Carlo Marenco (born at Cassolo (or Cassolnuovo) in Piedmont in 1800; died at Savona in 1846) was an Italian dramatist.
He studied law for a while, but decided to devote himself to writing. To make sure of an income he applied for and obtained a public post connected with the Treasury Department of Savona.
As a writer, Carlo Marenco belongs to the Romantic school. He rejects the unity of time in his plays and gives to his plots an ample development. In general his characters are lifelike and his style elegant. His tragic plots tend to the sentimental.
For some of his tragedies he derived inspiration from Dante, as in the "Pia de' Tolomei", the "Corso Donati", and the "Conte Ugolino". In the "Pia" there are traits of the Roman Lucretia and the Susannah of the Bible, combined with characteristics of a Dante-esque figure.
Other plays bearing upon more or less historical personages include "Arnoldo da Brescia", "Berengario", "Arrigo di Svevia", and "Corradino".