Poet, author and librettist. De Gamerra served in the imperial infantry from 1764-1770, while at the same time writing literary works. He was nominated as imperial poet in 1775 but chose instead to pursue his literary work in Italy, including the seven-volume La corneide (Florence, 1781-1782) and the tragedy Luisa e Trifour o sia Gli amanti sfortunati. His librettos included texts set by Salieri (La calamita de' cuori, 1776) and Paisiello (Sismano nel Mogol),the second carnival opera of the 1772-1773 season at Milan; the first opera that season was Mozart's Lucio Silla. In later years, Mozart set his texts Ombra felice-Io ti lascio, e questo addio K255 (1776, from Arsace, o sia Medonte re d'Epiro) and A questo seno deh vieni-Or che il ciel a me ti rende K374 (1781, from Sismano nel Mogol. Lit.: Marri, 'Lettere di Giovanni De Gamerra'; Basso, I Mozart in Italia, 542-543.