Pier Angelo Manzolli was a name used for the author of the book '' Zodiacus Vitae'', who is believed to be the Neapolitan poet Marcello Stellato, in Latin Marcellus Palingenius Stellatus (born ca. 1500 - died in

Cesena Cesena (; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy; and - with Forlì - is the capital of the Province of Forlì-Cesena. Served by Autostrada A14 (Italy), Autostrada A14, and located near the Apennine M ...

before 1551). The persona of Pier Angelo Manzolli was created by Jacopo Facciolati in the eighteenth-century.Jacobi Facciolati in Patavina Academia professoris, ''Epistolae latinae'', Patavii: Ex Typographia Seminarii, 1765, pp. 155, 163, 173, 177 e segg.

Writing

''Zodiacus vitae'' is a Latin poem divided into 12 books, one for each sign of the zodiac, published at

Basel Basel ( ; ), also known as Basle ( ), ; ; ; . is a city in northwestern Switzerland on the river Rhine (at the transition from the High Rhine, High to the Upper Rhine). Basel is Switzerland's List of cities in Switzerland, third-most-populo ...

in 1537 and 1543 (3rd edition), but first published in

Venice Venice ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ...

in 1536, and dedicated to

Ercole II d'Este Ercole II d'Este (4 April 1508 – 3 October 1559) was Duke of Ferrara, Modena and Reggio from 1534 to 1559. He was the eldest son of Alfonso I d'Este and Lucrezia Borgia. Biography Through his mother, Ercole was a grandson of Pope Alexand ...

duke of Ferrara This is a list of rulers of the estates owned by the House of Este, Este family, which main line of Marquesses (''Marchesi d'Este'') rose in 1039 with Albert Azzo II, Margrave of Milan. The name "Este" is related to the city where the family came ...

. The didactic poem addresses the subject of human happiness in connection with scientific knowledge, and combines metaphysical speculation with satirical attacks on ecclesiastical hypocrisy, and especially on the

Pope The pope is the bishop of Rome and the Head of the Church#Catholic Church, visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the po ...

s and

Martin Luther Martin Luther ( ; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, Theology, theologian, author, hymnwriter, professor, and former Order of Saint Augustine, Augustinian friar. Luther was the seminal figure of the Reformation, Pr ...

. It was translated into several languages, but fell under the ban of the

Inquisition The Inquisition was a Catholic Inquisitorial system#History, judicial procedure where the Ecclesiastical court, ecclesiastical judges could initiate, investigate and try cases in their jurisdiction. Popularly it became the name for various med ...

on the ground of its rationalizing tendencies. In 1551. After Stellato's death, the Catholic Church burned his heretical bones and

Pope Paul IV Pope Paul IV (; ; 28 June 1476 – 18 August 1559), born Gian Pietro Carafa, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 23 May 1555 to his death, in August 1559. While serving as papal nuncio in Spain, he developed ...

placed his book in the first

Index Librorum Prohibitorum The (English: ''Index of Forbidden Books'') was a changing list of publications deemed heretical or contrary to morality by the Sacred Congregation of the Index (a former dicastery of the Roman Curia); Catholics were forbidden to print or re ...

, ("Index of Prohibited Books"), in 1559.

Influence in England

As a Christian humanist poet, he features strongly in the grammar-school education of 16th century England, translations including that of 1565 by Barnabe Googe. His specific influence on

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

has been noted especially in the Seven ages of man speech from ''

As You Like It ''As You Like It'' is a pastoral Shakespearean comedy, comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 and first published in the First Folio in 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wil ...

''.R. Soellner, ''Shakespeare's Patterns of Self-knowledge'' (1972) p. 8-9

References

External links

Marcellus Palingenius Stellatus, ''Zodiacus Vitae''

* [https://www.academia.edu/39401512/Peter_Nahon_De_Marcelli_Palingenii_Stellati_carmine_anno_1534_vulgato_quod_Zodiacus_vit%C3%A6_inscribitur_Melissa_Folia_perenni_Latinitati_dicata_210_2019_11-14 Essay in Latin about the ''Zodiacus Vitae''] {{DEFAULTSORT:Manzolli People from the Province of Ferrara Italian poets Italian male poets Italian medical writers 16th-century writers in Latin Neo-Latin poets 1500s births 1543 deaths

Writing

Influence in England

See also

References

Further reading

External links