Origins & Early Life

Carlo Osvaldo Goldoni (, also US: ; Italian: [ˈkarlo oˈzvaldo ɡolˈdoːni]; 25 February 1707 – 6 February 1793) was an Italian playwright and librettist from the Republic of Venice. His works include some of Italy's most famous and best-loved plays. Audiences have admired the plays of Goldoni for their ingenious mix of wit and honesty. His plays offered his contemporaries images of themselves, often dramatizing the lives, values, and conflicts of the emerging middle classes.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Though he wrote in French and Italian, his plays make rich use of the Venetian language, regional vernacular, and colloquialisms. Goldoni also wrote under the pen name and title Polisseno Fegeio, Pastor Arcade, which he claimed in his memoirs the "Arcadians of Rome" bestowed on him. There is an abundance of autobiographical information on Goldoni, most of which comes from the introductions to his plays and from his Memoirs. However, these memoirs are known to contain many errors of fact, especially about his earlier years. In these memoirs, he portrays himself as a born comedian, careless, light-hearted and with a happy temperament, proof against all strokes of fate, yet thoroughly respectable...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Aurangzeb — Contemporary (Died in 1707) (1707): Sixth Mughal Emperor who expanded the empire to its greatest extent.
• Carl Linnaeus — Contemporary (Born in 1707) (1707): Father of modern taxonomy, systematized the naming of life forms.
• Charles Wesley — Contemporary (Born in 1707) (1707): Prolific hymn writer and key leader of the Methodist movement.
• Charles Paul de Kock — Contemporary (Born in 1793) (1793): Popular French novelist known for early success but criticized by literary critics.
• Charlotte Corday — Contemporary (Died in 1793) (1793): Aristocratic sympathizer who assassinated Jean-Paul Marat during the French Revolution.
• Cyrus Byington — Contemporary (Born in 1793) (1793): American missionary linguist renowned for developing the Choctaw lexicon and orthography.
• Albrecht von Wallenstein — Shared historical date (02-25 · Died) (1634): Bohemian military leader and statesman, key figure in the Thirty Years' War.
• Alexander Archipenko — Shared historical date (02-25 · Died) (1964): Ukrainian-American avant-garde sculptor, pioneer of Cubist human figures.
• Abd el-Krim — Shared historical date (02-06 · Died) (1963): Moroccan revolutionary leader who spearheaded the revolt against French and Spanish Protectorates.
• Abdul Ghaffar Khan — Shared historical date (02-06 · Born) (1890): Pioneering nonviolent activist and founder of the Khudai Khidmatgar movement.
• 1707 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1707
• February 25 (02-25) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on February 25
• 1793 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1793
• February 6 (02-06) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on February 6