Le lettere a Maria

Le lettere a Maria (1846), meaning "The Letters to Maria," is a collection of love lyrics by Aleardo, Count Aleardi. Aleardi was a 19th-century Italian poet, patriot, and political figure known for his passionate writings against the Austrian government that controlled Verona during his lifetime. His love poems, such as Le lettere a Maria, were widely read. Despite his literary success, Aleardi faced imprisonment and exile due to his anti-Austrian sentiments expressed in other works like Le città italiane marinare e commercianti. He was an archetype of the Italian poet-patriots of his era, whose works often intertwined personal expression with political fervor.12