Clemente Bondi
Encyclopedia
Clemente Luigi Donnino Bondi (June 27, 1742 June 20, 1821) was an Italian
poet
and translator
.
not far from Parma
. Fatherless at young age, he had the opportunity to study thanks to an uncle who was supply officer of Parma seminary. In 1760 he joined the Jesuit order, at the end of his studies he was transferred to Padua
, where he attended to teaching. After the dissolution of the Jesuit order, which occurred in 1773, Bondi wrote a polemical work addressed to Pope Clement XIV. This written forced him to take refuge in Tyrol.
Back in Italy later, became the librarian of noble family Zanardi in Mantua
. During a trip to Milan made friend with the Archduke Ferdinand of Habsburg-Lorraine. When in 1796 the Archduke moved to Brünn (now Brno
in the Czech Republic
) called Bondi with him. The literary man was charged with the education of Ferdinand’s children and the task of librarian. In 1810, the Archduke turned his home in Vienna, taking with him Bondi who remained in the imperial capital until his death in June 1821.
The richest period of his artistic production, however, was during his stay in Mantua, where he had the opportunity to frequent a lively intellectual circle. In the years spent in Mantua he wrote: La Felicità in 1775, La Moda in 1777, Le Conversazioni in 1778, L’Incendio in 1784.
All the works of Bondi were first published in 1798 in Venice
, in a six volumes edition titled Opere edite e inedite in versi e in prosa 'by the Venetian Adolfo Cesare. This edition seems to contain a number of texts that the author disowned later.
In the years with the Archduke Ferdinand, the literary activity of Bondi was rather poor. His main concern at this time, was to revisit the poems written by him previously and to look after a new edition issued in Vienna
in 1808 with a note stating that it was the complete edition, the only one correct and authorized by the author. In 1801, Adolfo Cesare, the Venetian publisher of the first edition, in meantime had published a seventh book completing his edition of 1798.
The activity in which Clemente Bondi was more able, however, was as translator of classical texts: the Aeneid
, the Georgics
, the Eclogues of Virgil
and the Metamorphoses of Ovid
. His work was appreciated for the rich captions and notes accompanying its translations, so that it dubbed him the Delille of Italy.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
and translator
Translation
Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. Whereas interpreting undoubtedly antedates writing, translation began only after the appearance of written literature; there exist partial translations of the Sumerian Epic of...
.
Biography
Clemente Bondi was born in Mezzano SuperioreMezzani
Mezzani ) is a comune in the Province of Parma in the Italian region Emilia-Romagna, located about 90 km northwest of Bologna and about 15 km northeast of Parma...
not far from Parma
Parma
Parma is a city in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna famous for its ham, its cheese, its architecture and the fine countryside around it. This is the home of the University of Parma, one of the oldest universities in the world....
. Fatherless at young age, he had the opportunity to study thanks to an uncle who was supply officer of Parma seminary. In 1760 he joined the Jesuit order, at the end of his studies he was transferred to Padua
Padua
Padua is a city and comune in the Veneto, northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Padua and the economic and communications hub of the area. Padua's population is 212,500 . The city is sometimes included, with Venice and Treviso, in the Padua-Treviso-Venice Metropolitan Area, having...
, where he attended to teaching. After the dissolution of the Jesuit order, which occurred in 1773, Bondi wrote a polemical work addressed to Pope Clement XIV. This written forced him to take refuge in Tyrol.
Back in Italy later, became the librarian of noble family Zanardi in Mantua
Mantua
Mantua is a city and comune in Lombardy, Italy and capital of the province of the same name. Mantua's historic power and influence under the Gonzaga family, made it one of the main artistic, cultural and notably musical hubs of Northern Italy and the country as a whole...
. During a trip to Milan made friend with the Archduke Ferdinand of Habsburg-Lorraine. When in 1796 the Archduke moved to Brünn (now Brno
Brno
Brno by population and area is the second largest city in the Czech Republic, the largest Moravian city, and the historical capital city of the Margraviate of Moravia. Brno is the administrative centre of the South Moravian Region where it forms a separate district Brno-City District...
in the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
) called Bondi with him. The literary man was charged with the education of Ferdinand’s children and the task of librarian. In 1810, the Archduke turned his home in Vienna, taking with him Bondi who remained in the imperial capital until his death in June 1821.
Works
The literary activity of Clemente Bondi, began during his exile in Tyrol. During this period he wrote a tragedy Il Melesindo and the poem La giornata villereccia.The richest period of his artistic production, however, was during his stay in Mantua, where he had the opportunity to frequent a lively intellectual circle. In the years spent in Mantua he wrote: La Felicità in 1775, La Moda in 1777, Le Conversazioni in 1778, L’Incendio in 1784.
All the works of Bondi were first published in 1798 in Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
, in a six volumes edition titled Opere edite e inedite in versi e in prosa 'by the Venetian Adolfo Cesare. This edition seems to contain a number of texts that the author disowned later.
In the years with the Archduke Ferdinand, the literary activity of Bondi was rather poor. His main concern at this time, was to revisit the poems written by him previously and to look after a new edition issued in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
in 1808 with a note stating that it was the complete edition, the only one correct and authorized by the author. In 1801, Adolfo Cesare, the Venetian publisher of the first edition, in meantime had published a seventh book completing his edition of 1798.
The activity in which Clemente Bondi was more able, however, was as translator of classical texts: the Aeneid
Aeneid
The Aeneid is a Latin epic poem, written by Virgil between 29 and 19 BC, that tells the legendary story of Aeneas, a Trojan who travelled to Italy, where he became the ancestor of the Romans. It is composed of roughly 10,000 lines in dactylic hexameter...
, the Georgics
Georgics
The Georgics is a poem in four books, likely published in 29 BC. It is the second major work by the Latin poet Virgil, following his Eclogues and preceding the Aeneid. It is a poem that draws on many prior sources and influenced many later authors from antiquity to the present...
, the Eclogues of Virgil
Virgil
Publius Vergilius Maro, usually called Virgil or Vergil in English , was an ancient Roman poet of the Augustan period. He is known for three major works of Latin literature, the Eclogues , the Georgics, and the epic Aeneid...
and the Metamorphoses of Ovid
Ovid
Publius Ovidius Naso , known as Ovid in the English-speaking world, was a Roman poet who is best known as the author of the three major collections of erotic poetry: Heroides, Amores, and Ars Amatoria...
. His work was appreciated for the rich captions and notes accompanying its translations, so that it dubbed him the Delille of Italy.