Marcantonio Flaminio
Encyclopedia
Marcantonio Flaminio also known as Marcus Antonius Flaminius, was an Italian humanist poet
, known for his Neo-Latin works. During his life, he toured the courts and literary centers of Italy
. He was also a supporter of the Reformed Church
. His father Giovanni Flaminio was also a renowned author, but the son's career put the father's into the shadows. Flaminio's correspondence with his father, his cousin, Gabriele Flaminio, and with his literary friends allows us to know much about his life.
, a small village in the Veneto
(in the north of Italy). When he was 11, Austria
invaded the Veneto, and Marcantonio and his family were forced to flee to his father's native village, Imola
, a village south of Bologna. A friendly cardinal gave the family financial support.
In 1514 Flaminio was given the chance to go to Rome to get a broader education. According to C. Maddison, by that time the boy was already "an accomplished scholar, and something of a poet". He was introduced to Pope Leo X, and placed by him under the care of the humanist and poet Raffaele Brandolini. Later on in the same year, Flaminio went to Naples
, where he met Jacopo Sannazaro
. They became very good friends and Sannazaro greatly influenced Flaminio's poetry.
In 1515, Flaminio moved to Bologna
, where he dedicated himself to the study of philosophy. His first poems were published that year in a collection consisting of odes, eclogues, epitaphs and Catullan
love lyrics. All the poems follow the tradition of Neo-Latin secular verse, taking up the subjects of the famous classical poets (such as Virgil
, Ovid
, and Catullus). In university, he met new lifelong friends, but after a few years Bologna begins to bore him.
In 1520, now an adult, he traveled to Padua
, to study literature, Aristotelian philosophy
, and law, but in two years, he fell seriously ill with syphilis
. He survived, and in the same year, accompanied by his patron Domenico Sauli, he visited Rome to see the coronation of the new Pope, Clement VII. Rome, by that time, was a place where the plague had free rein, the river Tiber overflowed its banks, and a war was in progress. Maddison says: "... the cardinals had fled, paganism had come into life — an ox was crowned with flowers and sacrificed in the Colosseum ...".
In 1524, Flaminio met Bishop Giberti of Verona, and was taken into his household in 1528, in which the poet lived in for 14 years. In this household, a group of bishops, poets, and scientists lived in a very strict Reformed way.
That year, Flaminio was among the members of the Oratorio del Divino Amore, "a group of 60 clerics and laymen who met on Sunday afternoons in the church of Saints Silvestro and Dorotea in Trastevere to discuss theology and to practise spiritual exercises".
From this period on, Flaminio became more serious and philosophical. According to Nichols, "He became more and more intensely concerned with religion, devoting himself in particular to the study of the psalms ...". He studied Greek
, Hebrew and theology and began to read the works of religious reformers.
In 1536, his father died, and Flaminio returned home. When he came back in Rome, he gained the favour of the rich and influential Farnese family, which helped get him into trouble for his interest in reform.
In 1538, his health worsened, and he decided to live in Naples. After a year, he visited the Count of Caserta and where he remained for over a year. He regained his health and wrote his second book of Lusus Pastorales. During his yearlong stay in Naples, Flaminio became part of several literary circles, and of the religious group of Juan de Valdes
. The people in this group believed that the soul's relation with God was more important than the formal relations with the Church.
In 1541 and 1452 Flaminio lived in Viterbo
in Cardinal Pole's household, one of the most reformed cardinals of that time.
In Venice in 1543, the Beneficio di Cristo, "the most popular devotional work in sixteenth-century Italy" is published. The book is condemned by the Inquisition
and Flaminio was accused of revising and publishing it.
In 1545 the Council of Trent
was reconvened. Flaminio was offered secretaryship by the Pope, but was forced to decline it (he did so in an elegy to Alessandro Farnese) because of ill health. In this time he wrote a poetic paraphrase of several psalms. In the spring of 1548 he fell ill, suffering from malaria
, and died in 1550 in Rome.
During his life, Flaminio was always a purist poet: in his Latin poetry, he referred only to the best classical writers; he specialised in pastoral poems, which were about pure love and nature. This idea also fit in his religious views, which stressed purity and the importance of a personal relationship with God, de-emphasizing the role of the Church.
Before his twenties, he also published an edition of a posthumous work of Marullus.
In 1526, he finished his first book (which he started in 1521) of Lusus Pastorales, a collection of bucolic epigrams).
He also wrote an elegy about his syphilis and several other elegies, as well as odes, epigrams, hymns, eclogues and epitaphs (and a large number of letters in various poetic forms to his friends, colleagues and patrons). He paraphrased 32 psalms in prose, and 30 in poetry. He also translated several works from several languages to Latin and Italian. All his Latin poetry has been brought together in a modern collection Carmina, consisting of eight books.
In the last two years of his life he wrote poetic memorials to his friends (about 127 people).
After his death, Flaminio's Carmina Sacra was found and published in 1551. The poems were written in the last few years of his life and are "simple and eloquent religious poems".
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...
, known for his Neo-Latin works. During his life, he toured the courts and literary centers 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...
. He was also a supporter of the Reformed Church
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
. His father Giovanni Flaminio was also a renowned author, but the son's career put the father's into the shadows. Flaminio's correspondence with his father, his cousin, Gabriele Flaminio, and with his literary friends allows us to know much about his life.
Biography
Flaminio grew up in SerravalleVittorio Veneto
Vittorio Veneto is a city and comune situated in the Province of Treviso, in the region of Veneto, Italy, in the northeast of the Italian peninsula, between the Piave and the Livenza rivers.-Geography:...
, a small village in the Veneto
Veneto
Veneto is one of the 20 regions of Italy. Its population is about 5 million, ranking 5th in Italy.Veneto had been for more than a millennium an independent state, the Republic of Venice, until it was eventually annexed by Italy in 1866 after brief Austrian and French rule...
(in the north of Italy). When he was 11, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
invaded the Veneto, and Marcantonio and his family were forced to flee to his father's native village, Imola
Imola
thumb|250px|The Cathedral of Imola.Imola is a town and comune in the province of Bologna, located on the Santerno river, in the Emilia-Romagna region of north-central Italy...
, a village south of Bologna. A friendly cardinal gave the family financial support.
In 1514 Flaminio was given the chance to go to Rome to get a broader education. According to C. Maddison, by that time the boy was already "an accomplished scholar, and something of a poet". He was introduced to Pope Leo X, and placed by him under the care of the humanist and poet Raffaele Brandolini. Later on in the same year, Flaminio went to Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
, where he met Jacopo Sannazaro
Jacopo Sannazaro
Jacopo Sannazaro was an Italian poet, humanist and epigrammist from Naples.He wrote easily in Latin, in Italian and in Neapolitan, but is best remembered for his humanist classic Arcadia, a masterwork that illustrated the possibilities of poetical prose in Italian, and instituted the theme of...
. They became very good friends and Sannazaro greatly influenced Flaminio's poetry.
In 1515, Flaminio moved to Bologna
Bologna
Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,...
, where he dedicated himself to the study of philosophy. His first poems were published that year in a collection consisting of odes, eclogues, epitaphs and Catullan
Catullus
Gaius Valerius Catullus was a Latin poet of the Republican period. His surviving works are still read widely, and continue to influence poetry and other forms of art.-Biography:...
love lyrics. All the poems follow the tradition of Neo-Latin secular verse, taking up the subjects of the famous classical poets (such as 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...
, 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...
, and Catullus). In university, he met new lifelong friends, but after a few years Bologna begins to bore him.
In 1520, now an adult, he traveled 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...
, to study literature, Aristotelian philosophy
Aristotle
Aristotle was a Greek philosopher and polymath, a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. His writings cover many subjects, including physics, metaphysics, poetry, theater, music, logic, rhetoric, linguistics, politics, government, ethics, biology, and zoology...
, and law, but in two years, he fell seriously ill with syphilis
Syphilis
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the spirochete bacterium Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum. The primary route of transmission is through sexual contact; however, it may also be transmitted from mother to fetus during pregnancy or at birth, resulting in congenital syphilis...
. He survived, and in the same year, accompanied by his patron Domenico Sauli, he visited Rome to see the coronation of the new Pope, Clement VII. Rome, by that time, was a place where the plague had free rein, the river Tiber overflowed its banks, and a war was in progress. Maddison says: "... the cardinals had fled, paganism had come into life — an ox was crowned with flowers and sacrificed in the Colosseum ...".
In 1524, Flaminio met Bishop Giberti of Verona, and was taken into his household in 1528, in which the poet lived in for 14 years. In this household, a group of bishops, poets, and scientists lived in a very strict Reformed way.
That year, Flaminio was among the members of the Oratorio del Divino Amore, "a group of 60 clerics and laymen who met on Sunday afternoons in the church of Saints Silvestro and Dorotea in Trastevere to discuss theology and to practise spiritual exercises".
From this period on, Flaminio became more serious and philosophical. According to Nichols, "He became more and more intensely concerned with religion, devoting himself in particular to the study of the psalms ...". He studied Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
, Hebrew and theology and began to read the works of religious reformers.
In 1536, his father died, and Flaminio returned home. When he came back in Rome, he gained the favour of the rich and influential Farnese family, which helped get him into trouble for his interest in reform.
In 1538, his health worsened, and he decided to live in Naples. After a year, he visited the Count of Caserta and where he remained for over a year. He regained his health and wrote his second book of Lusus Pastorales. During his yearlong stay in Naples, Flaminio became part of several literary circles, and of the religious group of Juan de Valdes
Juan de Valdés
Juan de Valdés was a Spanish religious writer.He was the younger of twin sons of Fernando de Valdés, hereditary regidor of Cuenca in Castile, where Valdés was born. He has been confused with his twin brother Alfonso...
. The people in this group believed that the soul's relation with God was more important than the formal relations with the Church.
In 1541 and 1452 Flaminio lived in Viterbo
Viterbo
See also Viterbo, Texas and Viterbo UniversityViterbo is an ancient city and comune in the Lazio region of central Italy, the capital of the province of Viterbo. It is approximately 80 driving / 80 walking kilometers north of GRA on the Via Cassia, and it is surrounded by the Monti Cimini and...
in Cardinal Pole's household, one of the most reformed cardinals of that time.
In Venice in 1543, the Beneficio di Cristo, "the most popular devotional work in sixteenth-century Italy" is published. The book is condemned by the Inquisition
Inquisition
The Inquisition, Inquisitio Haereticae Pravitatis , was the "fight against heretics" by several institutions within the justice-system of the Roman Catholic Church. It started in the 12th century, with the introduction of torture in the persecution of heresy...
and Flaminio was accused of revising and publishing it.
In 1545 the Council of Trent
Council of Trent
The Council of Trent was the 16th-century Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church. It is considered to be one of the Church's most important councils. It convened in Trent between December 13, 1545, and December 4, 1563 in twenty-five sessions for three periods...
was reconvened. Flaminio was offered secretaryship by the Pope, but was forced to decline it (he did so in an elegy to Alessandro Farnese) because of ill health. In this time he wrote a poetic paraphrase of several psalms. In the spring of 1548 he fell ill, suffering from malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
, and died in 1550 in Rome.
During his life, Flaminio was always a purist poet: in his Latin poetry, he referred only to the best classical writers; he specialised in pastoral poems, which were about pure love and nature. This idea also fit in his religious views, which stressed purity and the importance of a personal relationship with God, de-emphasizing the role of the Church.
Works
In 1515, Flaminio's first collection of poems was published, containing poems in many different genres.Before his twenties, he also published an edition of a posthumous work of Marullus.
In 1526, he finished his first book (which he started in 1521) of Lusus Pastorales, a collection of bucolic epigrams).
He also wrote an elegy about his syphilis and several other elegies, as well as odes, epigrams, hymns, eclogues and epitaphs (and a large number of letters in various poetic forms to his friends, colleagues and patrons). He paraphrased 32 psalms in prose, and 30 in poetry. He also translated several works from several languages to Latin and Italian. All his Latin poetry has been brought together in a modern collection Carmina, consisting of eight books.
In the last two years of his life he wrote poetic memorials to his friends (about 127 people).
After his death, Flaminio's Carmina Sacra was found and published in 1551. The poems were written in the last few years of his life and are "simple and eloquent religious poems".
Sources
- Maddison, C. (1965). Marcantonio Flaminio, Poet, Humanist and Reformer. London, Routledge.
- Nichols, F.J. (1979). An Anthology of Neo-Latin Poetry. New Haven, Yale University Press.
- Pastore, A. (1979). "Due bilioteche umanistiche del Cinquecento (I libri del Cardinal Pole e di Marcantonio Flaminio)." Rinascimento 19: 269-290.
- Flaminio, M. (1978). Lettere. A. Pastore, Rome.
- Flaminio, M. (1993). Carmina. M. Scorsone, San Mauro Torinese, Edizioni RES.