Gotta was born on the 18 May 1887 in
Montalto Dora,
Piedmont, Italy. He graduated from the
University of Turin, and his literary career started with the publication of
Pia in 1912. Other novels followed, and in 1917 he started on the trilogy
La saga dei Vela, which was to become his best known work. During the
first world war he served in the
Alpini Corps, and from this experience in 1926 he wrote the children's novel
Il piccolo Alpino (
The little Alpino), which was very successful and inspired the 1986 Italian TV mini-series
Mino. Gotta joined the
Fascist party at an early stage, and in 1925 he wrote the words of the official Fascist anthem
Giovinezza ("Youth"). He praised the fascists in several of his works, such as
Mistica Patria (Mystic Country), of 1932. He wrote film screenplays and stage plays, such as
Mille lire (1923) and
La damigella di Bard (1936). He continued to write novels after the second world war, but his works from this period are now little remembered, and many of his works were allowed to go out of print because of his Fascist associations. Gotta wrote his autobiography, ''L'almanacco di Gotta'' ("Gotta's Almanac"). He died on the 7 June 1980 at
Rapallo in the
province of Genoa,
Liguria, Italy. ==Selected filmography==