Ermes di Colloredo (28 March 1622 – 21 September 1692) was an Italian
count
Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...
and writer who served the
Grand Duke of Tuscany
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, the
Holy Roman Emperor
The Holy Roman Emperor, originally and officially the Emperor of the Romans (disambiguation), Emperor of the Romans (; ) during the Middle Ages, and also known as the Roman-German Emperor since the early modern period (; ), was the ruler and h ...
and the
Republic of Venice
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. He is widely considered the father and innovator of
Friulian literature.
Biography
Ermes was born in
Colloredo di Monte Albano
Colloredo di Monte Albano () is a (municipality) in the Regional decentralization entity of Udine in the Italian region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, located about northwest of Trieste and about northwest of Udine.
History
The Roman villa at M ...
,
Friaul.
A cousin of
Ciro di Pers, he was educated at the
Medici
The House of Medici ( , ; ) was an Italian banking family and political dynasty that first consolidated power in the Republic of Florence under Cosimo de' Medici and his grandson Lorenzo "the Magnificent" during the first half of the 15th ...
court in
Florence
Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025.
Florence ...
as
page
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* Page (assistance occupation), a professional occupation
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of Grand Duke
Ferdinando II, and subsequently became a career soldier. He entered the service of Emperor
Ferdinand III during the
Thirty Years War
The Thirty Years' War, fought primarily in Central Europe between 1618 and 1648, was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history. An estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died from battle, famine, or disease, whil ...
as a
Cuirassiers
A cuirassier ( ; ; ) was a cavalryman equipped with a cuirass, sword, and pistols. Cuirassiers first appeared in mid-to-late 16th century Europe as a result of armoured cavalry, such as men-at-arms and demi-lancers discarding their lances an ...
' Officier, at the orders of his uncle, ''
Generalfeldmarschall
''Generalfeldmarschall'' (; from Old High German ''marahscalc'', "marshal, stable master, groom"; ; often abbreviated to ''Feldmarschall'') was a rank in the armies of several German states and the Holy Roman Empire, (''Reichsgeneralfeldmarsch ...
''
Rudolf von Colloredo, Governor of
Prague
Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...
, and later served the
Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice, officially the Most Serene Republic of Venice and traditionally known as La Serenissima, was a sovereign state and Maritime republics, maritime republic with its capital in Venice. Founded, according to tradition, in 697 ...
as a Cavalry Colonel. He retired in 1658 to his
estate, to focus on writing poetry, most of which centers on the theme of love.
Ermes wrote over 200
sonnet
A sonnet is a fixed poetic form with a structure traditionally consisting of fourteen lines adhering to a set Rhyme scheme, rhyming scheme. The term derives from the Italian word ''sonetto'' (, from the Latin word ''sonus'', ). Originating in ...
s, in both
Friulian and
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance languag ...
. He used the ''koinè'' from
San Daniele, which would become the most notable literary language and the basis of today's standard Friulian. Di Colloredo's poetry strikes particularly in its
Baroque
The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...
imagery. His lively dialogues are generally considered the genuine origins of Friulian prose. Ermes di Colorêt died in Gorizzo,
Codroipo
Codroipo () is a (municipality) in the Regional decentralization entity of Udine, in the Italian region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, located about northwest of Trieste and about southwest of Udine.
Codroipo borders the following municipalities: ...
, on September 21, 1692.
See also
*
Friulian literature
Notes
Sources
*
*
*
Further reading
*"''Ermes di Colloredo: Poesie Friulane, l’Opera Completa''". LiteraryJoint Press, Philadelphia, PA, 2019. The complete work of Ermes Earl of Colloredo, full text.
External links
Sonets dal sît Centri Friûl Lenghe 2000(Friulian)
(Friulian)
(Friulian)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ermes Di Coloret
1622 births
1692 deaths
People from Colloredo di Monte Albano
17th-century Italian poets
Italian male poets
Friulian-language writers
Friulian-language poets
17th-century Italian male writers
Italian Baroque writers