Pietro Umberto Dini Italian linguist and translator. Date of Birth: 05.10.1960 Country: Italy

1. Early Life and Education
2. Academic Career
3. Research and Publications
4. Editorial and Translation Work

Early Life and Education

Born in Italy, the linguist and translator embarked on his academic journey at the University of Pisa in 1980, where he studied until 1984. During this period, he pursued an internship at the Department of Baltic Philology at Vilnius University (1983-1984). His educational pursuits continued with another internship at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków (1986-1987).

Academic Career

In 1995, he joined the University of Basilicata in Italy, where he worked until 1997. The following year, he took up a position at the University of Oslo. From 1998 onwards, he established himself as a professor at the University of Pisa, where he founded and headed the Department of Baltic Languages. For his contributions, he was awarded the Order of the Grand Duke of Lithuania Gediminas. In 2005, Vilnius University bestowed upon him the honorary doctorate.

Research and Publications

His research interests centered around the language of Lithuanian written monuments. He published a facsimile edition of an early Lithuanian catechism manuscript from East Prussia, which he discovered at the Jagiellonian Library (1993). He also published a study on the hymn of St. Ambrose by Martynas Mažvydas ("L'inno di S. Ambrogio di Martynas Mažvydas," 1994). His monograph on Baltic mythology (1995) gained further recognition.

Beyond his research on Baltic languages, he also authored articles on Lithuanian literature and writers in Italian periodicals and encyclopedias.

Editorial and Translation Work

Professor's scholarly endeavors extended to the editorial realm as well. He served as the editor of "Res Balticae," a scientific journal dedicated to the study of Baltic languages, literature, mythology, and folklore (founded in 1995).

His translation work played a vital role in introducing Lithuanian literature to Italian readers. He published an anthology of Lithuanian poetry in his translations titled "La nostalgia dei terrestri" (1989), which featured the works of Vitautas Mačernis, Alfonsas Nyka-Niliūnas, Henrikas Nagys, Kazys Bradūnas, and Juozas Kėkštas. He also translated the memoirs of the former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania, Juozas Urbšys ("La terra strappata," 1990), and works by Juozas Aputis, Birutė Baltrušaitite, Saulius Tomas Kondrotas, Bronius Radzevičius, and Tomas Venclova.