Giovanni Battista Manso
Giovanni Battista Manso (1570- 28 December 1645) was an Italian aristocrat, scholar, and patron of the arts and artists.
Biography
He was born in Naples. He was Marquis of Villa, and lord of Pianco and Bissacio. His initial career was in the military, fighting under the banner of the Duke of Savoy, as well as the Spaniards. The Spanish rulers of Naples allowed him to establish the scholarly institute called Collegio dei Nobili. He was a member of the Accademia degli Oziosi in Naples. He befriended and helped Torquato Tasso, of whom he was to write a biography, published in Rome in 1634. To Him Torquato Tasso addressed his "Dialogue on Friendship," for he was much the friend of Tasso, who has also celebrated him among the other princes of his country, in his poem entitled Jerusalem Conquered (Book XX).
Among cavaliers magnanimous and courteous
Manso is resplendent.
He was also a patron to Giovanni Battista Marino[1] and close friend of the poet Antonio Bruni.[2] He met with a young John Milton during his trip to Italy. Milton, before leaving the city, wrote his Latin poem Mansus and presented it to the marquis as a farewell gift. [3]
Manso was the author of a book of poems (Poesie Nomiche, 1635), two collections of dialogues (I paradossi, ovvero dell'amore, 1608, and Erocallia, ovvero dell'amore e della bellezza, 1628), and a number of other prose works, of which the best-known today is the Vita di Torquato Tasso (1619), the first biography of the poet.[3]
Works
- I paradossi overo dell'Amore dialogi, 1608, Milan.
- Erocallia overo dell'Amore e della Bellezza, 1618, Venice.
- Poesie nomiche divise in Rime amorose, sacre e morali, 1634, Venice.
- Vita di Torquato Tasso published by Evangelista Deuchino, 1621.
References
- ^ Dizionario biografico universale, Volume 3, by Felice Scifoni, David Passigli, publisher, Florence (1844); page 893.
- ^ As stated in the prologue to his poems, by Alessandro Berardelli.
- ^ a b Snyder, Jon R. (1989). Writing the Scene of Speaking: Theories of Dialogue in the Late Italian Renaissance. Stanford University Press. p. 186. ISBN 9780804714594.
External links
- Calitti, Floriana (2007). "MANSO, Giovan Battista". Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani, Volume 69: Mangiabotti–Marconi (in Italian). Rome: Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana. ISBN 978-8-81200032-6.