ThisbookiscenteredontheVenetianhumanistPietroBembo(1470-1547),onhistwo-yearstayinSicilyin1492-4tostudytheancientGreeklanguageunderoneofitsmostdistinguishedcontemporaryteachers,theByzantine矇migr矇ConstantineLascaris,andaboveallonhisascentofMountEtnain1493.ThemoreparticularfocusofthisstudyisontheimaginativecapacitiesthatcruciallyshapeBembo’selegantlycraftedaccount,inLatin,ofhisEtnaadventureinhisso-calledDeAetna,publishedattheAldinepressinVenicein1496.ThisworkiscastintheformofadialoguethattakesplacebetweentheyoungBemboandhisfatherBernardo(himselfaprominentVenetianstatesmanwithstronghumanistinvolvements)afterPietro’sreturntoVenicefromSicilyin1494.ButDeAetnaoffersmuchmorethanaone-dimensionalaccountofthefacts,sightsandfindingsofPietro’sclimb.Farmoreimportantinthepresentstudyishiseyeforcreativeelaboration,orfortransforminghisliteralexperienceonthemountainintoameditationonhiscoming-of-ageataremovefromtheconventionalcareer-pathexpectedofoneofhisstationwithintheVenetianpatriciate.ThreemutuallyinformingfeaturesthatarecriticaltotheartisticoriginalityofDeAetnareceivedetailedtreatmentinthisstudy:(i)thestimulusthatPietrodrewfromthecomplexhistoryofMountEtnaastreatedintheGreco-RomanliterarytraditionfromPindaronwards;(ii)thestrikingnoveltyofDeAetna’sstatusasthefirstLatintextproducedatthenascentAldinepressintheprototypeofwhatmoderntypographyknowsasBembotypeface;and(iii)Pietro’singeniousdeploymentofEtnaasapowerful,multivalentsymbolthatsimultaneouslyreflectsthediversecharacterizationsof,andthegenerationaldifferencesbetween,fatherandsoninthecourseoftheirdialogicalexchangeswithinDeAetna.
