Everything about Luigi Alamanni totally explained
Luigi Alamanni (sometimes spelt
Alemanni;
March 6,
1495–
April 18,
1556) was an
Italian poet and
statesman. He was regarded as a prolific and versatile poet, and is credited with introducing the
epigram into Italian
poetry.
Biography
Alamanni was born in
Florence. His father was a devoted adherent of the
Medici party, but Luigi, smarting under a supposed injustice, joined with others in an unsuccessful conspiracy against Giulio de' Medici, afterwards
Pope Clement VII. He was obliged in consequence to take refuge in
Venice, and, on the accession of Clement, to flee to
France. When Florence shook off the papal yoke in
1527, Alamanni returned, and took a prominent part in the management of the affairs of the republic.
On the restoration of the Medici in 1530 he'd again to take refuge in France, where he composed the greater part of his works. He was a favourite with
Francis I, who sent him as ambassador to
Charles V after the
Peace of Crepy in
1544.
As an instance of his tact in this capacity, it's related that, when Charles interrupted a complimentary address by quoting from a satirical poem of Alamanni's the words:
"l' aquila grifagna, Che per piu devorar, duoi rostri porta" (
"Two crooked bills the ravenous eagle bears, The better to devour"), the latter at once replied that he spoke them as a poet, who was permitted to use fictions, but that he spoke now as an ambassador, who was obliged to tell the truth. The ready reply pleased Charles, who added some complimentary words.
After the death of Francis, Alamanni enjoyed the confidence of his successor
Henry II, and in
1551 was sent by him as his ambassador to
Genoa. He died at
Amboise on
April 18,
1556.
He wrote a large number of poems, distinguished by the purity and excellence of their style. The best is a didactic poem,
La Coltivazione (
Paris,
1546), written in imitation of
Virgil's
Georgics. His
Opere Toscane (
Lyon,
1532) consists of satirical pieces written in
blank verse. An unfinished poem,
Avarchide, in imitation of the
Iliad, was the work of his old age and has little merit.
It has been said by some that Alamanni was the first to use blank verse in Italian poetry, but the distinction belongs rather to his contemporary
Giangiorgio Trissino.
Bibliography
- a poetical romance, Girone il Cortese (Paris, 1548)
- a tragedy, Antigone
- a comedy, Flora
Further Information
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