The aim of this essay is to trace how the Hermaphroditus, an erotic and even obscene Latin poems published by Antonio Beccadelli, Il Panormita (1394-1471) in 1425, was accepted by contemporary churchmen, patrons, scholars, etc. and, by doing this, und ...
The aim of this essay is to trace how the Hermaphroditus, an erotic and even obscene Latin poems published by Antonio Beccadelli, Il Panormita (1394-1471) in 1425, was accepted by contemporary churchmen, patrons, scholars, etc. and, by doing this, understand how much there was the conflict between the Renaissance humanism and Christian culture surrounding the revived erotic pagan literature or culture. The Hermaphroditus was, at the time of first appearance, so acclaimed that it was rapidly diffused to many Italian cities, but soon had to face many fierce denunciations. Preachers (Bernardino da Siena and Roberto da Lecce) attacked his immorality and scholars (P. C. Decembrio, Antonio da Rho, Lorenzo Valla) were jealous of his talent and success. The patron (Cosimo de' Medici) wanted to shrink from getting involved with the scandal. In spite of that hostile atmosphere, Panormita acquired the position of the poeta aulicus in the court of Filippo Maria Visconti, Duke of Milano, in 1429 and was finally appointed the poet aureate by Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor, in 1432, but, discouraged by continuous attacks, he left for his homeland and entered under the patronage of Alfonso V, later King of Naples. The episodes surrounding the obscenity and immorality of the Hermaphroditus show the advent of a new aesthetic standard by early humanists. In other words, it was an earlier part of modern massive secularistic movement. The new sense of body in the Hermaphroditus, through Poggio Bracciolini's witty novella Facetiae, would be transformed into the modern pornography in Pietro Aretino's bawdy works, I modi and Dialoghi.