Antonio Minturno
Antonio Sebastiani Minturno was an influential Italian poet and religious figure born in 1500 in Traetto, Italy. His early fascination with medieval literature and verse led him to pursue a career as a poet, during which he became a respected official in the religious community. In 1559, he was ordained as the bishop of Ugento, a historically significant city that had faced destruction and recovery over centuries. Minturno's appointment was notable, as he followed a lineage of distinguished bishops who played pivotal roles in restoring Latin control after Byzantine dominance. He later served as the bishop of Cotrone until his death around 1574.
Minturno's literary contributions include his well-regarded work, *Arte poetica*, published in 1564, where he delves into the therapeutic aspects of art and poetry. He posits that verbal art serves not only as a creative expression but also as a form of healing, a concept echoed by earlier thinkers like Lucretius and later embraced by the Accademia degli Alterati. His exploration of the relationship between art and healing emphasizes the potential of poetry to provide hope and transformation, particularly through the emotional experiences of tragedy. Minturno's work leaves a lasting influence on the understanding of art's role in human experience and well-being.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Antonio Minturno
Author
- Born: 1500
- Birthplace: Traetto, Italy
- Died: c. 1574
- Place of death: Crotone, Italy
Biography
Antonio Sebastiani Minturno was born in 1500 in Traetto, Italy. Throughout his upbringing, Minturno nurtured a great interest in medieval literature. He was particularly fascinated with verse, and this early interest inspired him to begin his own work as a poet.
While pursuing his literary endeavors, Minturno also became a highly regarded official in the religious community. In 1559, he was ordained bishop of the city of Ugento. Ugento had been a very important city during ancient times. In 1537, it was destroyed by the Turks; under Byzantine domination, it had survived under the control of many Greek bishops. Minturno’s appointment was a particularly high honor as the poet became successor to many prominent Italian bishops who had restored native Latin control over the city. Of the Latin bishops, the first known were the Benedictine Simeon, of an unknown date, and St. Charles Borromeo, from 1530 to 1537. In 1565, not long after his stay at Ugento, Minturno was also appointed bishop of Cotrone, Italy. He died in this city around 1574.
Among Minturno’s best-known works is his Arte poetica, written in 1564. In this piece, Minturno explores some fundamental aspects of art and poetry. He discusses how verbal art can be used as a curative therapy to medical and scientific rationale. This idea directly predates the insights of the French painter Nicolas Poussin who perceived visual art as having this same creative healing power. Minturno also wrote two elaborate Pindaric odes in Latin to the Emperor Charles V.
This important tradition of using artful words as therapy was earlier celebrated by the ancient Roman poet and philosopher Lucretius and his description of poetry as the honey that sweetens the physician’s cup of bitter medicine. This concept would later inspire Florentine poets and playwrights to convene as the Accademia degli Alterati to celebrate the healing power of the medically and morally cleansing arts. According to Minturno’s Arte poetica, the pain of the hero of the tragedy will cure and purge one of pain. By keeping with this Christian theme in his verse, Minturno was able to positively enlighten his contemporaries and successors as to how art could serve as a useful instrument for change and hope.