1586), which it is affected by the formulations of Castiglione, Guazzo and Speroni.