
Donizo (also Domnizo, Donizone) of
Canossa
Canossa ( Reggiano: ) is a ''comune'' and castle town in the Province of Reggio Emilia, Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy. It is where Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV did penance in 1077 and stood three days bare-headed in the snow to reverse his excom ...
, was an Italian
monk
A monk (; from , ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a man who is a member of a religious order and lives in a monastery. A monk usually lives his life in prayer and contemplation. The concept is ancient and can be seen in many reli ...
and author in the late eleventh and early twelfth centuries. His work is an important source on
Matilda of Tuscany
Matilda of Tuscany (; or ; – 24 July 1115), or Matilda of Canossa ( ), also referred to as ("the Great Countess"), was a member of the House of Canossa (also known as the Attonids) in the second half of the eleventh century. Matilda was on ...
and her
dynasty
A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family, usually in the context of a monarchy, monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics. A dynasty may also be referred to as a "house", "family" or "clan", among others.
H ...
, and also on
Gregorian Reform
The Gregorian Reforms were a series of reforms initiated by Pope Gregory VII and the circle he formed in the papal curia, c. 1050–1080, which dealt with the moral integrity and independence of the clergy. The reforms are considered to be na ...
and the
Investiture Controversy
The Investiture Controversy or Investiture Contest (, , ) was a conflict between church and state in medieval Europe, the Church and the state in medieval Europe over the ability to choose and install bishops (investiture), abbots of monasteri ...
more generally.
Life
Donizo was born , perhaps at Canossa or at Parma. He became a monk at the Benedictine monastery of Sant’Apollonio of Canossa . By 1136 he was abbot of the monastery.
Works
He composed several works in Latin, including the ''Enarratio Genesis'', a fragmentary commentary on the
Book of Genesis
The Book of Genesis (from Greek language, Greek ; ; ) is the first book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament. Its Hebrew name is the same as its incipit, first word, (In the beginning (phrase), 'In the beginning'). Genesis purpor ...
, of which 378
leonine verse
Leonine verse is a type of versification based on an internal rhyme between a word within the line before a caesura and a word at the end, and commonly used in Latin verse of the European Middle Ages. The proliferation of such conscious rhymes, ...
s remain.
His most famous work is the ''Vita Mathildis'' (''Life of Matilda'', Rome, Vatican, Bib. Apostolica, MS. Lat. 4922), written in leonine hexameters. The ''Life'' is divided into two books, the first of which entitled, ''De Principibus Canusinis'' (‘'On the princes of Canossa’'), concentrates on the ancestors of
Matilda of Tuscany
Matilda of Tuscany (; or ; – 24 July 1115), or Matilda of Canossa ( ), also referred to as ("the Great Countess"), was a member of the House of Canossa (also known as the Attonids) in the second half of the eleventh century. Matilda was on ...
, and their possession of the
castle of Canossa; the second book focuses on Matilda herself. The ''Vita Mathildis'' was written between 1111 and 1115. It was completed shortly after Matilda died in July 1115 and was thus hastily re-dedicated to
Empress Matilda
Empress Matilda (10 September 1167), also known as Empress Maud, was one of the claimants to the English throne during the civil war known as the Anarchy. The daughter and heir of Henry I, king of England and ruler of Normandy, she went to ...
.
There are many later medieval epitomes (or versions) of Donizo's ''Life of Matilda''.
Fourteenth-century manuscript of Donizo's ''Vita Mathildis''
/ref>
Notes
References
*
*
* Donizo of Canossa, ''Vita Mathildis'', in ''Vita di Matilde di Canossa'', ed. and (Italian) trans., P. Golinelli (Milan, 2008)
{{authority control
Italian Christian monks
11th-century Italian writers
12th-century Italian writers
12th-century writers in Latin
Italian male writers
Matilda of Tuscany