Leonardo Dati
Encyclopedia
For other uses of the word Dati, see Dati (disambiguation).
Leonardo Dati (1360 – 16 March 1425) was an Italian friar and humanist. He was Master general of the Dominican Order from 1414 to his death.
He was a Prior of Santa Maria Novella from 1401, and took part in the Council of Pisa
of 1409. Dati was the head of the Dominicans belonging to the Roman obedience during the Great Schism. At the time of the Council of Constance
, Dati became Master General of a reunited Dominican Order
. Dati then focused on the internal reform of the order, authoring the tract Lamentationes de regularibus observantiis lapsis, in which he expressed strong dissatisfaction with the laxity and confusion of the order. His sermons at Pisa
and Constance
include references to literary texts, and he was well known as an author of commentaries on Aristotle
. Leonardo also gave financial aid to his brother Gregorio
a Florentine merchant and diarist.
Both Leonardo and Gregorio Dati are attributed authorship of La sfera (The sphere), an astronomical-geographic poemetto in ottave
, written in the second half of 14th century, and a work much popular in its time. This work in verse gives information about the world, the marinaresche compass and other things, adding observations, notes about travel and designs. In some manuscripts of La sfera there are designs representing ports, headlands, islands, linked by many lines.
Dati's sermons on the feast of St. Francis
(October 1416) and the feast of the Circumcision of Jesus
(January 1417) advocated respect for papal power
and reform within the context of the established order. The earlier sermon touched off an exchange of polemical memoranda between Dati and supporters of conciliar supremacy
. Dati then addressed issues raised in this exchange in the later sermon. Dati's discussion of circumcision
was traditional for his time, describing the Jewish rite
as superseded by baptism
.
He is buried in the Cappella Rucellai at Santa Maria Novella. His tombstone is attributed to Lorenzo Ghiberti
.
1 Hillenbrand, Eugen. "Die Observantenbewegung in der deutschen Ordensprovinz der Dominikaner," in Elm, Kaspar, ed. Reformbemühungen und Observanzbestrebungen im spätmittelalterlichen Ordenswesen. Berliner Historische Studien, 14, Ordensstudien 6. Berlin, Duncker and Humbolt, 1989: 232-233.
Leonardo Dati (1360 – 16 March 1425) was an Italian friar and humanist. He was Master general of the Dominican Order from 1414 to his death.
He was a Prior of Santa Maria Novella from 1401, and took part in the Council of Pisa
Council of Pisa
The Council of Pisa was an unrecognized ecumenical council of the Catholic Church held in 1409 that attempted to end the Western Schism by deposing Benedict XIII and Gregory XII...
of 1409. Dati was the head of the Dominicans belonging to the Roman obedience during the Great Schism. At the time of the Council of Constance
Council of Constance
The Council of Constance is the 15th ecumenical council recognized by the Roman Catholic Church, held from 1414 to 1418. The council ended the Three-Popes Controversy, by deposing or accepting the resignation of the remaining Papal claimants and electing Pope Martin V.The Council also condemned and...
, Dati became Master General of a reunited Dominican Order
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
. Dati then focused on the internal reform of the order, authoring the tract Lamentationes de regularibus observantiis lapsis, in which he expressed strong dissatisfaction with the laxity and confusion of the order. His sermons at Pisa
Pisa
Pisa is a city in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the right bank of the mouth of the River Arno on the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa...
and Constance
Constance
Constance is a female given name that derives from Latin and means "constant." Variations of the name include Connie, Constancia, Constanze, Constanza, Stanzy, and Konstanze.Constance may refer to:-People:*Constance Bennett , American actress...
include references to literary texts, and he was well known as an author of commentaries on Aristotle
Aristotle
Aristotle was a Greek philosopher and polymath, a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. His writings cover many subjects, including physics, metaphysics, poetry, theater, music, logic, rhetoric, linguistics, politics, government, ethics, biology, and zoology...
. Leonardo also gave financial aid to his brother Gregorio
Gregorio Dati
Gregorio Dati Gregorio (Goro) Dati Gregorio (Goro) Dati (b. 15 April 1362 was a Florentine merchant and diarist best known for the authorship of The Diaries of Gregorio Dati, which represents a major source for the social and economic historians of the Renaissance Florence, alongside the diaries...
a Florentine merchant and diarist.
Both Leonardo and Gregorio Dati are attributed authorship of La sfera (The sphere), an astronomical-geographic poemetto in ottave
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....
, written in the second half of 14th century, and a work much popular in its time. This work in verse gives information about the world, the marinaresche compass and other things, adding observations, notes about travel and designs. In some manuscripts of La sfera there are designs representing ports, headlands, islands, linked by many lines.
Dati's sermons on the feast of St. Francis
Francis of Assisi
Saint Francis of Assisi was an Italian Catholic friar and preacher. He founded the men's Franciscan Order, the women’s Order of St. Clare, and the lay Third Order of Saint Francis. St...
(October 1416) and the feast of the Circumcision of Jesus
Circumcision of Jesus
The Circumcision of Jesus is an event from the life of Jesus of Nazareth according to the Gospel of Luke, which states in verse 2:21 that Jesus was circumcised eight days after his birth...
(January 1417) advocated respect for papal power
Papal supremacy
Papal supremacy refers to the doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church that the pope, by reason of his office as Vicar of Christ and as pastor of the entire Christian Church, has full, supreme, and universal power over the whole Church, a power which he can always exercise unhindered: that, in brief,...
and reform within the context of the established order. The earlier sermon touched off an exchange of polemical memoranda between Dati and supporters of conciliar supremacy
Conciliarism
Conciliarism, or the conciliar movement, was a reform movement in the 14th, 15th and 16th century Roman Catholic Church which held that final authority in spiritual matters resided with the Roman Church as a corporation of Christians, embodied by a general church council, not with the pope...
. Dati then addressed issues raised in this exchange in the later sermon. Dati's discussion of circumcision
Circumcision
Male circumcision is the surgical removal of some or all of the foreskin from the penis. The word "circumcision" comes from Latin and ....
was traditional for his time, describing the Jewish rite
Brit milah
The brit milah is a Jewish religious circumcision ceremony performed on 8-day old male infants by a mohel. The brit milah is followed by a celebratory meal .-Biblical references:...
as superseded by baptism
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
.
He is buried in the Cappella Rucellai at Santa Maria Novella. His tombstone is attributed to Lorenzo Ghiberti
Lorenzo Ghiberti
Lorenzo Ghiberti , born Lorenzo di Bartolo, was an Italian artist of the early Renaissance best known for works in sculpture and metalworking.-Early life:...
.
External links
- The manuscript of La Sphera, digital copy of the manuscript in the collections of The National Library of Finland
1 Hillenbrand, Eugen. "Die Observantenbewegung in der deutschen Ordensprovinz der Dominikaner," in Elm, Kaspar, ed. Reformbemühungen und Observanzbestrebungen im spätmittelalterlichen Ordenswesen. Berliner Historische Studien, 14, Ordensstudien 6. Berlin, Duncker and Humbolt, 1989: 232-233.