Culture min buys Ungaretti papers, Leopardi letters

(ANSA) - Rome, July 6 - The culture ministry has bought a body of correspondence by great 20th century modernist poet Giuseppe Ungaretti as well as three of great 19th century Romantic poet and thinker Giacomo Lepardi 'doleful' letters, Culture Minister Alberto Bonasoli announced on Friday. He stressed that "the precious signed testimony from the two great authors of Italian literature will soon find a place in the national libraries in Rome for Ungaretti and in Naples for Leopardi".
    The two sets of papers, which would otherwise have gone to auction, were bought in private negotiations for 125,000 euros and 100,000 respectively.
    photo: statue of Leopardi in home town of Recanati in Marche