Libertines and Libertinism in 17th century Italy and France

This paper aims at defining the concept of libertinage, dealing with the latest French critical essays. The development of free thinking in France during the 17(th) century has been already picked over; however, there is still lack of systematic studies regarding Italian libertine and satirical literature. By taking stock of the critique, including the well-known books by Benedetto Croce and Giorgio Spini, this paper asserts the need of a more accurate analysis of writers such as Ferrante Pallavicino, Gregorio Leti e Gian Paolo Marana.