Dr. Pietro Frassica

Biography

Pietro Frassica, originally from Italy, earned his Ph.D. in Italian literature from Boston College in 1976 and has been teaching at Princeton University since then. His research interests encompass Italian literature from the Renaissance period to contemporary times, with a focus on interdisciplinary relations between literary and visual traditions. He has published over eighty articles on Italian literary history and authored several notable books, including 'Chroniche de la città de Anchona' (1979) and 'Varianti e invarianti dell’evocazione' (2004). Frassica has also edited volumes such as 'Primo Levi Witness' and 'La Cucina Futurista.' He received the 2006 Val di Comino Prize for his work 'Varianti e invarianti dell’evocazione' and was appointed as an editor by the Italian government for the Edizione Nazionale of Parini's works. Through his teaching, he engages students with seminars on courtly literature of the Italian Renaissance, major authors of the 20th century, and theater works by Pirandello, while also exploring cultural studies related to gastronomy in literature. Currently, he is working on a book about Pirandello’s collaboration with actress Marta Abba and her career in America, as well as a long-term project investigating the relationship between Parini’s poetry and visual arts.

Research Interests