Gerolamo Araolla
Encyclopedia
Gerolamo Araolla (Sassari
, 1542 - Rome
, 1615) was a Sardinia
n poet
and priest
.
in 1567. Shortly after graduation, he took his vows and became a priest in Bosa in 1569.
, Sardinian
and Spanish
, the three dominate languages in Sardinia in the period. He said that poetry is especially delicate, sweet, and moving. He felt, however, that it was necessary to overcome the humanistic conception of poetry as polite and imitatio dei
. Araolla was a Petrarch
ist, profoundly cultured, with a great knowledge of Torquato Tasso
; his Neoplatonism
rested on the solid foundation of Augustinian thought.
Araolla enthusiastically participated in the cultural ferment that animated his Sassari youth, and entered into friendships with the leading Sassarian intellectuals of the 16th century.
In 1582, he published his poem Sa vida, su martiriu, et morte dessos gloriosos Martires Gavinu, Brothu et Gianuari, based on folk tales about Saint Gabinus. This work, consisting of 244 stanzas and approximately two thousand verses, had wide circulation on Sardinia. It was probably distributed by the village clergy as an aid to pastoral work. The poem is the largest attempt at the construction of a literary Sardinian language. Even the metrical structure of the work, ottava rima
, is an attempt to connect his work in the Sardinian language with Italian literature.
Some time after 1590, Araolla commemorated Pier Michele Giagaraccio
with the sonnet onor di Sassari e delizia dell'Arno
(Honor of Sassari and delight of the Arno).
A few years later, the introduction of his work: Rimas diversas spirituales (1597), focused on notions of poetics and rhetoric in an effort to give Sardinian the same dignity as literary productions in languages such as Latin
, Spanish and Italian.
Sassari
Sassari is an Italian city. It is the second-largest city of Sardinia in terms of population with about 130,000 inhabitants, or about 300,000 including the greater metropolitan area...
, 1542 - Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, 1615) was a Sardinia
Sardinia
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
n poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
and priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
.
Early life
Gerolamo Araolla was born into a distinguished family. He was a pupil of the Sassari physician and philologist Gavino Sambigucci. After studying literature and philosophy, Araolla graduated with a law degree from the University of PisaUniversity of Pisa
The University of Pisa , located in Pisa, Tuscany, is one of the oldest universities in Italy. It was formally founded on September 3, 1343 by an edict of Pope Clement VI, although there had been lectures on law in Pisa since the 11th century...
in 1567. Shortly after graduation, he took his vows and became a priest in Bosa in 1569.
Poetry
Araolla was an important poet, authoring verses in ItalianItalian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
, Sardinian
Sardinian language
Sardinian is a Romance language spoken and written on most of the island of Sardinia . It is considered the most conservative of the Romance languages in terms of phonology and is noted for its Paleosardinian substratum....
and Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, the three dominate languages in Sardinia in the period. He said that poetry is especially delicate, sweet, and moving. He felt, however, that it was necessary to overcome the humanistic conception of poetry as polite and imitatio dei
Imitatio dei
Imitatio dei is a religious concept by which man finds virtue by attempting to imitate God. It is found in several world religions. In some branches of Christianity, however, it plays a key role.-Christianity:...
. Araolla was a Petrarch
Petrarch
Francesco Petrarca , known in English as Petrarch, was an Italian scholar, poet and one of the earliest humanists. Petrarch is often called the "Father of Humanism"...
ist, profoundly cultured, with a great knowledge of Torquato Tasso
Torquato Tasso
Torquato Tasso was an Italian poet of the 16th century, best known for his poem La Gerusalemme liberata , in which he depicts a highly imaginative version of the combats between Christians and Muslims at the end of the First Crusade, during the siege of Jerusalem...
; his Neoplatonism
Neoplatonism
Neoplatonism , is the modern term for a school of religious and mystical philosophy that took shape in the 3rd century AD, based on the teachings of Plato and earlier Platonists, with its earliest contributor believed to be Plotinus, and his teacher Ammonius Saccas...
rested on the solid foundation of Augustinian thought.
Araolla enthusiastically participated in the cultural ferment that animated his Sassari youth, and entered into friendships with the leading Sassarian intellectuals of the 16th century.
In 1582, he published his poem Sa vida, su martiriu, et morte dessos gloriosos Martires Gavinu, Brothu et Gianuari, based on folk tales about Saint Gabinus. This work, consisting of 244 stanzas and approximately two thousand verses, had wide circulation on Sardinia. It was probably distributed by the village clergy as an aid to pastoral work. The poem is the largest attempt at the construction of a literary Sardinian language. Even the metrical structure of the work, ottava rima
Ottava rima
Ottava rima is a rhyming stanza form of Italian origin. Originally used for long poems on heroic themes, it later came to be popular in the writing of mock-heroic works. Its earliest known use is in the writings of Giovanni Boccaccio....
, is an attempt to connect his work in the Sardinian language with Italian literature.
Some time after 1590, Araolla commemorated Pier Michele Giagaraccio
Pier Michele Giagaraccio
Pier Michele Giagaraccio was an Italian jurist, lawyer, and poet. He flourished in sixteenth century Sassari.-Life:Giagaraccio studied law, and from 1565 to 1567, lectured on civil institutions at the University of Pisa...
with the sonnet onor di Sassari e delizia dell'Arno
Arno
The Arno is a river in the Tuscany region of Italy. It is the most important river of central Italy after the Tiber.- Source and route :The river originates on Mount Falterona in the Casentino area of the Apennines, and initially takes a southward curve...
(Honor of Sassari and delight of the Arno).
A few years later, the introduction of his work: Rimas diversas spirituales (1597), focused on notions of poetics and rhetoric in an effort to give Sardinian the same dignity as literary productions in languages such as Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
, Spanish and Italian.
Works
- Sa vida, su martirio, et morte dessos gloriosos martires Gavinu, Brothu et Gianuari, per Francisci Guarneriu istampadore de Nicolau Canellas, Calaris (Cagliari) 1582 [poi: Rossi, Mondovì 1615; in appendice a Giovanni Spano, Ortographia sarda nationale, Imprenta regia (Reale Stamperia), Kalaris (Cagliari), 1840, pp. 131–219; e, a c. di Michele Pinna, Il Rosello, Sassari 2000].
- Rimas diversas Spirituales de su Dottore Hieronimu Araolla Sardu Sassaresu, Ioanne Maria Galcerinu, Calaris (Cagliari) 1597 [poi: a cura di Max Leopold Wagner, Max Niemeyer, Dresda 1915; a cura di Maurizio Virdis, Centro di Studi Filologici Sardi / Cuec, Cagliari 2006]