“Vedila là con un coltello in mano”. Giraldi Cinthio e Stendhal

This article aims to focus on a hitherto unknown episode about the European success of Giraldi Cinthio, namely Stendhal's reception of the Discorsi intorno al comporre and the Hecatommithi. To this end, the article carries out a research in the Grenoblese library, both in the virtual one (the volumes consulted for the drafting of the Histoire de la peinture en Italie), and in the actual library (Fondo Stendhaliano Bucci of the Central Municipal Library Sormani of Milan). A drawing that perhaps represents an Orbecche scene is pasted into the copy of the Hecatommithi (Venice, Zoppini, 1580) in Fondo Stendhaliano Bucci (0611). While reading Giraldi, Stendhal reflects on the mechanisms of the inventio, also in relation to other Italian short story writers, such as Matteo Bandello.