The Renaissance of Letters; Knowledge and Community in Italy, 1300–1650; First Edition

__The Renaissance of Letters__ traces the multiplication of letter-writing practices between the fourteenth and seventeenth centuries in the Italian peninsula and beyond to explore the importance of letters as a crucial document for understanding the Italian Renaissance. This edited collection contains case studies, ranging from the late medieval re-emergence of letter-writing to the mid-seventeenth century, that offer a comprehensive analysis of the different dimensions of late medieval and Renaissance letters—literary, commercial, political, religious, cultural, social, and military—which transformed them into powerful early modern tools. The Renaissance was an era that put letters into the hands of many kinds of people, inspiring them to see reading, writing, receiving, and sending letters as an essential feature of their identity. The authors take a fresh look at the correspondence of some of the most important humanists of the Italian Renaissance, including Niccolò Machiavelli and Isabella d'Este, and consider the use of letters for others such as merchants and physicians. This book is essential reading for scholars and students of Early Modern History and Literature, Renaissance Studies, and Italian Studies. The engagement with essential primary sources renders this book an indispensable tool for those teaching seminars on Renaissance history and literature. The Renaissance of Letters traces the multiplication of letter-writing practices between the fourteenth and seventeenth centuries in the Italian peninsula and beyond to explore the importance of letters as a crucial document for understanding the Italian Renaissance. Cover 1 Half Title 2 Title Page 4 Copyright Page 5 Dedication 6 Table of Contents 8 List of figures 11 List of contributors 16 Acknowledgments 17 Introduction: with a letter in hand—writing, communication, and representation in Renaissance Italy 20 Portrait of a Renaissance letter 22 Writing, reading, and friendship 28 An epistolary guide to the volume 39 Notes 43 PART I: Late medieval commerce and scholarship 48 1. Letters, networks, and reputation among Francesco di Marco Datini and his correspondents 50 Doing business in Italy 53 Beyond the Datini enterprise: letters from North Africa 58 Household and network between Prato and Florence 60 Commercial letters, networks, and hierarchies 64 Notes 65 2. Ciriaco d’Ancona and the limits of the network 70 Merchant by necessity, humanist by aspiration 71 An occasional diplomat and passionate antiquarian 76 The limits of correspondence networks 81 Notes 83 PART II: Rulers and subjects 88 3. Saving Naples: the king’s Malaria, the Barons’ revolt, and the letters of Ippolita Maria Sforza 90 The crisis of 1475 91 Ippolita Maria Sforza: writer of letters 92 The malaria letters and the language of kinship 93 The periodicity of the king’s illness: 18–25 November 95 Intimations of a second Barons’ revolt 97 Notes 100 Epilogues 103 Appendix 1 A note on the history of malaria 104 Appendix 2 The malaria letters 105 4. Isabella d’Este’s Employee Relations 112 Notes 120 5. Letters as sources for studying Jewish conversion: the case of Salomone da Sesso/Ercole de’ Fedeli 123 Convert identity and self-fashioning in letters 124 Letters as amedium for debating conversionary policy 129 Letters on the spectacle of conversion 132 Abbreviations 134 Notes 134 PART III: Humanism, diplomacy, and empire 142 6. Writing a letter in 1507: the fortunes of Francesco Vettori’s correspondence and the Florentine Republic 144 Fortune smiles on Francesco: Vettori’s mandato 145 Mission impossible: Francesco Vettori’s fortunes in Germany 151 Confronting fortune: Vettori, Machiavelli and the Viaggio in Alemagna 154 Epilogue: the afterlife of arenaissance letter 157 Appendix 161 Notes 162 7. Minding gaps: connecting the worlds of Erasmus and Machiavelli 165 Erasmus at San Marco 167 Machiavelli’s “Erasmus” 172 Conclusion 177 Notes 178 8. The Cardinal’s Dearest Son and the pirate: Venetian empire and the letters of Giovan Matteo Bembo 183 Bembus Pater and the Dearest Son 184 The converging paths of Giovan Matteo Bembo and the Redbeard 189 Girolamo Ruscelli’s letters: printing Giovan Matteo Bembo and Barbarossa 191 Letters to a pirate 192 Conclusion 199 Notes 199 PART IV: Science and travel 204 9. The literary lives of health workers in late Renaissance Venice 206 Nicolò Massa: a lesson in trying too hard 208 Venetian learning without letters 219 Conclusion 222 Notes 222 10. A Florentine humanist in India: Filippo Sassetti, Medici agent by annual letter 227 Notes 239 11. “La verità delle stelle”: Margherita Sarrocchi’s letters to Galileo 246 Notes 264 PART V: Information, politics, and war 272 12. Publishing the Baroque post: the postal itinerary and the mailbag novel 274 Codogno’s itinerary 275 Pallavicino’s novel 281 Mercury’s mailbag 286 Notes 287 13. War, mobility, and letters at the start of the Thirty Years’ War (1621–23) 291 Roman ambitions, long-distance war, and letters 293 On the ground in Moravia 297 “So that Ican send myself where Iwant” 301 Conclusion 304 Notes 306 14. Making sense of the news: Micanzio’s letters, Cavendish, Bacon, and the Thirty Years’ War 312 ‘Frendly commerce’: spirit and style 314 Philosophy and politics: contents 317 Prospect and point of view: the partisan’s perspective 320 Ottoman news: connections and comparisons 322 Current affairs, ancient histories, general maxims 324 From contingencies to conclusions: writing and reading hidden knowledge 326 Notes 331 Epilogue: lives full of letters—from Renaissance to Republic of Letters 337 Notes 345 Index 347 The Renaissance Of Letters Traces The Multiplication Of Letter-writing Practices Between The Fourteenth And Seventeenth Centuries In The Italian Peninsula And Beyond To Explore The Importance Of Letters As A Crucial Document For Understanding The Italian Renaissance. This Edited Collection Contains Case Studies, Ranging From The Late Medieval Re-emergence Of Letter-writing To The Mid-seventeenth Century, That Offer A Comprehensive Analysis Of The Different Dimensions Of Late Medieval And Renaissance Letters-literary, Commercial, Political, Religious, Cultural, Social, And Military-which Transformed Them Into Powerful Early Modern Tools. The Renaissance Was An Era That Put Letters Into The Hands Of Many Kinds Of People, Inspiring Them To See Reading, Writing, Receiving, And Sending Letters As An Essential Feature Of Their Identity. The Authors Take A Fresh Look At The Correspondence Of Some Of The Most Important Humanists Of The Italian Renaissance, Including Machiavelli And Castiglione, And Consider The Use Of Letters For Women Such As The Poet And Natural Philosopher, Margherita Sarrocchi. This Book Is Essential Reading For Scholars And Students Of Early Modern History, Renaissance Studies And Italian Studies. The Engagement With Essential Primary Sources Renders This Book As An Indispensable Tool For Those Teaching Seminars On Renaissance History And Literature-- Edited By Paula Findlen And Suzanne Sutherland. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. "The Renaissance of Letters traces the multiplication of letter-writing practices between the fourteenth and seventeenth centuries in the Italian peninsula and beyond to explore the importance of letters as a crucial document for understanding the Italian Renaissance. This edited collection contains case studies, ranging from the late medieval re-emergence of letter-writing to the mid-seventeenth century, that offer a comprehensive analysis of the different dimensions of late medieval and Renaissance letters-literary, commercial, political, religious, cultural, social, and military-which transformed them into powerful early modern tools. The Renaissance was an era that put letters into the hands of many kinds of people, inspiring them to see reading, writing, receiving, and sending letters as an essential feature of their identity. The authors take a fresh look at the correspondence of some of the most important humanists of the Italian Renaissance, including Machiavelli and Castiglione, and consider the use of letters for women such as the poet and natural philosopher, Margherita Sarrocchi. This book is essential reading for scholars and students of Early Modern History, Renaissance Studies and Italian Studies. The engagement with essential primary sources renders this book as an indispensable tool for those teaching seminars on Renaissance history and literature"-- Provided by publisher "The Renaissance of Letters traces the multiplication of letter-writing practices between the fourteenth and seventeenth centuries in the Italian peninsula and beyond to explore the importance of letters as a crucial document for understanding the Italian Renaissance. This edited collection contains case studies, ranging from the late medieval re-emergence of letter-writing to the mid-seventeenth century, that offer a comprehensive analysis of the different dimensions of late medieval and Renaissance letters-literary, commercial, political, religious, cultural, social, and military-which transformed them into powerful early modern tools. The Renaissance was an era that put letters into the hands of many kinds of people, inspiring them to see reading, writing, receiving, and sending letters as an essential feature of their identity. The authors take a fresh look at the correspondence of some of the most important humanists of the Italian Renaissance, including Machiavelli and Castiglione, and consider the use of letters for women such as the poet and natural philosopher, Margherita Sarrocchi. This book is essential reading for scholars and students of Early Modern History, Renaissance Studies and Italian Studies. The engagement with essential primary sources renders this book as an indispensable tool for those teaching seminars on Renaissance history and literature"-- Page 4 of cover In this edited volume, an interdisciplinary group of scholars examines the Renaissance of letter-writing in the Italian peninsula, from the late medieval re-emergence of letter-writing through the mid-seventeenth century.