Valter Leonardo PUCCETTI

Valter Leonardo PUCCETTI is a Full Professor of Italian Literature at the University of Salento, affiliated with the Department of Humanities. He teaches in the Literature degree program and has been a key academic figure since joining the institution in 2005 as an associate professor, later achieving full professorship. He is actively involved in teaching, research, and academic leadership, serving on multiple university committees and doctoral programs.

His research focuses on major figures in Italian literature, with special emphasis on Dante Alighieri, Giorgio Bassani, and Alessandro Manzoni. He is deeply engaged in promoting literary culture through initiatives like the Palchetti Laterali project and the annual Lecturae Dantis Lupienses readings in Lecce. His scholarly interests span medieval and modern Italian literature, literary theory, narrative structures, and cultural reception.

PUCCETTI has organized numerous international conferences and edited special issues of academic journals on Dante and Bassani. He is the editor of the Lecturae Dantis Lupienses book series (Longo Editore) and the electronic series Finibus Terrae (University of Salento). He also curated a video series titled Between Heaven and Earth: The Pleasure of Rereading Dante for the university’s communications office. Though specific recent publications are not listed, his editorial and organizational roles indicate sustained scholarly output in Italian literary studies.

• Member, Doctoral Program in Languages, Literatures and Cultures and their Applications, University of Salento
• Member, Federal Doctorate in Italian Studies, Swiss Confederation (since 2018)
• Scientific Advisor, Palchetti Laterali Project (Audience Development and Theatrical Culture)
• Organizer, Lecturae Dantis Lupienses (annual Dante readings since 2012)
• Member, Scientific Committee, Giorgio Bassani Foundation
• Member, Dante Society (full member)
• Member, ADI (Association of Italianists), 'Dante' group
• Jury Member, Robert Nissim Haggiag Prize (Bassani theses)

He is actively involved in academic service, including roles on the Student Affairs Committee, Entrance Exam Committee, Departmental Library Committee, and Third Mission Committee. He has served on scientific committees for international conferences at institutions including the Sorbonne and the University of Salento, and has participated in Erasmus teaching activities in France. His career reflects a deep commitment to both academic scholarship and public engagement with Italian literary heritage.