Manzoni, Ascoli e la diffusione dell’italiano

Alessandro Manzoni’s and Graziadio Isaia Ascoli’s opinions regarding the best way of increasing the use of the Italian language within the newly formed Italian state diverged significantly. However, there was common ground on some points. First, they were more interested in what the best linguistic model would be rather than in how to spread it among the people. Second, they were looking towards the educated public rather than the common people. Third, they both tended to overestimate the success of the foreign models of linguistic unification they were taking into account. As far as the first two points are concerned, a more pragmatic point of view was expressed by Raffaello Lambruschini, even if his contribution lacked a constructive aspect.