Gaetano and Luisa Cozzi collection
Gaetano Cozzi (Zero Branco, 15th September 1922-Venice, 15th March 2001), historian.
He was born in Zero Branco, after his childhood in Legnano, he entered the Military Academy of Modena but he graduated in law in Milan with a thesis on Paolo Sarpi. In the following years he devoted himself to Venetian history: lecturer since 1966 at the University of Venice after a period at the Faculty of Political Science in Padua, he returned to Cà Foscari where he was one of the promoters of the Degree Course in History and, shortly after, one of the first PhDs in the field.
He is dedicated to the history of the political and judicial institutions of the Serenissima, considered in their social dimension and is author for the Storia d’Italia (UTET) and author and curator for the Storia di Venezia, published by the Italian Encyclopedia Institute.
Director of Institute of history of Fondazione Giorgio Cini, member of Accademia dei Lincei, he is one of the founders of Fondazione Benetton Studi Ricerche.
Internationally renowned historian, university professor, he has been involved in Venetian and Venetian history, with particular attention to institutions, the relationship between law and society, the cultural environment. His studies about Paolo Sarpi culminate in Ricciardi edition of works, curated together with his wife Luisa Zille.
Luisa Zille (Fossò, 13th February 1941-Venice, 2nd February 1995), musician, historian and poet. Graduated in literature and philosophy, she abandoned a promising musical career to devote herself to studies about Paolo Sarpi with her husband Gaetano Cozzi; in addition to philological activity she devoted herself to poetry; of her four collections are published, of which two posthumous.
Content of collection
It is part of the personal library of Gaetano Cozzi (books and magazines), his work archive and, in part, his wife Luisa Zille.
It includes 4,530 monographs, 90 periodical titles (773 years), 2,686 extracts, 34 dissertations, 57 rare books, 323 scores, about 20 linear meters of archival documents.
The publications are mainly related to local history, history of Venice, economic history, history of the Risorgimento and the Resistance, political history and history of law; there are also volumes of literature, poetry and music. The collection and in particular the archive documents the professional life of Gaetano Cozzi, but there are also personal and family papers. There are many typescripts and photocopies of books used for research, from different libraries, including foreign.
The correspondence, although not very consistent, allows to detect the links between the professor and different institutions and publishers. For the relations with the various scholars, the presence of dedications in the numerous extracts present in the collection and the periodical papers documenting the activity of some Institutes is more relevant. Substantial is also the part of documents concerning Luisa Zille and her interests in music, poetry and linguistics and her relations with the cultural world in addition to the collaboration with her husband.
It should be noted that 1,340 books belonging to the library of Gaetano Cozzi have been donated, and are currently preserved, at the University of Venice.
Research tools
Library catalogue (currently available for periodicals and extracts); Gaetano Cozzi archive: inventory available in printable version; Luisa Cozzi Zille archive: inventory in electronic format available at Fondazione Benetton and available in printable version.
Accessibility conditions
The collection can be consulted in accordance with the rules of the library/documentation centre.
Method of acquisition
Gift of Gaetano Cozzi (1990-2002); deposit from the Municipality of Zero Branco (2006-2007); gift of Elisabetta Cozzi (2009).
