Accademia degli Svogliati
Encyclopedia
The Accademia degli Svogliati ("Academy of the Will-less" or, erroneously, "Disgusted") was a 17th century association of Italian men of letters
in Florence
. It began as a conversation at the house of Jacopo Gaddi
, where it continued to meet. Gaddi was the driving force behind the Svogliati, as evidenced by the title of its statutes: "Statuti dell' Accademia degli Svogliati sotto il Principato dell'Illustrissimo Signore Jacopo Gaddi, suo Primo Principe e Promotore Stabiliti".
The Svogliati were a well-educated lot: their marginalia
contain learned references to the classics
, mythology
, and ancient history
. Gaddi's palazzo
, the "Paradiso Gaddi", now the Boscolo Hotel Astoria, and its gardens along the Via Melarancio was the principal meeting place of the members. The Villa Camerata, now a youth hostel, near Fiesole
, and the chapel of Santa Maria Novella were other common meeting places. Membership in the Accademia was regulated by the statutes, which admitted only persons with virtù
or scienza (knowledge), who were elected by the other members. Nationality, however, was incidental and the Accademia admitted as well as Italians
speakers of English
, French
, and German
. The English poet John Milton
participated—and read his own work—at four meetings of the Accademia during his sojourn in Florence (June–August 1638). It is possible that he was even a member and in later writings he refers to the Gaddiana Academia (Gaddian Academy).
Italian literature
Italian literature is literature written in the Italian language, particularly within Italy. It may also refer to literature written by Italians or in Italy in other languages spoken in Italy, often languages that are closely related to modern Italian....
in Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
. It began as a conversation at the house of Jacopo Gaddi
Jacopo Gaddi
Jacopo Gaddi was an Italian Neolatin and Italian writer from Florence.Born to a wealthy noble family, Gaddi was well known in Florence and was in correspondence with numerous figures outside his birthplace, including cardinals of the Roman curia, the painter Cristofano Allori, and, during his...
, where it continued to meet. Gaddi was the driving force behind the Svogliati, as evidenced by the title of its statutes: "Statuti dell' Accademia degli Svogliati sotto il Principato dell'Illustrissimo Signore Jacopo Gaddi, suo Primo Principe e Promotore Stabiliti".
The Svogliati were a well-educated lot: their marginalia
Marginalia
Marginalia are scribbles, comments, and illuminations in the margins of a book.- Biblical manuscripts :Biblical manuscripts have liturgical notes at the margin, for liturgical use. Numbers of texts' divisions are given at the margin...
contain learned references to the classics
Classics
Classics is the branch of the Humanities comprising the languages, literature, philosophy, history, art, archaeology and other culture of the ancient Mediterranean world ; especially Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome during Classical Antiquity Classics (sometimes encompassing Classical Studies or...
, mythology
Mythology
The term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...
, and ancient history
Ancient history
Ancient history is the study of the written past from the beginning of recorded human history to the Early Middle Ages. The span of recorded history is roughly 5,000 years, with Cuneiform script, the oldest discovered form of coherent writing, from the protoliterate period around the 30th century BC...
. Gaddi's palazzo
Palazzo
Palazzo, an Italian word meaning a large building , may refer to:-Buildings:*Palazzo, an Italian type of building**Palazzo style architecture, imitative of Italian palazzi...
, the "Paradiso Gaddi", now the Boscolo Hotel Astoria, and its gardens along the Via Melarancio was the principal meeting place of the members. The Villa Camerata, now a youth hostel, near Fiesole
Fiesole
Fiesole is a town and comune of the province of Florence in the Italian region of Tuscany, on a famously scenic height above Florence, 8 km NE of that city...
, and the chapel of Santa Maria Novella were other common meeting places. Membership in the Accademia was regulated by the statutes, which admitted only persons with virtù
Virtù
Virtu comes from Italian virtù "virtue, excellence," from Latin virtus, "excellence, worth, goodness, virtue." See also vertù.According to the Oxford Dictionary, Virtu means "a love of fine arts." Examples of this are seen here:...
or scienza (knowledge), who were elected by the other members. Nationality, however, was incidental and the Accademia admitted as well as Italians
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
speakers of English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, and German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
. The English poet John Milton
John Milton
John Milton was an English poet, polemicist, a scholarly man of letters, and a civil servant for the Commonwealth of England under Oliver Cromwell...
participated—and read his own work—at four meetings of the Accademia during his sojourn in Florence (June–August 1638). It is possible that he was even a member and in later writings he refers to the Gaddiana Academia (Gaddian Academy).