The essay looks at how the author's book can be used as a practical tool to back up the idea of intellectual responsibility (a key part of Humanism), and takes a new and never-before-explored approach by looking at the family as a subject for experimentation. The case study focused, that of the Filelfos (Francesco and Gian Mario, father and son) demonstrates how a humanistic name elevated to a surname (Filelfo) can define a family's literary identity through editorial methods recognisable in terms of both content and form. These methods can distinguish a domestic workshop overseen by the progenitor. Through this original and inclusive methodological perspective, the contribution provides an initial dossier of materials (manuscripts, printed editions, literary testimonies) that are indispensable for reconstructing the intellectual profile of Gian Mario Filelfo, who remains on the margins of scholarship for reasons that are primarily prejudicial. Specifically, the article provides specimens of his Latin, Greek and vernacular handwriting, explains the historical and cultural reasons for his use of sfragistics in colophons and subscriptions, and decodes his extensive use of heraldry as a philological authentication tool, evaluating its similarities and differences with Francesco's use of it. Additionally, it highlights the interrelationship between the father and son's work. Important new information on dating and interpretation is also provided for Gian Mario's well-known elegy De voluminorum suorum numero.
Il saggio affronta il fenomeno del libro d’autore quale strumento funzionale all’affermazione del concetto di responsabilità intellettuale (centrale nell’Umanesimo), indagando uno spazio di sperimentazione nuovo e finora inesplorato ottica: la famiglia. Il caso di studio esaminato, relativo ai Filelfo (Francesco e Gian Mario, padre e figlio), dimostra come una denominazione umanistica elevata a cognome (Filelfo) diventi elemento in grado di definire l’identità libraria di un casato, attraverso modalità editoriali riconoscibili nei contenuti e nelle forme, che diventano un marchio di fabbrica capace di contraddistinguere un atelier domestico sovrinteso dal capostipite. Attraverso questa prospettiva metodologica, originale e inclusiva, il contributo mette a disposizione un primo dossier ragionato di materiali (manoscritti, edizioni a stampa, testimonianze letterarie) indispensabili per la ricostruzione del profilo intellettuale di Gian Mario Filelfo, ancora ai margini degli studi per ragioni soprattutto pregiudiziali. In particolare l’articolo: fornisce alcuni specimina di riferimento per la sua mano latina, greca e volgare; aiuta a comprendere le ragioni storiche e culturali della funzione sfragistica da lui riservata a colophon e sottoscrizioni; decodifica l’uso massiccio dell’araldica come strumento di autenticazione filologica, valutandone affinità e differenze con quella di Francesco; evidenzia i margini di interrelazione nella produzione padre-figlio. Importanti novità di datazione e di interpretazione vengono qui fornite anche per la nota elegia di Gian Mario intitolata De voluminorum suorum numero.
UN ‘PRINCIPATO’ FAMILIARE DEL LIBRO: PRIMI APPUNTI PER LO SCRITTOIO DI GIAN MARIO FILELFO, AUTORE E COPISTA
s. fiaschi
2026-01-01
Abstract
The essay looks at how the author's book can be used as a practical tool to back up the idea of intellectual responsibility (a key part of Humanism), and takes a new and never-before-explored approach by looking at the family as a subject for experimentation. The case study focused, that of the Filelfos (Francesco and Gian Mario, father and son) demonstrates how a humanistic name elevated to a surname (Filelfo) can define a family's literary identity through editorial methods recognisable in terms of both content and form. These methods can distinguish a domestic workshop overseen by the progenitor. Through this original and inclusive methodological perspective, the contribution provides an initial dossier of materials (manuscripts, printed editions, literary testimonies) that are indispensable for reconstructing the intellectual profile of Gian Mario Filelfo, who remains on the margins of scholarship for reasons that are primarily prejudicial. Specifically, the article provides specimens of his Latin, Greek and vernacular handwriting, explains the historical and cultural reasons for his use of sfragistics in colophons and subscriptions, and decodes his extensive use of heraldry as a philological authentication tool, evaluating its similarities and differences with Francesco's use of it. Additionally, it highlights the interrelationship between the father and son's work. Important new information on dating and interpretation is also provided for Gian Mario's well-known elegy De voluminorum suorum numero.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
