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Bartolomeo Sacchi (; 1421 – 21 September 1481), known as Platina (in
Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...
''il Platina'' ) after his birthplace (
Piadena Piadena (; ) is a former ''comune'' in the Province of Cremona, Italy. On January 1, 2019 it merged with Drizzona to form Piadena Drizzona. It is approximately 30 kilometers east of Cremona; in addition to Cremona, Piadena is nearly equidistan ...
), and commonly referred to in English as Bartolomeo Platina, was an Italian
Renaissance humanist Renaissance humanism was a revival in the study of classical antiquity, at first in Italy and then spreading across Western Europe in the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries. During the period, the term ''humanist'' ( it, umanista) referred to teache ...
writer and gastronomist. Platina started his career as a soldier employed by
condottieri ''Condottieri'' (; singular ''condottiero'' or ''condottiere'') were Italian captains in command of mercenary companies during the Middle Ages and of multinational armies during the early modern period. They notably served popes and other Europ ...
, before gaining long-term patronage from the Gonzagas, including the young cardinal
Francesco Francesco, the Italian (and original) version of the personal name "Francis", is the most common given name among males in Italy. Notable persons with that name include: People with the given name Francesco * Francesco I (disambiguation), seve ...
, for whom he wrote a family history. He studied under the Byzantine humanist philosopher
John Argyropulos John Argyropoulos (/ˈd͡ʒɑn ˌɑɹd͡ʒɪˈɹɑ.pə.ləs/ el, Ἰωάννης Ἀργυρόπουλος ''Ioannis Argyropoulos''; it, Giovanni Argiropulo; surname also spelt ''Argyropulus'', or ''Argyropulos'', or ''Argyropulo''; c. 1415 – 2 ...
in Florence, where he frequented other fellow humanists, as well as members of the ruling
Medici family The House of Medici ( , ) was an Italian banking family and political dynasty that first began to gather prominence under Cosimo de' Medici, in the Republic of Florence during the first half of the 15th century. The family originated in the Mug ...
. Around 1462 he moved with Francesco Gonzaga to Rome, where he purchased a post as a papal writer under the humanist
Pius II Pope Pius II ( la, Pius PP. II, it, Pio II), born Enea Silvio Bartolomeo Piccolomini ( la, Aeneas Silvius Bartholomeus, links=no; 18 October 1405 – 14 August 1464), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 19 August ...
(Enea Silvio Piccolomini) and became a member of the
Platonism Platonism is the philosophy of Plato and philosophical systems closely derived from it, though contemporary platonists do not necessarily accept all of the doctrines of Plato. Platonism had a profound effect on Western thought. Platonism at l ...
-influenced
Roman Academy Roman academies refers to associations of learned individuals and not institutes for instruction. Such Roman Academies were always connected to larger educational structures conceived during and following the Italian Renaissance, at the height of w ...
founded by
Julius Pomponius Laetus Julius Pomponius Laetus (1428 – 9 June 1498), also known as Giulio Pomponio Leto, was an Italian humanist. Background Laetus was born at Teggiano, near Salerno, the illegitimate scion of the princely house of Sanseverino, the German historia ...
. Close acquaintance with the renowned chef Maestro Martino in Rome seems to have provided inspiration for a theoretical treatise on Italian gastronomy entitled ''
De honesta voluptate et valetudine ''De honesta voluptate et valetudine'' (''On honest indulgence and good health'', often shortened to ''De honesta voluptate'') was the first cookbook ever printed. Written ca. 1465 by Bartolomeo Platina, it first appeared between 1470 and 1475 in ...
'' ("On honourable pleasure and health"), which achieved considerable popularity and has the distinction of being considered the first printed
cookbook A cookbook or cookery book is a kitchen reference containing recipes. Cookbooks may be general, or may specialize in a particular cuisine or category of food. Recipes in cookbooks are organized in various ways: by course (appetizer, first cour ...
. Platina's papal employment was abruptly curtailed on the arrival of an anti-humanist pope, Paul II (Pietro Barbo), who had the rebellious Platina locked up in
Castel Sant'Angelo The Mausoleum of Hadrian, usually known as Castel Sant'Angelo (; English: ''Castle of the Holy Angel''), is a towering cylindrical building in Parco Adriano, Rome, Italy. It was initially commissioned by the Roman Emperor Hadrian as a mausol ...
during the winter of 1464-65 as a punishment for his remonstrations. In 1468 he was again confined in Castel Sant'Angelo for a further year, where he was interrogated under
torture Torture is the deliberate infliction of severe pain or suffering on a person for reasons such as punishment, extracting a confession, interrogation for information, or intimidating third parties. Some definitions are restricted to acts ...
, following accusations of an alleged conspiracy by members of Pomponio's Roman Academy involving plans to assassinate the pope. Platina's fortunes were revived by the return to power of the strongly pro-humanist pope,
Sixtus IV Pope Sixtus IV ( it, Sisto IV: 21 July 1414 – 12 August 1484), born Francesco della Rovere, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 9 August 1471 to his death in August 1484. His accomplishments as pope include ...
(Francesco della Rovere), who in 1475 made him Vatican librarian—an appointment which was depicted in a famous fresco by Melozzo da Forlì. He was granted the post after writing an innovative and influential history of the lives of the
pope The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...
s that gives ample space to
Roman history The history of Rome includes the history of the city of Rome as well as the civilisation of ancient Rome. Roman history has been influential on the modern world, especially in the history of the Catholic Church, and Roman law has influenced m ...
and the themes of Antiquity, and concludes by vilifying Platina's nemesis, Paul II.


Biography

Platina was born at
Piadena Piadena (; ) is a former ''comune'' in the Province of Cremona, Italy. On January 1, 2019 it merged with Drizzona to form Piadena Drizzona. It is approximately 30 kilometers east of Cremona; in addition to Cremona, Piadena is nearly equidistan ...
(''Platina'' in
Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...
), near
Cremona Cremona (, also ; ; lmo, label= Cremunés, Cremùna; egl, Carmona) is a city and ''comune'' in northern Italy, situated in Lombardy, on the left bank of the Po river in the middle of the ''Pianura Padana'' ( Po Valley). It is the capital of the ...
. He first enlisted as a private soldier, and was then appointed tutor to the sons of the Marquis Ludovico III Gonzaga, task previously held by Iacopo da San Cassiano and Ognibene da Lonigo. In 1457, he went to
Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico ...
, and studied under the Greek scholar Argyropulos. In 1462 he proceeded to Rome, probably in the suite of Cardinal Francesco Gonzaga. After
Pius II Pope Pius II ( la, Pius PP. II, it, Pio II), born Enea Silvio Bartolomeo Piccolomini ( la, Aeneas Silvius Bartholomeus, links=no; 18 October 1405 – 14 August 1464), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 19 August ...
had reorganized the College of Abbreviators (1463), and increased the number to seventy, Platina, in May 1464, was elected a member. Probably in the summer of 1465 Platina composed ''De honesta voluptate et valetudine'' ("On honourable pleasure and health"). This first printed
cookbook A cookbook or cookery book is a kitchen reference containing recipes. Cookbooks may be general, or may specialize in a particular cuisine or category of food. Recipes in cookbooks are organized in various ways: by course (appetizer, first cour ...
, a monument of
medieval cuisine Medieval cuisine includes foods, eating habits, and cooking methods of various European cultures during the Middle Ages, which lasted from the fifth to the fifteenth century. During this period, diets and cooking changed less than they did in t ...
in Renaissance intellectual trappings,"Many of the aspects of medieval Italian eating... are to be found in Master Martino," observes John Dickie, ''Delizia! The Epic History of the Italians and Their Food'', 2008, p. 67. left the press in 1474 and ran into dozens of editions, disseminating Roman ideas about fine dining throughout Western Europe. In a display of humanist learning Platina embedded recipes from the famous chef, Maestro Martino de' Rossi, whom he had met in the summer of 1463 at Albano, where Platina was the guest of Martino's employer, a cardinal. When Paul II abolished the ordinances of Pius, Platina with the other new members was deprived of his office. Angered by this, he wrote a pamphlet demanding from the pope the recall of his restrictions. When called upon to justify himself he answered with insolence and was imprisoned in the
Castel Sant'Angelo The Mausoleum of Hadrian, usually known as Castel Sant'Angelo (; English: ''Castle of the Holy Angel''), is a towering cylindrical building in Parco Adriano, Rome, Italy. It was initially commissioned by the Roman Emperor Hadrian as a mausol ...
, being released after four months on condition that he remain at Rome. In February 1468, with about twenty other
humanist Humanism is a philosophical stance that emphasizes the individual and social potential and agency of human beings. It considers human beings the starting point for serious moral and philosophical inquiry. The meaning of the term "human ...
s, he was again imprisoned on suspicion of
heresy Heresy is any belief or theory that is strongly at variance with established beliefs or customs, in particular the accepted beliefs of a church or religious organization. The term is usually used in reference to violations of important relig ...
and of conspiring against the life of the pope. The latter charge was dropped for lack of evidence, while they were acquitted on the former. However, members of the
Roman Academy Roman academies refers to associations of learned individuals and not institutes for instruction. Such Roman Academies were always connected to larger educational structures conceived during and following the Italian Renaissance, at the height of w ...
were found guilty of
immorality Immorality is the violation of moral laws, norms or standards. It refers to an agent doing or thinking something they know or believe to be wrong. Immorality is normally applied to people or actions, or in a broader sense, it can be applied to ...
. After his release on July 7, 1469, he expected to be again in the employ of Paul II, who, however, declined his services. Platina threatened vengeance and executed his threat, when at the suggestion of
Sixtus IV Pope Sixtus IV ( it, Sisto IV: 21 July 1414 – 12 August 1484), born Francesco della Rovere, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 9 August 1471 to his death in August 1484. His accomplishments as pope include ...
he wrote his ' (1479). In it he paints his enemy as cruel, and an archenemy of science. For centuries it influenced historical opinions until critical research proved otherwise. In other places party spirit is evident, especially when he treats of the condition of the
Church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * Chri ...
. Notwithstanding, his ''Lives of the Popes'' is the first systematic handbook of papal history. Platina felt the need of critical research, but shirked the examination of details. By the end of 1474 or the beginning of 1475 Platina offered his manuscript to
Pope Sixtus IV Pope Sixtus IV ( it, Sisto IV: 21 July 1414 – 12 August 1484), born Francesco della Rovere, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 9 August 1471 to his death in August 1484. His accomplishments as pope include ...
; it is still preserved in the
Vatican Library The Vatican Apostolic Library ( la, Bibliotheca Apostolica Vaticana, it, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana), more commonly known as the Vatican Library or informally as the Vat, is the library of the Holy See, located in Vatican City. Formally es ...
. After the death of Giovanni Andrea Bussi,
Bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ...
of Aleria, the pope appointed Platina
librarian A librarian is a person who works professionally in a library providing access to information, and sometimes social or technical programming, or instruction on information literacy to users. The role of the librarian has changed much over time ...
with a yearly salary of 120
ducat The ducat () coin was used as a trade coin in Europe from the later Middle Ages from the 13th to 19th centuries. Its most familiar version, the gold ducat or sequin containing around of 98.6% fine gold, originated in Venice in 1284 and gained ...
s and an official residence in the
Vatican Vatican may refer to: Vatican City, the city-state ruled by the pope in Rome, including St. Peter's Basilica, Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museum The Holy See * The Holy See, the governing body of the Catholic Church and sovereign entity recognized ...
. He also instructed him to make a collection of the chief privileges of the Roman Church. This collection, whose value is acknowledged by all the annalists, is still preserved in the
Vatican archives The Vatican Apostolic Archive ( la, Archivum Apostolicum Vaticanum; it, Archivio Apostolico Vaticano), formerly known as the Vatican Secret Archive, is the central repository in the Vatican City of all acts promulgated by the Holy See. The Pont ...
. In the preface Platina not only avoids any antagonism towards the Church but even refers with approbation to the punishing of heretics and
schism A schism ( , , or, less commonly, ) is a division between people, usually belonging to an organization, movement, or religious denomination. The word is most frequently applied to a split in what had previously been a single religious body, suc ...
atics by the popes, which is the best proof that Sixtus IV, by his marks of favour, had won Platina for the interests of the Church. Besides his principal work Platina wrote several others of smaller importance, notably: '. The ''
Pinacoteca Vaticana The Vatican Museums ( it, Musei Vaticani; la, Musea Vaticana) are the public museums of the Vatican City. They display works from the immense collection amassed by the Catholic Church and the papacy throughout the centuries, including several of ...
'' contains a famous fresco by Melozzo da Forlì representing ''
Sixtus IV Appointing Platina as Prefect of the Vatican Library ''Sixtus IV Appointing Platina as Prefect of the Vatican Library'' is a fresco transferred to canvas by the Italian Renaissance artist Melozzo da Forlì, once decorating the Vatican Library, now housed in the Pinacoteca Vaticana in Rome. The f ...
''.


Halley's comet

As a paragraph from Platina's ''Vitæ Pontificum'' first gave rise to the legend of the
excommunication Excommunication is an institutional act of religious censure used to end or at least regulate the communion of a member of a congregation with other members of the religious institution who are in normal communion with each other. The purpose ...
of
Halley's comet Halley's Comet or Comet Halley, officially designated 1P/Halley, is a short-period comet visible from Earth every 75–79 years. Halley is the only known short-period comet that is regularly visible to the naked eye from Earth, and thus the on ...
by
Pope Callixtus III Pope Callixtus III ( it, Callisto III, va, Calixt III, es, Calixto III; 31 December 1378 – 6 August 1458), born Alfonso de Borgia ( va, Alfons de Borja), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 8 April 1455 to his ...
, we here give the legend briefly, after recalling some historical facts. After the fall of
Constantinople la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه , alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...
(1453),
Nicolas V Nicolas or Nicolás may refer to: People Given name * Nicolas (given name) Mononym * Nicolas (footballer, born 1999), Brazilian footballer * Nicolas (footballer, born 2000), Brazilian footballer Surname Nicolas * Dafydd Nicolas (c.1705–1774), ...
appealed in vain to the Christian princes for a
crusade The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and sometimes directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The best known of these Crusades are those to the Holy Land in the period between 1095 and 1291 that were ...
. Callixtus III (1455–1458), immediately after his succession, sent
legate Legate may refer to: * Legatus, a higher ranking general officer of the Roman army drawn from among the senatorial class :*Legatus Augusti pro praetore, a provincial governor in the Roman Imperial period *A member of a legation *A representative, ...
s to the various courts for the same purpose; and, meeting with no response, promulgated a
bull A bull is an intact (i.e., not castrated) adult male of the species ''Bos taurus'' (cattle). More muscular and aggressive than the females of the same species (i.e., cows), bulls have long been an important symbol in many religions, includin ...
June 29, 1456, prescribing the following: #all priests were to say during
Mass Mass is an intrinsic property of a body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the quantity of matter in a physical body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physics. It was found that different atoms and different ele ...
the ''oratio contra paganos''; #daily, between noon and
vespers Vespers is a service of evening prayer, one of the canonical hours in Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Catholic (both Latin and Eastern), Lutheran, and Anglican liturgies. The word for this fixed prayer time comes from the Latin , mea ...
, at the ringing of a bell, everybody had to say three Our Fathers and
Hail Mary The Hail Mary ( la, Ave Maria) is a traditional Christian prayer addressing Mary, the mother of Jesus. The prayer is based on two biblical passages featured in the Gospel of Luke: the Angel Gabriel's visit to Mary (the Annunciation) and Mary' ...
s; #processions were to be held by the clergy and the faithful on the first Sunday of each month, and the priests were to preach on faith, patience, and penance; to expose the cruelty of the
Turks Turk or Turks may refer to: Communities and ethnic groups * Turkic peoples, a collection of ethnic groups who speak Turkic languages * Turkish people, or the Turks, a Turkic ethnic group and nation * Turkish citizen, a citizen of the Republic ...
, and urge all to pray for their deliverance. The first Sunday of July (July 4), the first processions were held in Rome. On the same day the Turks began to
besiege A siege is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition, or a well-prepared assault. This derives from la, sedere, lit=to sit. Siege warfare is a form of constant, low-intensity conflict characterize ...
Belgrade Belgrade ( , ;, ; names in other languages) is the capital and largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and the crossroads of the Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. Nearly 1,166,763 mi ...
. On July 14 the Christians gained a small advantage, and on the twenty-first and twenty-second the Turks were put to flight. In the same year Halley's comet appeared. In
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
it was first seen in June. Towards the end of the month it was still visible for three hours after sunset, causing great excitement everywhere by its extraordinary splendour. It naturally attracted the attention of
astrologers Astrology is a range of divinatory practices, recognized as pseudoscientific since the 18th century, that claim to discern information about human affairs and terrestrial events by studying the apparent positions of celestial objects. Di ...
as may appear from the long ''judicium astrologicum'' by Avogario, of
Ferrara Ferrara (, ; egl, Fràra ) is a city and ''comune'' in Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy, capital of the Province of Ferrara. it had 132,009 inhabitants. It is situated northeast of Bologna, on the Po di Volano, a branch channel of the main stream ...
, dated June 17, 1467; it was found again by Celoria among the manuscripts of Paolo Toscanelli, who had copied it himself. The comet was seen till July 8. It is evident, from all the documents of that time, that it had disappeared from sight several days before the battle of Belgrade. These two simultaneous facts–the publication of the bull and the appearance of the comet–were connected by Platina in the following manner: :''Apparente deinde per aliquot dies cometa crinito et rubeo: cum mathematici ingentem pestem: charitatem annonæ: magnam aliquam cladem futuram dicerent: ad avertendam iram Dei Calistus aliquot dierum supplicationes decrevit: ut si quid hominibus immineret, totum id in Thurcos christiani nominis hostes converteret. Mandavit præterea ut assiduo rogatu Deus flecteretur in meridie campanis signum dari fidelibus omnibus: ut orationibus eos juvarent: qui contra Thurcos continuo dimicabant'' (A maned and fiery comet appearing for several days, while astrologers were predicting a great plague, dearness of food, or some great disaster, Callistus decreed that supplicatory prayers be held for some days to avert the anger of
God In monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Oxford Companion to Philosophy'', Oxford University Press, 1995. God is typically ...
, so that, if any calamity threatened mankind, it might be entirely diverted against the Turks, the foes of the Christian name. He likewise ordered that the bells be rung at midday as a signal to all the faithful to move God with assiduous petitions and to assist with their prayers those engaged in constant warfare with the Turks). Platina has, generally speaking, recorded the facts truly; but is wrong at one point, ''viz.'', where he says that the astrologers' predictions of great calamities induced the pope to prescribe public prayers. The bull does not contain a word on the comet, as can be verified in the original, authenticated document. A careful investigation of the authenticated ''Regesta'' of Callixtus (about one hundred
folio The term "folio" (), has three interconnected but distinct meanings in the world of books and printing: first, it is a term for a common method of arranging sheets of paper into book form, folding the sheet only once, and a term for a book ma ...
s), in the Vatican archives, shows that the comet is not mentioned in any other papal document. Nor do other writers of the time refer to any such prayers against the comet, though many speak both of the comet and of the prayers against the Turks. The silence of St. Antoninus, Archbishop of
Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico ...
(1446–1459), is particularly significant. In his ''Chronicorum libri tres'' he enumerates accurately all the prayers prescribed by Callixtus; he also mentions the comet of 1456 in a chapter entitled, ' – but never refers to prayers and processions against the comet, although all papal decrees were sent to him. Aeneas Sylvius and St. John Capistrano, who preached the crusade in
Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Cr ...
, considered the comet rather as a favourable
omen An omen (also called ''portent'') is a phenomenon that is believed to foretell the future, often signifying the advent of change. It was commonly believed in ancient times, and still believed by some today, that omens bring divine messages fr ...
in the war against the Turks. Hence it is clear that Platina has looked wrongly upon the bull as the outcome of fear of comets. The historians of the 16th and 17th centuries contented themselves with quoting Platina more or less accurately ( Calvisius 1605, Spondanus 1641, Lubienietski 1666).
Fabre Fabre or Fabré is a surname of Occitan French origin, and a given name. Notable people with the name include: * André Fabre (born 1945), French thoroughbred horse racing trainer * Cándido Fabré, Cuban musician, songwriter and singer * Cath ...
(1726) in his continuation of the ''Histoire Ecclésiastique'' by Fleury gave a somewhat free paraphrase.
Bruys Bruys is a commune in the department of Aisne in Hauts-de-France in northern France. Population See also *Communes of the Aisne department The following is a list of the 799 communes in the French department of Aisne. The communes co ...
(1733), an
apostate Apostasy (; grc-gre, ἀποστασία , 'a defection or revolt') is the formal disaffiliation from, abandonment of, or renunciation of a religion by a person. It can also be defined within the broader context of embracing an opinion that ...
(who afterwards entered the Church again), copies Fleury-Fabre adding ''que le Pape profita en habile homme de la superstition et de la crédulité des peuples.'' It is only when we come to
Laplace Pierre-Simon, marquis de Laplace (; ; 23 March 1749 – 5 March 1827) was a French scholar and polymath whose work was important to the development of engineering, mathematics, statistics, physics, astronomy, and philosophy. He summarized ...
's '','' that we find the expression that the pope ordered the comet and the Turks to be exorcized (''conjuré''), which expression we find again in
Daru Daru is the capital of the Western Province of Papua New Guinea and a former Catholic bishopric. Daru town falls under the jurisdiction of Daru Urban LLG. The township is entirely located on an island that goes by the same name, which is loc ...
's poem ''L'Astronomie.'' Arago (''Des Comètes en général etc. Annuaire du Bureau des Longitudes'' 1832, 244) converts it into an excommunication. Arago's treatise was soon translated into all the European languages after which time the appearance of the comet (1456) is hardly ever mentioned, but this historical lie must be repeated in various shapes. Smyth (''Cycle of celestial objects'') speaks of a special protest and excommunication exorcizing the
Devil A devil is the personification of evil as it is conceived in various cultures and religious traditions. It is seen as the objectification of a hostile and destructive force. Jeffrey Burton Russell states that the different conceptions of ...
, the Turks, and the comet. Grant (''History of physical astronomy'') refers to the publication of a bull, in which Callixtus
anathema Anathema, in common usage, is something or someone detested or shunned. In its other main usage, it is a formal excommunication. The latter meaning, its ecclesiastical sense, is based on New Testament usage. In the Old Testament, anathema was a cr ...
tized both the Turks and the comet. Babinet (''Revue des deux mondes,'' 23 ann., vol. 4, 1853, 831) has the pope ''lancer un timide anathème sur la comète et sur les ennemis de la Chrétienté,'' whilst in the battle of Belgrade ''les Frères Mineurs aux premiers rangs, invoquaient l'exorcisme du pape contre la comète.'' In different ways the legend is repeated by Chambers,
Flammarion Flammarion may refer to: * Camille Flammarion (1842–1925), French astronomer and author * Gabrielle Renaudot Flammarion (1877–1962), French astronomer, wife of Camille Flammarion * Flammarion engraving by unknown artist; appeared in a book by C ...
, Draper, Jamin, Dickson White, and others.


Published and unpublished works

*''Divi Ludovici Marchionis Mantuae somnium'' (ca. 1454–1456), ed. A. Portioli, Mantua 1887 *''Oratio de laudibus illustris ac divi Ludovici Marchionis Mantuae'' (ca. 1457–1460), in F. Amadei, ''Cronaca universale della città di Mantova'', ed. G. Amadei, E. Marani and G. Praticò, vol. II, Mantua 1955, pp. 226–234 *''Vita Nerii Capponi'' (ca. 1457–1460), in ''Rerum Italicarum scriptores'', vol. XX, Milan 1731, cols 478-516 *''Vocabula Bucolicorum'', ''Vocabula Georgicorum'' (ca. 1460–1461), MS Berlin, Staatsbibliothek, ''Lat. qu.'' 488, fols 58r-59v, 59v-65r *''Commentariolus de vita Victorini Feltrensis'' (ca. 1462–1465), in ''Il pensiero pedagogico dello Umanesimo'', ed. E. Garin, Florence 1958, pp. 668–699 *''Epitome ex primo'' '-XXXVII''''C. Plinii Secundi libro De naturali historia'' (ca. 1462–1466), e.g. MS Siena, Biblioteca comunale, L.III.8, fols 73r-357v *''Oratio de laudibus bonarum artium'' (ca. 1463–1464), in T. A. Vairani, ''Cremonensium monumenta Romae extantia'', vol. I, Rome 1778, pp. 109–118 *''Vita Pii Pontificis Maximi'' (1464-1465), ed. G.C. Zimolo, in ''Rerum Italicarum scriptores,'' 2nd ser., vol. III.3, Bologna 1964, pp. 89–121 *''Dialogus de falso ac vero bono'', dedicated to Paul II (1464-1465), e.g. Milan, Biblioteca Trivulziana, ''Mss''., 805 *''Dialogus'' ''de flosculis quibusdam linguae Latinae'' (ca. 1465–1466), ed. P. A. Filelfo, Milan 1481 *''Dialogus contra amores (de amore)'' (ca. 1465–1472), in Platina, ''Hystoria de vitis pontificum'', Venice 1504, fols B8r-C5r (ed. L. Mitarotondo, doctoral thesis, Università di Messina, 2003) *''De honesta voluptate e valitudine'' (ca. 1466–1467), ed. E. Carnevale Schianca, Florence 2015 *''Historia urbis Mantuae Gonziacaeque familiae'' (1466-1469), ed. P. Lambeck (1675), reprinted in ''Rerum Italicarum scriptores'', XX, Milan 1731, cols 617-862 *''Tractatus de laudibus pacis'' (1468), in W. Benziger, ''Zur Theorie von Krieg und Frieden in der italienischen Renaissance'', Frankfurt a.M. 1996, part 2, pp. 1–21 *''Oratio de pace Italiae confirmanda et bello Thurcis indicendo'' (1468), ed. Benziger, ''Zur Theorie'', part 2, pp. 95–105 *''Panegyricus in laudem amplissimi patris Bessarionis'' (1470), in ''Patrologia Graeca'', vol. CLXI, 1866, cols CIII-CXVI *''De principe'' (1470), ed. G. Ferraù, Palermo 1979 *''De falso et vero bono'', dedicated to Sixtus IV (ca. 1471–1472), ed. M. G. Blasio, Rome 1999 *''Liber de vita Christi ac omnium pontificum'' (ca. 1471–1475), first published Venice 1479; critical edition: G. Gaida, in ''Rerum Italicarum, scriptores'', 2nd ser., vol. III.1, Città di Castello 1913–1932; Latin and English: ''Lives of the Popes'', vol. I, ed. A. F. D’Elia, Cambridge (MA) 2008 (the other volumes are forthcoming); Latin edition of the Life of Paul II
''Bartolomeo Platina. Paul II. An Intermediate Reader of Renaissance Latin''
ed. Hendrickson et al. Oxford (OH) 2017 *''De vera nobilitate'' (ca. 1472–1477), in Platina, ''Hystoria de vitis pontificum'', Venice 1504, fols C5v-D3v *''De optimo cive'' (1474), ed. F. Battaglia, Bologna 1944 *A polemical treatise or letter against Battista de’ Giudici (1477); lost, but partly cited in the latter's reply in B. De’ Giudici, ''Apologia Iudaeorum; Invectiva contra Platinam'', ed. D. Quaglioni, Rome 1987, pp. 94–127 *Plutarch, ''De ira sedanda'', translated by Platina (ca. 1477), in Vairani, ''Cremonensium monumenta'', pp. 119–135 *''Vita amplissimi patris Ioannis Melini'' (ca. 1478), ed. M.G. Blasio, Roma 2014 *''Liber privilegiorum'' (ca. 1476–1480), MS Archivio segreto Vaticano, ''A.A. Arm. I-XVIII'', 1288-1290 *Letters: ''Platinae custodia detenti epistulae'' (1468–69), ed. Vairani, ''Cremonensium monumenta'', pp. 29–66; critical edition: ''Lettere'', ed. D. Vecchia, Rome 2017 *Book edited by Platina: Josephus, ''Historiarum libri numero VII'', Rome 1475. Il Platina – Libri Tres de Principe, 15th-century – BEIC 14830678.jpg, ''Libri Tres de Principe'', 15th-century manuscript. Milan,
Biblioteca Ambrosiana The Biblioteca Ambrosiana is a historic library in Milan, Italy, also housing the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana, the Ambrosian art gallery. Named after Ambrose, the patron saint of Milan, it was founded in 1609 by Cardinal Federico Borromeo, whose agen ...
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References

*


Sources

* * * * Contains detailed biography and bibliography. * Bauer, Stefan (2017), "Sacchi, Bartolomeo, detto il Platina", i
''Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani'', 89 (2017), pp. 472-475


External links

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* {{DEFAULTSORT:Platina 1421 births 1481 deaths Writers from the Province of Cremona 15th-century Latin writers 15th-century Italian writers Italian food writers Italian biographers Male biographers Italian male non-fiction writers Italian Renaissance humanists