Filippo Decio
Encyclopedia
Filippo Decio or Decius (1454 – c. 1535) was an Italian
jurist
whose services were courted by European universities and rulers. He was one of the most influential representatives of the pre-Humanist
scholastic ius commune tradition.
Born into a Milan
ese noble family, Decio studied the humaniora and then law in Pavia
under his brother Lancelotti and Jason de Mayno. In 1475, he attained a doctorate at Pisa
, where he taught civil and canon law until 1502, except for a 1484–87 stint in Siena
. After squabbles within the Pisan faculty, he taught canon law in Padua
from 1502 on and in Pavia from 1505 on. Following the destruction of his home by Swiss mercenaries
, he followed Louis XII's call to Valence
and became a member of the Grenoble
parlement
. In 1516, the Duke of Tuscany
succeeded in convincing Decio to return to Pisa, and in 1528 he moved to Siena
.
He died in Pisa around 1535, and is buried in the city's Camposanto Monumentale
, beneath a monument he himself commissioned before his death.
Celebrated in his time as a teacher and jurisconsult, Decio was the most prominent and among the most prolific of the last generation of commentators following in the tradition of Cinus, Bartolus and Baldus
. His last and best-known work is a 1521 commentary on the De regulis iuris title from the Digests. The work's systematic approach is already indicative of humanist ideas.
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...
jurist
Jurist
A jurist or jurisconsult is a professional who studies, develops, applies, or otherwise deals with the law. The term is widely used in American English, but in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth countries it has only historical and specialist usage...
whose services were courted by European universities and rulers. He was one of the most influential representatives of the pre-Humanist
Renaissance humanism
Renaissance humanism was an activity of cultural and educational reform engaged by scholars, writers, and civic leaders who are today known as Renaissance humanists. It developed during the fourteenth and the beginning of the fifteenth centuries, and was a response to the challenge of Mediæval...
scholastic ius commune tradition.
Born into a Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
ese noble family, Decio studied the humaniora and then law in Pavia
Pavia
Pavia , the ancient Ticinum, is a town and comune of south-western Lombardy, northern Italy, 35 km south of Milan on the lower Ticino river near its confluence with the Po. It is the capital of the province of Pavia. It has a population of c. 71,000...
under his brother Lancelotti and Jason de Mayno. In 1475, he attained a doctorate at Pisa
Pisa
Pisa is a city in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the right bank of the mouth of the River Arno on the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa...
, where he taught civil and canon law until 1502, except for a 1484–87 stint in Siena
Siena
Siena is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena.The historic centre of Siena has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site. It is one of the nation's most visited tourist attractions, with over 163,000 international arrivals in 2008...
. After squabbles within the Pisan faculty, he taught canon law in 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...
from 1502 on and in Pavia from 1505 on. Following the destruction of his home by Swiss mercenaries
Swiss mercenaries
Swiss mercenaries were notable for their service in foreign armies, especially the armies of the Kings of France, throughout the Early Modern period of European history, from the Later Middle Ages into the Age of the European Enlightenment...
, he followed Louis XII's call to Valence
Valence, Drôme
Valence is a commune in southeastern France, the capital of the Drôme department, situated on the left bank of the Rhône, south of Lyon on the railway to Marseilles.Its inhabitants are called Valentinois...
and became a member of the Grenoble
Grenoble
Grenoble is a city in southeastern France, at the foot of the French Alps where the river Drac joins the Isère. Located in the Rhône-Alpes region, Grenoble is the capital of the department of Isère...
parlement
Parlement
Parlements were regional legislative bodies in Ancien Régime France.The political institutions of the Parlement in Ancien Régime France developed out of the previous council of the king, the Conseil du roi or curia regis, and consequently had ancient and customary rights of consultation and...
. In 1516, the Duke of Tuscany
Tuscany
Tuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....
succeeded in convincing Decio to return to Pisa, and in 1528 he moved to Siena
Siena
Siena is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena.The historic centre of Siena has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site. It is one of the nation's most visited tourist attractions, with over 163,000 international arrivals in 2008...
.
He died in Pisa around 1535, and is buried in the city's Camposanto Monumentale
Camposanto Monumentale
The Campo Santo, also known as Camposanto Monumentale or Camposanto Vecchio , is a historical edifice at the northern edge of the Cathedral Square in Pisa, Italy....
, beneath a monument he himself commissioned before his death.
Celebrated in his time as a teacher and jurisconsult, Decio was the most prominent and among the most prolific of the last generation of commentators following in the tradition of Cinus, Bartolus and Baldus
Baldus de Ubaldis
Baldus de Ubaldis was an Italian jurist, a leading figure in Medieval Roman Law.-Life:A member of the noble family of the Ubaldi , Baldus was born at Perugia in 1327, and studied civil law there under Bartolus de Saxoferrato, being admitted to the degree of doctor of civil law at the early age of...
. His last and best-known work is a 1521 commentary on the De regulis iuris title from the Digests. The work's systematic approach is already indicative of humanist ideas.