Italian literary critic (Naples, 1936 – Rome, 2008) Achille Tartaro graduated with Natalino Sapegno, whose assistant professor he was, and at the beginning of his academic career collaborated with Carlo Salinari. After teaching at the universities of Salerno and L’Aquila, he became a full professor of the History of Italian Literature at La Sapienza in Rome, teaching Dante’s Philology and Criticism and where he also held the position of Dean of the Faculty of Literature and Philosophy.
He devoted special attention to the interpretation of the Commedia, aimed at bringing out the poet’s narrative behaviour, his aptitude for storytelling. Also noteworthy are his studies on Leopardi (of which he also edited an edition, published by Laterza).
He was a councillor of the Casa di Dante and collaborator of the Istituto della Encyclopaedia Italiana Treccani; he held courses and seminars at the invitation of numerous Italian and foreign faculties, as well as serving as president of the Natalino Sapegno Foundation between 1992 and 1996.

In his vast bibliographic production, the volumes published in the ‘Letteratura italiana Laterza’ series stand out: Forme poetiche del Trecento (1971), Il primo Quattrocento toscano (1971), La letteratura civile e religiosa del Trecento (1972) and Leopardi (1978).

In 2009, the Angelica Library received from the Tartaro Family the donation of the collection formerly belonging to Achille Tartaro. This collection, consisting of around 1,200 volumes, all from 20th-century publishing, is characterised by a clear predominance of works on Italian non-fiction and literary criticism, in line with the interests of its owner, holder of the chair of Italian studies at the University of Rome, and himself the author of numerous critical works, particularly on Dante and Leopardi.
The collection, called the Tartaro Fund, constitutes a considerable enrichment for the Library, as Italianistics is one of its chosen fields.
(Bulletin edited by Giovanna Venditti pp. 85-128)