Lorenzo Da Ponte was a pivotal figure in Italian opera and literature. He wrote librettos for Mozart, Salieri, and Martín y Soler, and promoted Italian letters in England and the United States. His
Memorieprovide invaluable insights into eighteenth and nineteenth-century cultural life in key cities, such as Venice, Vienna, London, and New York.
Né Emanuel Conegliano, Lorenzo Da Ponte was born on 10 March 1749, in Cèneda (today’s Vittorio Veneto), in the Republic of Venice. Born into a Jewish family, he converted to Catholicism along with his father and brothers when he was fourteen. The family took the surname Da Ponte from Cèneda’s bishop, who also bestowed upon Lorenzo his new first name. Thanks to the bishop's patronage, Lorenzo entered the seminary, where he received a strong
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Citation: Scartoni, Paolo. "Lorenzo Da Ponte". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 10 April 2025 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=15222, accessed 28 April 2025.]
