Giacomo Debenedetti (1901–1967) was born in a Jewish family in Biella region of Piemonte Italy.
He became an Italian journalist, literary critic and author of the short books October 16, 1943—an account of the deportation of Roman Jews shortly after the occupation of Rome by the Nazi army—and Eight Jews, a critique of Raffale Alianello's defense of fascist Questore (Police Commissioner) Pietro Caruso at his trial for war crimes, on the basis that he had crossed eight Jewish names off of a list of Roman citizens slated for execution in the Ardeatine Caves Massacre.
Probably the most important critic of 20th century Italy, he wrote the three series of Saggi critici (Critical Essays), published in 1929, 1945 and 1952. The university lessons taught in Messina and Rome appeared posthumous, edited by his wife Renata Orengo, among which Il romanzo del Novecento (20th Century Novel, 1971) takes on a central importance.
Selected filmography
- The Taming of the Shrew (1942)
- The Priest's Hat (1944)