Letteratura e antirisorgimento. I romanzi di Antonio Bresciani

In the reactionary Italian publications of XIX century there was a constant underlining of the similiares between romanticism and liberalism. For themes dealt with and rethoric used, the novel was considered as the most politically and socially detrimental product of romanticism. The Jesuit rewiew “Civiltà Cattolica” deemed appropriate to contrast the spreading of bad novel proposing good ones, written on purpose by father Antonio Bresciani and aiming at the largest possible public, uniting the useful aspect of the spreading of healty principles and counterrevolutionary ideas to the pleasure of not too committed a literature, able to entertain its readers. Starting from 1850, Bresciani composed a series of historical novels that were empty to enjoy a considerable success as witnessed by the numerous editions of the single works.