Luigi Mercantini
Luigi Mercantini (20 September 1821 – 17 November 1872) was an Italian poet and writer, who took part in the movements for the Italian unification in the late 19th century. He is better known for his poem "La spigolatrice di Sapri", depicting the ill-fated expedition led in 1857 by Carlo Pisacane against the Kingdom of Naples, which was also translated into English by Henry W. Longfellow with the title The Gleaner of Sapri. Mercantini is also known for writing the lyrics of the patriotic hymn Canzone Italiana, better known as the Garibaldi Hymn, since it was commissioned in 1858 by Garibaldi himself to the poet, as the official battle song of his "Cacciatori delle Alpi" volunteer corps who joined in the Second Italian War of Independence the following year.
Luigi Mercantini

Luigi Mercantini · Internet Archive identifier: cantimerc00mercuoft · Public domain
- Name
- Luigi Mercantini
- Born
- 20 September 1821
- Birthplace
- Ripatransone, Italy
- Died
- 17 November 1872
- Place of death
- Palermo, Italy
- Occupation
- Poet, Lyricist
- Nationality
- Kingdom of Italy
- Languages
- Italian
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Documentary summary
Luigi Mercantini (20 September 1821 – 17 November 1872) was an Italian poet and writer, who took part in the movements for the Italian unification in the late 19th century. He is better known for his poem "La spigolatrice di Sapri", depicting the ill-fated expedition led in 1857 by Carlo Pisacane against the Kingdom of Naples, which was also translated into English by Henry W. Longfellow with the title The Gleaner of Sapri. Mercantini is also known for writing the lyrics of the patriotic hymn Canzone Italiana, better known as the Garibaldi Hymn, since it was commissioned in 1858 by Garibaldi himself to the poet, as the official battle song of his "Cacciatori delle Alpi" volunteer corps who joined in the Second Italian War of Independence the following year.
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In this article
Biography
Biography
The hymn's music was composed by his musician friend Alessio Olivieri, and proved hugely popular among Italians at home and abroad, famously being recorded by Enrico Caruso around the outbreak of World War I and again used as battle hymn of some brigades of the Italian resistance movement during World War II.
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Luigi Mercantini • Born — 20 September 1821 • Birthplace — Ripatransone, Italy • Died — 17 November 1872 • Place of death — Palermo, Italy • Occupation — Poet, Lyricist
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Ripatransone.
Birth place
Palermo.
Death place
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reference work
- “Luigi Mercantini”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q3839886: Luigi Mercantini
General reference · Wikidata
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Giovanni Liccardo. Storia irriverente di eroi, santi e tiranni di Napoli. Newton Compton editori. 2017. 9788822715333.
- 2.Luigi Mercantini (L'Unificazione).
- 3.Giorgio Settimo, I congiunti e gli amici ripani di Luigi Mercantini, in: I centenario della morte di Luigi Mercantini, numero unico a cura di Enrico Liburdi. Grafiche Corsi, Civitanova Marche, 1972.
- 4.Paolo Boldrini. Il derby dei direttori dorici.
- 5.Fulvio Conti, I Fratelli e i Profani. La Massoneria nello spazio pubblico, Pacini ed. Pisa, 2020, p. 224.
- 6.Ivana Pellegrini. Il manoscritto "inni e canzoni del Risorgimento" di Palermo Giangiacomi in un decennio di studi e attività di valorizzazione.
- 7.Natura ed arte. Vallardi. 1910.
- 8.Ricordo dell'inaugurazione della lapide a Luigi Mercantini. Cesari. 1895.
- 9.Monumento a Luigi Mercantini.
- 10.La spigolatrice di Sapri.
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The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 17 August 2026.
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38,988 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- Luigi GrotoAuthor
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- Luigi MeneghelloAuthor
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- Luigi PirandelloAuthor
- Luigi PolettiAuthor
- Luigi PulciAuthor
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