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Birth
Luigi Pirandello is born in Sicily, Italy. -
Italy Acquires Rome
Once controlled by the Papacy, the ancient city of Rome became an official piece of the Kingdom of Italy. This could have presented new opportunities for work and education for the people of central and southern Italy. -
Enrollment at the University of Rome
PIrandello begins his education by moving northward and attending one of the most prestigious universities in the world. -
Poetry
Luigi first displayed signs of literary talent when he began to write poetry as a pass time during college. His first work was titled "Mal Giocondo" or "Playful Evil". -
Graduation from the University of Bonn
After a fight with a professor at the University of Rome, Luigi cuts his time in Italy short and migrates to Germany in 1888 to continue his studies. He earned his degree in Philosophy and Philology shortly thereafter. -
First Novel
Luigi wrote his first novel, The Outcast, shortly after graduating. At this time, writing was only a hobby of his, but it would soon become much more important than he would ever imagine. -
Marriage to Antonietta Portulano
After returning to Italy, Luigi's father arranges a marriage between him and the a business partner's daughter, despite the two never having met before the wedding. -
Tragedy Strikes
Much of Luigi's capital was invested into his wealthy family's sulfur mine. After a landslide struck, the mine was rendered useless and the Pirandello family quickly lost the majority of their money. After this, along with the birth of their third child having made her very ill, Antonietta was had a mental breakdown and became extremely abusive towards Luigi and their children. -
Writing as an Outlet
Due to the insane grief he was undergoing thanks to the collapse of his family, Luigi turned to writing short stories as an outlet for his pain. "The Late Mattia Pascal" was among his first novels, and one of his most widely acclaimed, in retrospect. However, at the time, his writing was not receiving much attention, and he would simply contribute many of his short stories to the local papers without charge. -
Transition into Playwrighting
Luigi spends many years writing novels and short stories while working as an Italian teacher at a Roman college. He had mostly stayed away from attempts at writing plays due to negative past experiences. However, he tried his hand at playwrighting once more, and wrote a play entitled "Così è (se vi pare)". His work received rave reviews, and he subsequently wrote nine more plays in the following year, all of them well-received. -
Separation from Antonietta
Thanks to the success of his plays, Luigi finally had the money he needed to send his wife to a private sanitarium, giving her the healthcare she needed, and giving him and his children reprieve from her affects on their mental health. -
Six Characters in Search of an Author
Luigi writes and produces what is widely considered to be his masterpiece. The play shoots him miles above in popularity and gives him notoriety that he had never known before in his life. -
Henry IV and Naked
Two more of Luigi's plays that are now considered some of his best writing premiered shortly after the success of Six Characters. These plays were considered scandalous but were adored by many, and his writing style was revered for how cerebral, yet human it was. -
Teatro d’Arte di Roma
Luigi was able to open his own theater company, whose name translates to Theater of Art in Rome thanks to the stupendous financial success of his works. -
Joining the Fascist Party
Luigi joined the fascist party which was gaining immense popularity in Italy during the lead up to World War 2. This political involvement would become very important to his career later on. -
Benito Mussolini Becomes Dictator of Italy
Elected as the Prime Minister of Italy in 1922, Mussolini dropped the pretense of democracy and officially established Italy as a dictatorship a few years later. Luigi, due to his fame and status, quickly established a friendship with the dictator, a choice which many have debated the intentions behind. Whether it was due to legitimate fascist beliefs, or due to a desire to advance his career, Luigi's friendship with Benito spread his name around the world. -
Meeting Marta Abba
One of the most important people in Luigi's life was Marta, a young aspiring actress working in theater. Luigi met her when he was in his 50s and she was in her 20s, but despite the age difference, they became incredibly close. While never directly divulged, it is widely assumed that Luigi and her were involved romantically. He would speak of her as highly as one could and stated that she was the muse that inspired most of his later work. She starred in the majority of his late productions. -
Last Novel
While his playwrighting is the most beloved of his work, Luigi wrote what many consider to be greatest novel a decade before his death. Titled "Uno, Nessuno e Centomila" or "One, No One and One Hundred Thousand", this novel was also his last. -
The Nobel Prize
Luigi was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature due "for his bold and ingenious revival of dramatic and scenic art." -
Death
Luigi's passing was a great loss to the world of art. He is quoted as saying "When I am dead, do not clothe me. Wrap me naked in a sheet. No flowers on the bed and no lighted candle. A pauper's cart. Naked. And let no one accompany me, neither relatives nor friends. The cart, the horse, the coachmen, e basta. Burn me." Despite his wishes, the church and the Italian government refused to give him a ceremony they viewed as below his status. He died and was buried in Rome.
