The brother of Carlo Gozzi, he was born in Venice. In 1739 he married the poet Luise Bergalli, and she undertook the management of the theatre of Sant' Angelo, Venice, her husband supplying the performers with dramas chiefly translated from the French. The theatre lost money, but meanwhile Gozzi had built a reputation for his contributions to the Gazzetta Veneta. He soon came to be known as one of the ablest critics and purest and most elegant stylists in Italy. For a considerable period he was censor of the press in Venice, and in 1774 he was appointed to reorganize the university system at Padua where he remained till his death.
His principal writings are:
Osservatore Veneto periodico (1761), on the model of the English Spectator, and distinguished by its high moral tone and its light and pleasant satire
Lettere famigliari (1755), a collection of short racy pieces in prose and verse, on subjects of general interest
Sermoni, poems in blank verse after the manner of Horace
Il Mondo morale (1760), a personification of human passions with inwoven dialogues in the style of Lucian
Giudizio degli antichi poeti sopra la moderna censura di Dante (1755), a defence of the great poet against the attacks of Bettinelli.
He also translated various works from the French and English, including Jean-François Marmontel's Tales and Alexander Pope's Essay on Criticism. His collected works were published at Venice, 1794-1798, in 12 volumes, and several editions have appeared since.
In his later years Gozzi began to produce tragedies in which the comic element was largely introduced; as this innovation proved unacceptable to the critics he turned to the Spanish drama, from which he obtained models for various pieces; these had minor success.
His brother, GasparoGozzi, was also a well-known writer of the time.
Gozzi (1821); "Charles Gozzi," by Paul de Musset, in the Revue des deux mondes for November 15, 1844; Magrini, Carlo Gozzi e la fiaba: saggi storici, biografici, e critici (Cremona, 1876), and the same author's book on Gozzi's life and times (Benevento, 1883).
Gasparo, count Gozzi (December 4, 1713 – December 26, 1786), was an Italian critic and dramatist.
The brother of Carlo Gozzi, he was born in Venice.
In 1739 he married the poet Luise Bergalli, and she undertook the management of the theatre of Sant' Angelo, Venice, her husband supplying the performers with dramas chiefly translated from the French.
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