Born in Trieste on 10 April 1939.
Education and professional career
- Studies at the University of Turin and at various German universities
- 1962 : Laurea in German language and literature at the University of Turin
- 1968-1970 : Professor of German Language and Literature at the University of Trieste
- 1970-1978 : Full Professor at the University of Turin
- Since 1978 : Full Professor at the University of Trieste
- 1990 : Director of the " Literary Languages and Scientific Languages " section of the SISSA Interdisciplinary Laboratory, Trieste-Miramare (since 1990).
- 1994-1996 : Senator of the Italian Republic (XIIth Legislature)
- 2001-2002 : Visiting Professor at the Collège de France, holding the annual European Chair
Honorary distinctions
- Member of various Italian and foreign academies
- Deutsche Akademie für Sprache und Dichtung, Darmstadt
- Oesterreichische Akademie der Wissenschaffen
- Accademia delle Scienze di Torino
- Ateneo Veneto
- Akademie der Wissenschaften, Göttingen
- Akademie der schönen Künste Manchen
- Akademie der Künste Berlin
- Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters of the French Republic
- Oesterreichisches Ehrenkreuz für Wissenschaft und Kunst 1. Klasse
- Cavaliere di Gran Croce della Repubblica Italiana
- Honorary doctorate from various universities
- 1991 : University of Strasbourg
- 1993 : University of Copenhagen
- 1995 : University of Klagenfurt
- 1999 : University of Szeged
Awards received
- 1972 : Premio Debenedetti
- 1980 : Goethe-Medaille
- 1987 : Premio Bagutta
- 1987 : Premio Accademia dei Lincei
- 1987 : Manès-Sperber-Preis
- 1988 : Premio Antico Fattore
- 1989 : Premio Juan Carlos I
- 1989 : Forschungspreis der A.v.Humboldt-Stiflung
- 1990 : Best foreign book prize
- 1990 : Preis Donawand-Stiftung
- 1990 : Premio Masi Civiltà Veneta
- 1992 : Premio Palazzo al Bosco
- 1992 : Premio Agrigento " Una vita per la letteratura
- 1993 : Prix de France Culture Étranger
- 1997 : Premio Strega
- 1998 : Premio spéciale per la Cultura della Presidenza del Consiglio
- 1999 : Würth-Preis fur Europäische Literatur
- 1999 : Premio Grinzane Piemonte
- 2001 : Leipziger Buchpreis zur Europäischen Verständigung
- 2001 : Praemium Erasmianum