The Adriatic Humanism nexus defines a specific line of research that serves as an intersection between investigative paths initiated within the Chair of Humanistic Philology at the University of Macerata and the objectives of CiRAM-Centro interdipartimentale di Ricerca sull’Adriatico e il Mediterraneo, with which it is pursued in synergy. The designation aims to articulate, according to a particular connotation, the ideologeme of homo Adriaticus, coined several decades ago by Sante Graciotti, and the areal definition of ‘Adriatic Renaissance’ or ‘inter-Adriatic’ formulated by him on multiple occasions, including the contribution presented at the international conference Tideo Acciarini maestro e umanista fra Italia e Dalmazia (Macerata, 2011), which constituted a fundamental milestone for sector studies. in sinergia con il quale viene portata avanti.
The investigation focuses on the extraordinary network of cultural, literary, artistic, social, economic, and political exchanges between the Italian and Croatian shores, facilitated by figures often of extraordinary stature, which fueled the humanistic season between the 14th and 16th centuries, giving rise to a fertile osmosis expressed not only in terms of constant reciprocity (especially through the medium of education) but also in the formation of a historical, linguistic, literary, and mental space that defined a fundamental province (all too often neglected and little known) of European Humanism, situated precisely between continental West and Greco-Byzantine East; it found in the sinus Adriaticus not a line of demarcation but a cradle of dialogues and shared experiences.
Humanism, here as elsewhere, represented a superstratum of ethical, civil, aesthetic, and formal ideals in which many found recognition, as it did not impede the free expression of local tradition. This allowed for unique interpretations of phenomena, as in the case of the return to antiquity, which saw in the Dalmatian context, for example, the first manifestations of antiquarian syncretism between art and literature, which would then be transmitted from the Veneto to the European mainland, thanks to the activities of figures such as Giorgio Begna (Juraj Benja), Pietro Cippico, and Ciriaco of Ancona. The humanistic season certainly contributed, before all others, to making the Adriatic “lo spazio non dell’uniformità bensì dell’incontro tra diversità”, as felicitously defined by Egidio Ivetić.
Building on significant research initiated on figures such as Ciriaco of Ancona, Tideo Acciarini, and Francesco Filelfo (who, especially through his sons Gian Mario and Xenophon, had important relations with the Dalmatian area), the research project materialized in the cycles of Adriatic Humanism seminars (14th-16th centuries): research, narratives, readings, organized in synergy with Guido Giglioni. This activity, which has opened up new and significant research perspectives on multiple disciplinary fronts, is being shaped in the spirit of dialogue, cooperation, and scientific sharing.
Seminar cycles
Adriatic Humanism (XIVth-XVIth Centuries): research, stories and readings
