“Squarciamàfaro”, “pisciaturo”, “guallera”: sondaggi sulle censure nella traduzione crociana del ‘Cunto de li cunti’

The article examines Benedetto Croce’s translation of Basile’s Cunto de li cunti, debunking the idea that it was a censorious one. The analysis also involves a thorough comparison of Croce’s renditions with all the subsequent Italian translations. Regarding profanity, it becomes apparent that Croce’s approach seamlessly aligns with the censorship standard of his era. Furthermore, recent translations exhibit an even heightened tendency towards euphemism if compared to earlier versions, with all of them opting to tone down Basile’s boldest choices.