8vo. (22), 527, (1) pp. (with errors in the pagination). *8, **4, A-Z8, AA-KK8. Lacking **4, a blank. Printer's device on title-page. 17th century calf, gilt spine with five raised bands, red morocco label, sprinkled edges.
Basso, pp. 204-205; Braida, p. 305; Gamba, no. 1468; Index Aurelienis, 109.373; Edit 16, CNCE 3327; Quondam, p. 282; Marcantonio Flaminio, Lettere, A. Pastore, ed., (Roma, 1978), p. 13.
FIRST EDITION (variant issue). There are extant copies in which the colophon at the end of the errata leaf (KK8v) is dated MDLX. Evidently this leaf has been reset as it presents also some deletions and/or additions in the errata. In fact in our copy five errors printed in the 1560 errata were omitted (although they are still present in the text), whereas eight new ones were added. The work is dedicated by Atanagi to Ranieri del Monte, count of Montebaroccio (Venice, March 22, 1561). Of the edition dated 1561 at the end, there exists copies that have the title-page reset (without the printer's mark) and some other leaves changed for reasons mostly of censorship: some words (as ‘bordello') or names (such as Marco Antonio Flaminio or Pietro Carnesecchi) have been replaced by dots (cf. S. Longhi, Introduzione, in: “Lettere facete e piacevoli di diversi grandi huomini e chiari ingegni”, Sala Bolognese, 1991, pp. V-VII).
Atanagi had planned a second book, but his work on it was interrupted with his death in 1573 and then published by Francesco Turchi a few years later (Delle lettere facete, et piacevoli di diversi grandi huomini, et chiari ingegni, scritte sopra diverse materie, raccolte per M. Francesco Turchi. Libro secondo, Venezia, 1575).
Atanagi's first book was reprinted by Zaltieri in 1565 (in a censured version), then again twice in 1582 (by Zoppino and Aldo Manuzio) and, together with the second part, in 1601 by Altobello Salicato. Both volumes were put in the Parma Index of 1580, but not in those published in Rome in 1590 and 1593 (cf. J.M. Bujanda, R. Davignon, E. Stanek, M. Richter, eds., Index de Rome: 1590, 1593, 1596, avec étude des index de Parme 1580 et Munich 1582, Sherbrooke, 1994, p. 151, no. 354).
The collection contains 183 letters grouped by authors and arranged in chronological order. Most of the letters are dated between 1507 and 1558.
“Atanagi indique les fonctions d'un grand nombre d'épistoliers et de leurs destinataires; parmi les 32 auteurs, secrétaires et ecclésiastiques, les deux étant en rapports étroits et fréquemment unis dans la même personne, sont les plus nombreux et les plus féconds. Les principaux sont le cardinal P. Giovio avec 37 lettres, puis B. Boccarini avec 31 lettres, G.B. Sanga avec 18 lettres, F. Berni avec 13 lettres et G.F. Bini avec 12 lettres, quatre sécretaires de prélats éminents. Les destinataires les plus cités sont Atanagi lui-même à qui sont envoyées 34 lettres, G.M. Mentebuona pour 27 lettres, G.F. Bini pour 25 lettres et L. Iuvenale pour 12 lettres. Les sujets sont variés, personnels ou politiques, parfois graves. La présence d'une lettre dans ce receuil peut être justifiée par son ton facétieux ou simplement familier, par une seule expression plaisante, un jeu de mots, exceptionnellement par son sujet” (J. Basso, Le genre épistolaire en langue italienne (1538-1662), Roma & Nancy, 1990, I, pp. 204-205).
“Tra gli anni sessanta e settanta la formula della silloge di autori vari aperta ad ampie tematiche di carattere culturale, religioso e politico sembra infatti esaurirsi: se resistono le riedizioni delle Lettere volgari e delle Lettere di tredici huomini illustri, va detto però che d'ora in poi le nuove proposte antologiche saranno caratterizzate da una sorta di ridefinizione o restrizione del registro stilistico o del campo tematico. Un esempio di queste diverse tipologie lo troviamo rispettivamente nelle Lettere facete et piacevoli a cura di Dionigi Atanagi (1561) e nelle Lettere di principi raccolte da Girolamo Ruscelli (1562). La prima antologia, pubblicata a Bologna dallo stampatore Bolognino Zaltieri, è ancora una volta una prova dell'intuizione editoriale dell'Atanagi, inventore della formula dei ‘tredici huomini illustri' e ora creatore di un modello che non solo non puntava più sull'organizzatore per autori, ma includeva, tra i nomi dei mittenti e dei destinatari, anche figure poco note, o quanto meno fino a quel momento rimaste ai margini della repubblica letteraria. In particolare, si trattava di segretari di illustri prelati e di amici dello stesso curatore. Il criterio della raccolta, come si desume dal titolo, è quello del genere: gli aggettivi ‘faceto' e ‘piacevole' rinviano infatti al genere burlesco e alla tradizione della facezia. Del resto il registro burlesco e giocoso aveva già dei precedenti illustri nelle raccolte epistolari: prima fra tutte quella di Anton Francesco Doni. Nelle sue Lettere aveva ricordato Giolito che ‘tutte le cose che si dicono et che si scrivono non son vere, ma bisogna spregnar la fantasia' […] Tutt'altre caratteristiche ha la raccolta dell'Atanagi: se a tenere insieme 183 lettere, distribuite su un cinquantennio, dal 1507 al 1558, vi è certamente un'unitarietà tematica caratterizzata da aneddoti spiritosi, ‘arguti', ‘piacevoli', ciò non significa che il curatore rinunci alla realtà per la finzione: il legame con la storia, con uomini che erano stati impegnati politicamente e culturalmente, rimane forte, e il titolo della raccolta non deve trarre in inganno […] Atanagi non perde di vista il contatto con il suo tempo, anche se si tratta di epistole che hanno uno scarso legame con l'attualità, essendo la maggior parte di esse riferite agli anni trenta e quaranta e messe insieme, molto probabilmente, sin dai tempi in cui preparava l'antologia del 1554: così si spiega forse ancora la presenza di 18 missive del Sanga, di 9 del Canossa e di ben 37 del Giovio. Ma a parte questo pur importante nucleo di testi, l'elemento più significativo è l'aver accostato autori legati da un forte vincolo di amicizia: in modo particolare Francesco Berni, Giovan Francesco Bini, Giovan Battista Mentebuona, Trifone Benci, Marcantonio Flaminio, Galeazzo Florimonte, Bernardino Boccarini e lo stesso Dionigi Atanagi, che risulta destinatario di lettere del Bini, del Benci e del Boccarini. Le 8 del Flaminio sono indirizzate al Bini (7) e a Carlo Gualteruzzi (1) e coprono gli anni 1538-1541. Escludendo il nutrito gruppo di epistole del Giovio, che si estende fino agli anni cinquanta, il resto dei carteggi va dagli anni venti agli anni quaranta. Non può sfuggire che l'antologia dell'Atanagi del 1561, come già quella del 1554, forniva ancora una ricca documentazione sul mondo che aveva gravitato intorno al Giberti: in effetti Sanga, Mentebuona, Bini e lo stesso Berni erano stati tutti vicini al vescovo di Verona, come collaboratori o come segretari tra gli anni venti e trenta. La raccolta non aveva soltanto una coerenza tematica, ma intendeva chiaramente ricostruire un ambiente sociale e culturale, che corrispondeva ad un gruppo di amici che in giovinezza aveva condiviso un ruolo […], valori e interessi letterari“ (L. Braida, Libri di lettere. Le raccolte epistolari del Cinquecento tra inquietudini religiose e ‘buon volgare', Bari, 2009, pp. 183-186).
“La dedica del curatore [Atanagi] consegna la raccolta all'ambito di una letteratura che si prefigge la finalità terapeutica della ‘conservatione di se medesimi' e del diletto, qui espresso nella variante del riposo, della graziosa piacevolezza in grado di rinfrancare l'animo. Si tratta, come evidente, di argomentazioni che il ‘libro di lettere facete', come nuovo genere, prende in prestito dalle epistole dedicatorie sia delle sillogi di capitoli burleschi, sia delle raccolte di novelle e facezie”(cf. M.C. Figorilli, I due libri di lettere facete, et piacevoli (1561-1575), in: “‘Meglio ignorante che dotto'. L'elogio paradossale in prosa nel Cinquecento”, Napoli, 2008, p. 110).
The volume also contains the only sixteenth century printing of a satirical text on the Rome of Paul III by Jacopo Bonfadio (ca. 1508-1550), here entitled Al Furfante Re della della Furfantissima Furfanteria (pp. 323-336). Born in Garda, Bonfadio was educated at Verona and Padua. From 1532 he worked as the secretary of various members of the clergy in Rome and Naples, however in 1540 he gained employment in Padua with the son of Cardinal-humanist Pietro Bembo. He also gained fame from his poetry, for which reputation he was invited to teach philosophy at the University of Genoa in 1544. While there, he was commissioned to write a history of the Republic of Genoa since 1528. His humanist views earned him some powerful enemies in Genoa: the Dorias, the Adornos, the Spinolas, and the Fieschis, who sought revenge against Bonfadio for daring to record and judge their actions. They proceeded to accuse him of sodomy, for which he was arrested, tried and condemned to death. He was beheaded, and his body was burnt. The minutes of his trial were never found (cf. A. Greco, Introduzione, in: “Iacopo Bonfadio. Le lettere e una scrittura burlesca”, Roma, 1978, pp. 9-10, 31, and 157-167).
The volume ends with two long letters addressed by Girolamo Muzio to Vittoria Farnese Della Rovere, Duchess of Urbino, in which the author, «in persona del Verno contra la State», paradoxically praises the winter against summer (cf. Figorilli, op. cit., pp. 109-110).
Berni, Francesco to Divizio [Dovizio], Agnolo. Roma, November 3, 1522 (p. 1)
id. to id. Roma, November 11, 1522 (p. 11)
id. to [Manetti], Latino Giovenale. Roma, February 1, 1523 (p. 21)
id. to id. Roma, February 19, 1523 (p. 26)
id. to Mentebuona, Giovanni Battista. November 11, 1524 (p. 30)
id. to id. Roma, November 21, 1524 (p. 32)
id. to Bini, Francesco. Verona, June 29, 1529 (p. 36)
id. to id. Firenze, September, 3, 1533 (p. 37)
id. to id. Firenze, October 13, 1533 (p. 39)
id. to id. Firenze, December 18, 1533 (p. 40)
id. to id. Firenze, January 14, 1534 (p. 42)
id. to id. Firenze, April 12, 1534 (p. 47)
id. to Medici, Ippolito de'. Ferrara, December 19, 1532 (p. 49)
Losco, Armanno to Milanesi, Ricciardo. Venezia, May 20, no year (p. 51)
id. to [Manetti], Latino Giovenale. Parma (p. 58)
id. to id. Parma (p. 63)
Giovio, Paolo to Giberti, Gio[vanni]. Matteo. Firenze, March 18, 1522 (p. 64)
id. to Pio, Rodolfo. Roma, August 20, 1535 (p. 69)
id. to Trivulzio, Agostino. Milano, May 4, 1537 (p. 74)
id. to Renzi [Raince], Nicolas. Como, July 29, 1539 (p. 75)
id. to id. Dal Museo [Como], August 29, 1539 (p. 78)
id. to id. Parma, June 15, 1543 (p. 80)
id. to id. and to Angleria [Anghiera], Girolamo. Bologna, June 7, 1543 (p. 83)
id. to Maffei, Bernardino. Milano, October 2, 1539 (p. 86)
id. to id. Dal Museo [Como], August 28, 1540 (p. 89)
id. to id. Dal Museo [Como], August 16, 1543 (p. 91)
id. to id. Como, September 10, 1543 (p. 95)
id. to id. Milano, November 29, 1543 (p. 96)
id. to id. Como, February 4, 1544 (p. 98)
id. to id. Como, March 26, 1544 (p. 99)
id. to id. Roma, September 18, 1544 (p. 100)
id. to id. Roma, September 24, 1544 (p. 101)
id. to id. September 14, 1545 (p. 202, i.e. 102)
id. to Da Correggio, Girolamo. Roma, June 21, 1545 (p. 203, i.e. 103)
id. to [Avalos, Alfonso d'], Marquis of Vasto. Como, February 16, 1544 (p. 104)
id. to id. Como, March 25, 1544 (p. 206, i.e. 106)
id. to Farnese, Alessandro. Roma, September 5, 1547 (p. 108)
id. to id. Roma, September 10, 1547 (p. 210, i.e. 110)
id. to Angleria [Anghiera], Girolamo. Firenze, September 13, 1549 (p. 114)
id. to id. Como, October 19, 1549 (p. 116)
id. to id. Como, October 26, 1549 (p. 122)
id. to id. Firenze, September 19, 1550 (p. 123)
id. to id. Firenze, November 7, 1551 (p. 129)
id. to Julius III. Pisa, December 26, 1551 (p. 131)
id. to Angleria [Anghiera], Girolamo. Pisa, January 18, 1552 (p. 134)
id. to id. Pisa, January 30, 1552 (p. 137)
id. to id. Pisa, March 7, 1552 (p. 140)
id. to id. Pisa, March 17, 1552 (p. 142)
id. to id. Pisa, March 24, 1552 (p. 143)
id. to id. Pisa, March 31, 1552 (p. 145)
id. to id. Firenze, June 4, 1552 (p. 148)
id. to id. Firenze, October 1, 1552 (p. 149)
id. to Contile, Luca. Firenze November 12, 1552 (p. 151)
Incerto autore [Landi, Ortensio?] to Brachi, Pietro (p. 153)
Canossa, Lodovico to Riario, Raffaele. Roma, August 19, 1507 (p. 160)
id. to M. Gabriello... [Merino, Stefano Gabriele]. Roma, August 20, 1509 (p. 162)
id. to [La Marck, Erard of], Bishop of Liège. [Roma], July 30, 1515 (p. 165)
id. to [Bibbiena, Bernardo], Cardinal of Santa Maria in Portico. Garzano, June 20, 1519 (p. 166)
id. to Della Torre, Gio[vanni]. Battista. Garzano, September 20, 1519 (p. 168)
id. to id. Garzano, August 17, 1524 (p. 168)
id. to Cornaro [Corner, Marco], Cardinal. Paris, July 8, 1520 (p. 170)
id. to id. Garzano (p. 173)
id. to colonello Santa Croce, [Antonio?]. Roma, January 16, 1520 (p. 174)
Terpandro, Antonio Maria to [Manetti], Latino Giovenale. Urbino, September 8, 1507 (p. 176)
Castiglione, Baldassare to Canossa, Lodovico (p. 179)
id. to [Manetti], Latino Giovenale. Mantova, December 4, 1519 (p. 187)
Sanga, Gio[vanni] Battista to id. Roma, March 8, 1516 (p. 188)
id. to Mentebuona, Gio[vanni] Batt[ista]. Tortosa, June 28, 1522 (p. 190)
id. to id. Roma, August 29, 1524 (p. 193)
id. to id. Roma, September 11, 1524 (p. 195)
id. to id. Roma, September 14, 1524 (p. 200)
id. to id. Roma, September 9, 1524 (p. 202)
id. to id. Roma, September 9, 1524 (p. 204)
id. to id. Roma, September 28, 1524 (p. 208)
id. to id. Roma, October 29, 1524 (p. 210)
id. to id. Pavia, November 15, 1524 (p. 213)
id. to id. Viterbo, June 19, 1528 (p. 216)
id. to id. Viterbo, June 22, 1528 (p. 219)
id. to id. Viterbo, July 3, 1528 (p. 220)
id. to id. Viterbo, July 5, 1528 (p. 222)
id. to id. Viterbo, July 8, 1528 (p. 225)
id. to id. Viterbo, July 15, 1528 (p. 226)
id. to Crescenzi, Pietro Paolo. Orvieto, February 10, 1528 (p. 228)
id. to Berni, Francesco. Roma, March 11, 1531 (p. 229)
Il Moccicone [Bibbiena, Bernardo?] to [Manetti], Latino Giovenale. Civita Castellana, August 2, 1515 (p. 230)
id. to id. June 15, 1518 (p. 232)
[Bibbiena], Bernardo to Sadoleto, Giulio. Pesaro, June 4, 1517 (p. 233)
Sadoleto, Giulio to [Manetti], Latino Giovenale. Roma, Settembre 1, 1517 (p. 237)
Valerio [Valier], Gio[vanni] Francesco to [Manetti], Latino Giovenale. Roma, February 3, 1516 (p. 243)
id. to id. Roma, January 25, 1516 (p. 246)
id. to Bini, Gio[vanni] Francesco. Morano (p. 247)
id. to id. Venezia (p. 248)
id. to n.r. Venezia, June 14, 1537 (p. 249)
Sannazzaro, Giacomo to [Bibbiena, Bernardo], Cardinal of Santa Maria in Portico. Napoli, August 11, 1520 (p. 251)
Bini, Francesco to Mentebuona, Gio[vanni] Batt[ista]. Roma, August 29, 1524 (p. 253)
id. to id. Roma, September 8, 1524 (p. 257)
id. to id. Roma, October 3, 1524 (p. 258)
id. to id. Viterbo, n.m. 20, 1528 (p. 260)
id. to Maffei, Bernardino. Roma, October 8, 1539 (p. 261)
id. to Flaminio, Marcantonio. Roma, di Carnevale, 1541 (p. 263)
id. A Mons... et Flaminio, Marcantonio, & al S... (poem, p. 264)
id. to Pio, Lionello. Roma, June 28, 1541 (p. 269)
id. to Tolomei, Claudio. [Roma, 1539] (p. 270)
id. to Stella, Gio[vanni] Francesco (p. 279)
id. to Della Casa, Giovanni. Roma, October 28, 1554 (p. 280)
id. to Gonzaga, Ercole. Roma, January 30, 1555 (p. 282)
Ricorda, Alessandro to Mentebuona, Gio[vanni] Battista. Roma, September 11, 1524 (p. 285)
id. to id. Roma, September 14, 1524 (p. 287)
Bandinelli, Ubaldino to Bini, Gio[vanni] Francesco. Ancona, March 27, 1528 (p. 288)
id. to id. Ancona, April 15, 1528 (p. 291)
id. to id. September 20, 1528 (p. 293)
id. to id. Firenze, March 9, 1528 (p. 294)
Daniello, Bernardino to Corvino, Alessandro. Napoli, March 22, 1539 (p. 296)
Cincio, Giuseppe to Tolomei, Claudio. [Roma, 1538] (p. 298)
Piccolomini, Marcantonio to Angelini, Gio[vanni] Battista. Perugia (p. 300)
Caro, Annibal to Superchi, Girolamo. Roma, [May 15, 1551] (p. 303)
Maona, Giovanni to Mentebuona, Gio[vanni] Battista. Dal Campo [Firenze], August 18, 1530 (p. 304)
id. to id. Cuneo, February 9, 1531 (p. 310)
n.s. to Corvino, Alessandro. Roma, December 12, 1531 (p. 312)
id. to id. Roma, April 16, 1532 (p. 314)
Colocci, Angelo to Porrrino, Gandolfo. Roma, [before April 11, 1537] (p. 317)
Mauro d'Arcano, [Giovanni] to Porrino, Gandolfo. Roma, December 16, 1531 (p. 319)
Incerto autore [Bonfadio, Iacopo] to Furfante Re della Furfantissima Furfanteria. [Roma, 1538?] (p. 323)
Mellini, Pietro to Gio[vanni] Francesco Bini. Camerino, February 15, 1533 (p. 336)
Fondulo, Girolamo to Gio[vanni] Francesco Bini. Roma, February 20, 1533 (p. 341)
id. to Mentebuona, Gio[vanni] Battista. Castello, July 28, 1533 (p. 343)
Giberti, Gio[vanni] Matteo to Mentebuona, Gio[vanni] Battista. Verona, March 28, 1533 (p. 344)
Boccarini, Bernardino to Benci, Trifone. Rouen, April 4, 1535 (p. 346)
id. to Atanagi, Dionigi. Rouen, May 1, 1535 (p. 350)
id. to id. Amiens, June 19, 1535 (p. 352)
id. to id. Falvy [Flavy-le-Martel], June 24, 1535 (p. 358)
id. to id. Fontaine, September 11, 1535 (p. 361)
id. to id. Saint-Urbain, September 9, 1535 (p. 363)
id. to id. Dijon, November 5, 1535 (p. 369)
id. to id. Dijon, November 27, 1535 (p. 371)
id. to id. Lyon, February 10, 1536 (p. 373)
id. to id. Lyon, February 20, 1536 (p. 376)
id. to id. Montplaisant, February 29, 1536 (p. 378)
id. to id. Montplaisant, March 10, 1536 (p. 383)
id. to id. Montplaisant, March 8, 1536 (p. 388)
id. to id. Lyon, Mach 17, 1536 (p. 391)
id. to id. Lyon, July 10, 1536 (p. 392)
id. to id. Paris, January 14, 1537 (p. 393)
id. to id. Villacotrè [Villers-Cotterêts], February 12, 1537 (p. 396)
id. to id. Lyon, January 31, 1538 (p. 398)
id. to id. Moulins, February 17, 1538 (p. 401)
id. to id. Nice, May 22, 1538 (p. 404)
id. to id. Nice, May 30, 1538 (p. 409)
id. to id. Macerata, May 30, 1539 (p. 411)
id. to id. Ancona, June 4, 1539 (p. 412)
id. to id. Ancona, June 10, 1539 (p. 415)
id. to id. Ancona, June 24, 1539 (p. 416)
id. to id. Macerata, July 24, 1539 (p. 417)
id. to id. Macerata, July 31, 1539 (p. 419)
id. to id. Macerata, October 8, 1539 (p. 420)
id. to id. Recanati, October 25, 1539 (p. 421)
id. to id. Macerata, November 8, 1539 (p. 422)
id. to id. Roma, March 29, 1541 (p. 424)
Beccadelli, Lodovico to Bini, Gio[vanni] Francesco. Regensburg, April 11, 1541 (p. 425)
id. to id. Bologna, August 5, 1542 (p. 428)
Incerto autore [Flaminio, Marcantonio] to Bini, Gio[vanni] Francesco. Verona, September 11, 1538 (p. 430)
id. to Gualteruzzi, Carlo. Sessa, November 11, 1538 (p. 431)
id. to Bini, Gio[vanni] Francesco. Sessa, November 25, 1538 (p. 434)
id. to id. Sessa, December 15, 1538 (p. 435)
id. to id. Caserta, September 11, 1539 (p. 436)
id. to id. Napoli, February 27, 1540 (p. 438)
id. to id. Napoli, February 19, 1541 (p. 440)
id. to id. Napoli, March 12, 1541 (p. 442)
Florimonte, Galeazzo to Bini, Gio[vanni] Francesco. Sessa, January 14, 1539 (p. 444)
id. to id. Loreto, May 27, 1541 (p. 449)
id. to id. Roccasecca, March 14, 1544 (p. 453)
Bencio, Trifone to Molza, [Francesco Maria]. Baccano, January 29, 1541 (p. 457)
id. to Atanagi, Dionigi. [Loiano], February 10, 1541 (p. 458)
id. to id. Verona, February 19, 1541 (p. 459)
id. to Spica, Tommaso. Regensburg, June 19, 1541 (p. 463)
id. to Monterchi, Francesco; Atanagi, Dionigi; Brancuto, Marco; Manilio, Marco. Bologna, 1542 (p. 465)
id. to Atanagi, Dionigi. Bologna, August 24, 1543 (p. 467)
id. to id. Trento, January 5, 1546 (p. 469)
id. to id. Trento, December 15, 1546 (p. 470)
Cavalier Rosso to Farnese, Alessandro. Firenze, n.m. 15, 1539 (p. 471)
Incerto autore [Sadoleto, Jacopo?] to Bini, Gio[vanni] Francesco. Carpentras, July 14, 1539 (p. 474)
Costantini, Giulio to n.r. Roma, January 17, 1550 (p. 476)
Muzio, Girolamo to [Farnese Della Rovere, Vittoria], Duchess of Urbino. [Castello della Paneretta], December 10, 1558 (p. 480).
id. to id. [Castello della Paneretta], December 21, 1558 (p. 495)
Dionigi Atanagi was born in Cagli in the Duchy of Urbino. After receiving his early education in Perugia, he moved in 1532 to Rome, where he served as secretary to the prelate Giovanni Guidiccioni, made other influential friends, joined literary academies, and wrote poetry, some of which was published in the Versi et regole de la nuova poesia toscana (1539) edited by his friend Claudio Tolomei. The first fruit of his real vocation, that of editor, was the present collection De le lettere di tredici huomini illustri (1554). However, he spent twenty-five years in Rome striving in vain against the ill fortune, which (caused perhaps by his own faults) incessantly persecuted him. After the death of both, Guidiccioni and Tolomei, he left Rome in sickness and dejection. For a certain time he found a harbor in Pesaro at the court of Urbino revising Bernardo Tasso's Amadigi for the press. Because of the precarious state of his health he retired temporarily to his native Cagli. In 1559 he moved to Venice, no doubt in search of better publishing opportunities than those offered in Rome. In Venice he found a steady employment as secretary to the short-lived Accademia della Fama, which was dissolved in 1561, probably in prudent anticipation of a possible investigation by the Inquisition. He spent, with short interruptions at Cagli, the remainder of his life in Venice, earning a precarious livelihood by occasionally assisting literary amateurs in the preparation of their works for the press. He died in Venice and was buried in the church of San Luca beside Lodovico Dolce.
Atanagi's acquaintance with major literary figures all over Italy (for instance, Benedetto Varchi, Bernardo Cappello, Bernardo Tasso, Curzio Gonzaga, Domenico Vernier, Erasmo Valvassone, Francesco Patrizi, Giuseppe Betussi, Giovanni Battista Pigna, Girolamo Muzio, Girolamo Zoppio, Lodovico Dolce, Lodovico Domenichi, Luca Contile, Luigi Tansillo, Remigio Nannini, Scipione Ammirato, Sebastiano Erizzo, Tommaso Porcacchi, Torquato Tasso, Laura Battiferri, Laura Terracina and many others) enabled him to accomplish some ambitious editorial projects like the present one and, previously, the collection of poems in memory of Irene di Spilimbergo (Rime di diversi nobilissimi, et eccelentissimi autori, in morte della Signora Irene delle Signore di Spilimbergo, Venezia, 1561) (cf. A. Corsaro, Dionigi Atanagi e la silloge per Irene di Spilimbergo (Intorno alla formazione del giovane Tasso), in: “Italica”, 75/1, 1998, pp. 41-61; Dizionario biografico degli Italiani, Roma, 1962, IV, pp. 503-506; and G. Meyrat, Dionigi Atanagi e un esempio di petrarchismo nel Cinquecento, in: “Aevum”, LII, 1978, pp. 450-458).
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