Francesco Maria Ottieri

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Francesco Maria Ottieri (born July 8, 1665 in Florence , † May 13, 1742 in Rome ) was an Italian count and marquis. He emerged as a historian.

Life

Francesco Maria Ottieri was a son of Lotario, Count of Montorio and Sopano, and Minerva Bourbon del Monte, a member of the Marchese of Piancastagnaio. His father died in 1669 when he was only four years old. Then he came into the care of his mother and later as a page at the court of the Tuscan Grand Duke Cosimo III. de 'Medici , where he met important scholars. He came into contact with the librarian Antonio Magliabechi , the mathematician Vincenzo Viviani and the doctor, biologist and poet Francesco Redi . After his mother's death in 1676, his brother-in-law took over custody of him. He studied philosophy and jurisprudence , among other things , was well respected by the Grand Duke, but at the age of 17 left the Grand Duke's court in Florence to undertake an extensive journey through major European cities.

First Ottieri visited several Italian cities, then spent several months in Paris and met Louis XIV. , Who lived from 1686 to 1687 in London , where he King James II. Met, then traveled to Flanders and then held at the court extended period of Leopold I in Vienna on. He then returned to Italy, lived in Rome from 1693 to 1696 and there - after he had briefly returned to Florence - a marriage with Olimpia Maidalchini. Two of the couple's four daughters entered the monastery, while of the sons only Lotario († 1789) survived the father and married Dorotea de Vecchi, but had no offspring with her.

Ottieri became the secret chamberlain at the court of Pope Benedict XIII. , also a member of the Accademia della Crusca . After much preparation and in possession of many handwritten messages and secret papers, he decided in 1716 to describe the history of his time from 1696, and especially the history of the War of the Spanish Succession , mainly in relation to Italy. He then published the first volume of his Istoria delle guerre avvenute in Europa, e particolarmente in Italia, per la successione alla monarchia delle Spaggne, dall'anno 1696 all'anno 1725 (Rome 1728). Although the book of Benedict XIII. it was not given permission to print. The work contained much news that the French court did not like, and Ottieri was evidently convinced that it had been suppressed at the instigation of a French minister. He withdrew to his estates in Tuscany, but continued to correspond with his friends and writers like Muratori .

After Clemens XII. In 1730 he had become Pope, he granted Ottieri, whom he had known from his youth, his favor. When Charles III. In the course of the War of the Polish Succession in 1734 he took control of the Kingdom of Naples , Ottieri recognized him as one of the first as the new king. He was still working on his history in the last years of his life. He died in 1742 and was buried in the church of Santi Celso e Giuliano in Banchi in Rome .

Ottieri left his work handwritten to his son Lotario, who had it published (4 volumes, Rome 1753–1757) and also wrote a biography of his father - at the end of the fourth volume. After his insurance, Ottieri chose great role models for his work. Of the ancient historians these were Titus Livius and Sallust , of the modern Guicciardini and Paruta . Although he lags behind them in terms of skillful distribution of material and composition, he was an important Italian historian because of his truthful presentation, his frankness and some authenticated news. His work proves to be an important source of information for European history at the turn of the 17th and 18th centuries. The development of political negotiations is more instructive than the narration of the events of the war. In particular, the game of intrigues at the Spanish court in relation to the succession to the throne of Charles II is presented with greater precision and vividness than is found in other writers, and his glances at the other European powers betray the trained observer everywhere. The author has devoted great effort to the purity of language and stylistic beauty.

literature

personal data
SURNAME Ottieri, Francesco Maria
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Italian historian
DATE OF BIRTH July 8, 1665
PLACE OF BIRTH Florence
DATE OF DEATH May 13, 1742
Place of death Rome