Andrea Rizzi - Böcker

This volume focuses on early modern Italy and some of its key multilingual zones: Venice, Florence, and Rome. It offers a novel insight into the interplay and dynamic exchange of languages in the Italian peninsula, from the early fifteenth to the early seventeenth centuries. In particular, it examines the flexible linguistic practices of both the social and intellectual elite, and the men and women from the street. The point of departure of this project is the realization that most of the early modern speakers and authors demonstrate strong self-awareness as multilingual communicators. From the foul-mouthed gondolier to the learned humanist, language choice and use were carefully performed, and often justified, in order to overcome (or affirm) linguistic and social differences. The urban social spaces, the princely court, and the elite centres of learning such as universities and academies all shared similar concerns about the value, effectiveness, and impact of languages. As the contributions in this book demonstrate, early modern communicators — including gondoliers, preachers, humanists, architects, doctors of medicine, translators, and teachers—made explicit and argued choices about their use of language. The textual and oral performance of languages—and self-aware discussions on languages—consolidated the identity of early modern Italian multilingual communities.

In this Element I investigate how Renaissance humanist translators used the printed page to construct a trustworthy persona and persuade readers of their translations' value. These portraits did more than decorate books - they shaped the public identity of translators, lent credibility to their work, and positioned them within broader networks of cultural authority. As the early modern book trade expanded, portraits became key instruments in establishing recognisability - what we might now call a 'brand' - that reassured readers and patrons alike. By revealing how trustworthiness was deliberately performed and circulated in print, this Element reframes the role of translators in Renaissance culture and offers new insights into the social and symbolic economies of early modern trust.

In this Element I investigate how Renaissance humanist translators used the printed page to construct a trustworthy persona and persuade readers of their translations' value. These portraits did more than decorate books - they shaped the public identity of translators, lent credibility to their work, and positioned them within broader networks of cultural authority. As the early modern book trade expanded, portraits became key instruments in establishing recognisability - what we might now call a 'brand' - that reassured readers and patrons alike. By revealing how trustworthiness was deliberately performed and circulated in print, this Element reframes the role of translators in Renaissance culture and offers new insights into the social and symbolic economies of early modern trust.

This volume focuses on early modern Italy and some of its key multilingual zones: Venice, Florence, and Rome. It offers a novel insight into the interplay and dynamic exchange of languages in the Italian peninsula, from the early fifteenth to the early seventeenth centuries. In particular, it examines the flexible linguistic practices of both the social and intellectual elite, and the men and women from the street. The point of departure of this project is the realization that most of the early modern speakers and authors demonstrate strong self-awareness as multilingual communicators. From the foul-mouthed gondolier to the learned humanist, language choice and use were carefully performed, and often justified, in order to overcome (or affirm) linguistic and social differences. The urban social spaces, the princely court, and the elite centres of learning such as universities and academies all shared similar concerns about the value, effectiveness, and impact of languages. As the contributions in this book demonstrate, early modern communicators — including gondoliers, preachers, humanists, architects, doctors of medicine, translators, and teachers—made explicit and argued choices about their use of language. The textual and oral performance of languages—and self-aware discussions on languages—consolidated the identity of early modern Italian multilingual communities.