The writer, doctor and historian of Sicilian folklore Giuseppe Pitrè (1841-1916) devoted almost his entire life to research, collecting, and the publication of popular Sicilian traditions, which he gradually put together in the 25 volumes of his Biblioteca delle tradizioni popolare siciliane, published between 1871 and 1913. This opus includes studies on stories, tales, fables, poems and proverbs, as well as on festivals and popular spectacles, and on beliefs and medicine. Pitrè was also interested in the study of Sicilian grammar and the oral tradition of Tuscany.