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Portraits of Learned Men

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Portraits of Learned Men by Paolo Giovio presents insightful biographies of various intellectual figures from Giovio's era, capturing their contributions and personalities. The work provides a vivid glimpse into the lives and achievements of these scholars, offering readers a window into the intellectual climate of the Renaissance. Each portrait conveys the unique qualities and influence of these historic individuals.
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Format: Hardback
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This book may appeal to you if you appreciate delving into the lives of historical figures and relish learning about great thinkers of the past. It offers insightful accounts of influential personalities, revealing their contributions to knowledge and culture through vivid storytelling.

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Paolo Giovio’s Portraits of Learned Men provides brief biographies of 146 men from Dante, Petrarch, and Boccaccio to Erasmus, Thomas More, and Juan Luis Vives that were meant to accompany portraits in a museum of great figures in modern history. This volume contains a fresh edition of the Latin text and a new, more complete English translation.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

The most complete translation available of these brief biographies of great European figures, written by one of the leading historians of the sixteenth century.

Portraits of Learned Men provides a fascinating synopsis of the contours, mentality, and trajectory of humanistic culture in Italy and Europe by one of the leading historians of the sixteenth century, Paolo Giovio (1483–1552). These brief biographies of 146 men of learningβ€”from Dante, Petrarch, and Boccaccio in the fourteenth century to Erasmus, Thomas More, and Juan Luis Vives in the sixteenthβ€”were meant to accompany accurate portrait paintings commemorating great figures in modern history.

Presented together with the literary portraits in this volume, these paintings would be located in a purpose-built villa on Lake Como that would be open to the public. Giovio called this his musaeum, or home of the Muses, one of the first such institutions in European history. His museum would not only serve the traditional function of inspiring virtuous emulation but also provide a comprehensive, candid, and personal overview of the Republic of Letters as it had taken shape and flourished in Italy and Europe during the Renaissance.

This volume contains a fresh edition of the Latin text and a new, more complete translation than any now available in English.

Series: The I Tatti Renaissance Library

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  • Portraits of Learned Men
    The most complete translation available of these brief biographies of great European figures, written by one of the leading historians of the sixteenth century. Portraits of Learned Men provides a fascinating synopsis of the contours, mentality, and trajectory of humanistic culture in Italy and Europe by one of the leading historians of the sixteenth century, Paolo Giovio (1483–1552). These brief...
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    A renowned Renaissance poet's homage to Naples makes its debut in modern English translation. Giovanni Pontano (1429–1503), whose academic name was Gioviano, was one of the great scholar-poets of the Renaissance as well as a leading statesman who served as prime minister to the Aragonese kings of southern Italy. The dominant literary figure of quattrocento Naples, Pontano produced literary works...
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  • History of the Florentine People
    Leonardo Bruni (1370-1444), the leading civic humanist of the Italian Renaissance, served as apostolic secretary to four popes (1405-1414) and chancellor of Florence (1427-1444). He was famous in his day as a translator, orator, and historian, and was the best-selling author of the fifteenth century. Bruni's History of the Florentine People in twelve books is generally considered the first modern...
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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780674290150

Publisher: Harvard University Press

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 01 March 2023

Country: United States

Imprint: Harvard University Press

Contributors:

  • Edited and translated by Kenneth Gouwens

Audience: Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 33.0mm

Width: 133.0mm

Height: 203.0mm

Weight: 726g

Pages: 688

About the Author

Kenneth Gouwens is Professor of History at the University of Connecticut.

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