Bernardo Dovizi da Bibbiena

Biography

Bernardo is born on August 4th, 1470 in the family from Dovizi, lords of Bibbiena chief town of Casentino in Tuscany. It follows as a secretary Jean de Médicis, who once become pope under the name of Leon X, names it cardinal (1513) and charges it with several important diplomatic missions. In Urbin, city passed under the domination of Francesco Maria della Rovere, Bibbiena finds the occation to make knowledge with the most important artists of the court like Francesco di Gorgio Martini, but especially to bind a strong friendship with Baldassarre Castiglione which contributed to the scenic success of its only comedy Calandria , represented for the first time at Urbin in 1513. Bibbiena appears besides in the most important work of Castiglione: the Courtier .

With the return of an embassy in France and of return to Rome, it was removed by an unforeseen death, on November 9th 1520: it was claimed that it had been poisoned and one showed without no base, the pope even who had been his guard, but who could suspect it of aspiring to the Tiare.

Bibbiena had composed several poetries, and a modern comedy in prose and Italian language the Calandria , which contributed to renew the Théâtre in Italy at the 16th century.

Calandria

Considered as being the first Italian comedy in prose, this work revolutionized the guns of the theatrical writing of the 16th century. In the prolog of work the writer gives the claims of immediately Calandria : it is a comedy " in prosa, not in versi; moderna, not antiqua; vugare, not latina" i.e. " in prose, not in worms; modern, not ancient and in popular language, not in latin".

It fu the first comedy to exceed the tradition of source of inspiration that Plaute who was the Latin author, at that time, was the standard for the Humanistic ones which sought to take as a starting point the dramatic texts greco-Romans by modernizing them but while leaving intact their contents and their screen.

Dice the Bibbiena title is detached from the traditional tradition approaching contrary to the medieval innovation: for example name of one of character (Calandro) makes reference, that is by its name or the mockery which is made to him, with the character of Boccace fore-mentioned Calendrino and which appears more once in the Décaméron . Bibbiena is attached however to the ancient tradition by the topics which it approaches in its comedy such as the topic of the androgine (inspired of Plato in its work the banquet ) or the topic of the dressing-up (inspired of Plaute).

The screen

the antefatto : (i.e. events which precedes the beginning by the part). Birth of two twins with Modone in Greece: a fore-mentioned girl Santilla and a fore-mentioned boy Lidio. Because of a conflict with Turkish the twins find themselves separate. Santilla which is exposed to the danger must be disguised as a man and is made call Lidio. She is recuillie by Perillo, a merchant, who believing it man leads it to Rome and wants to marry it with his Virginia daughter.

Beginning of the part: Lidio is also in Rome. It is in love with Fulvia a woman married to Calandro and to be able to see it is disguised as a woman and takes the name of Santilla. Calandro falls in love with him the believer woman. The comedy thus starts in Rome, the twins are 18 years old, they take both the identity of the other without knowing that they are in the same city. All the comedy turns around this couple of twins which must be found.

Main characters

Santilla
Lidio
Fessenio : domestic of Lidio
Fannio : domestic of Santilla
Calandro : husband of Fulvia, falls in love with Lidio disguised in Santilla
Fulvia : woman of Calandro, mistress of Lidio

Sources

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