Sperone Speroni

Sperone Speroni degli Alvarotti (1500 - 1588) was an Italian Renaissance humanist, scholar, and dramatist. He was one of the central members of Padua's literary academy, "Accademia degli Infiammati", and wrote on both moral and literary matters.

Biography

Sperone was the son of Bernardino Speroni degli Alvarotti and Lucia Contarini. In 1518 he obtained the "artibus" degree from the University of Padua, and joined the Guild ("Sacro Collegio") of artists and physicians. He lectured on philosophy at Padua, under the Chair of Logic. He interrupted his teachings to study at Bologna under Pietro Pomponazzi, but, after Pietro's death, returned to Padua where he obtained an Extraordinary Chair of Philosophy, a post he held for another three years.

His literary career began with the publication of the "Dialoghi" ("Dialogues") at Venice (1542). Between 1560 and 1564 he lived in Rome, where he became a close friend of Annibal Caro and frequented the meetings of the "Accademia delle Notti Vaticane". He then returned to Padua, where he continued his literary production.

He died in Padua in 1588.

Works

Speroni's works include:

*"Dialogo della retorica" (1542), on rhetoric;
*"Dialogo delle dignità delle donne" (1542), on the status of women;
*"Dialogo d'amore" (written in 1537 and published in 1542), on the nature of love.
*"Dialogo delle lingue" , a defense of vernacular languages instead of Latin.
*"Canace" (1546), a verse tragedy; followed by an "Apologia" (1550).
*"Discorso su Dante" , on the poet Dante.
*"Discorso su l'Eneide", on Virgil's Aeneid.
*"Discorso sul Orlando Furioso" , on Ariosto's poem Orlando Furioso.
*"Dialogo della istoria" , on history.

Influence

His play "Canace", based on a Greek legend of incestuous love, was only performed once; but was widely diffused, and (together with Giraldi's play "Orbecche") led to literary debates on tragedy and theatrical morals through to the next century.

Speroni was a friend and supporter of Venetian-language playwright Angelo Beolco (el Ruzante). His "Dialogo delle lingue" was an important source for Joachim du Bellay's "Défense et illustration de la langue française".

External links

* [http://www.italica.rai.it/rinascimento/cento_opere/speroni_dialogo.htm Essay on the "Dialogo delle lingue"] by Franco Pignatti (in Italian).