Scienza, Tecnica, Politica: Il Problema del Metodo nel Pensiero di Jacopo Aconcio

The aim of this PhD thesis is to study accurately and in depth the figure and the literary production of the intellectual Jacopo Aconcio. This minor author of the 16th century has long been considered a sort of “enigmatic character”, a profile which results from the work of those who, for many centuries, have left his writing to its fate: a story of constant re-readings and equally incessant oversights. This is why it is necessary to re-read Aconcio’s production in its entirety and to devote to it a monographic study. Previous scholars’ interpretations will obviously be considered, but at the same time an effort will be made to go beyond them through the analysis of both published and manuscript sources, in the attempt to attain a deeper understanding of the figure of this man, who was a Christian, a military and hydraulic engineer and a political philosopher,. The title of the thesis was chosen to emphasise how, throughout the three years of the doctorate, my research concentrated in equal measure and with the same degree of importance on all the reflections and activities of Jacopo Aconcio. My object, in fact, was to establish how and to what extent the methodological thinking of the intellectual found application in, and at the same time guided, his theoretical and practical production. I did not mention in the title the author’s religious thinking, which has always been considered by everyone the most original and interesting element of his production, because religion, from the Reformation onwards, was primarily a political question and thus it was treated by almost all the authors involved in the Protestant movement - Aconcio in the first place. Even the remarks concerning the private, intimate sphere of faith have therefore been analysed in this light: only by acknowledging the centrality of the “problem of politics” in Aconcio’s theories, in fact, is it possible to interpret them correctly. This approach proves the truth of the theoretical premise to my research, that is to say the unity and orderliness of the author’s thought: in every field of knowledge, Aconcio applies the rules of the methodus resolutiva, as a means to achieve knowledge and elaborate models of pacific cohabitation in society. Aconcio’s continuous references to method can make his writing pedant and rather complex, but at the same time they allow for a consistent and valid analysis of different disciplines. I have not considered the fact that most of his reflections appear to our eyes as strongly conditioned by the time in which he lived as a limit. To see in him, as some have done, the forerunner of Descartes’ methodological discourse or, conversely, to judge his religious theories as not very modern, is to force the thought of an author who was first and foremost a Christian man of his own time. Aconcio repeats this himself several times in his writings: he wants to provide individuals with the necessary tools to reach a full-fledged scientific knowledge in the various fields, and also to enable them to seek truth incessantly in the religious domain, which is the duty of every human being. The will to find rules, instruments, effective solutions characterizes the whole of the author’s corpus: Aconcio feels he must look for truth in all the arts, aware as he is that anything can become science as long as it is analysed with method. Nevertheless, he remains a man of his own time, a Christian convinced of the existence of God, creator and governor of the world, to whom people must account for their own actions. To neglect this fact in order to construct a “character”, a generic forerunner, but not participant, of whatever philosophical current, is a dangerous and sidetracking operation. In this study, I have highlighted how Aconcio’s arguments only reveal their full meaning when read in the context in which they were born, without depriving them of their originality but also without charging them with meanings they do not possess. Through a historical-doctrinal approach, I have tried to analyse the complex web of theories and events which constitute the substratum of Aconcio’s reflection, in order to trace the correct relations between texts and contexts. The thesis is therefore organised in six chapters, dedicated respectively to Aconcio’s biography, to the methodological question, to the author’s engineering activity, to his historical knowledge and to his religious thinking, followed by a last section concerning his fortune throughout the centuries. The above-mentioned complexity is determined by the special historical moment in which the author lived. On the one hand, thanks to the new union between science and technique, the 16th century produces discoveries and inventions which make available a previously unthinkable number of notions and lead to a “revolution” in the way of studying and teaching the different subjects, which, by producing a new form of intellectual, involved in politics but also aware of scientific-technological issues, will contribute to the subsequent birth of modern science. On the other, the 16th century is ravaged by religious conflicts, which shatter the unity of the Christian world and generate theological-political disputes which will inform the history of European states for many decades. My aim is to show how Aconcio’s multifarious activity is the conscious fruit of this historical and religious situation, as well as the attempt of an answer to the request of a new kind of engagement on the intellectual’s behalf. Plunged in the discussions around methodus, employed in the most important European courts, involved in the abrupt acceleration of technical-scientific activities, and especially concerned by the radical religious reformation brought on by the Protestant movement, Jacopo Aconcio reflects this complex conjunction in his writings, without lacking in order and consistency, differently from what many scholars assume. The object of this work, therefore, is to highlight the unity of the author’s thought, in which science, technique, faith and politics are woven into a combination which, although it may appear illogical and confused, is actually tidy and methodical, and therefore in agreement with Aconcio’s own intentions and with the specific characters of European culture in the Renaissance. This theory is confirmed by the reading of the Ars muniendorum oppidorum, Aconcio’s only work which had been up till now unavailable. I am persuaded that only a methodical reading of Aconcio’s works, without forgetting nor glorifying any single one, respects the author’s will. From De methodo (1558) onwards, all his writings are summae, guides for the reader who wishes to approach the study of the various disciplines. Undoubtedly, Satan’s Stratagems (1565) is something more, not only because of its length, but because it deals with the author’s main interest: the celebration of doubt and debate as bases on which to build religious tolerance, which is the best method for pacific cohabitation in society. This, however, does not justify the total centrality which the Stratagems have enjoyed for centuries, at the expense of a proper understanding of the author’s will to offer examples of methodological rigour in all sciences. Maybe it is precisely because of the reforming power of Aconcio’s thought that, albeit often forgotten throughout the centuries, he has never ceased to reappear and continues to draw attention, both as a man and as an author. His ideas never stop stimulating the reader’s curiosity and this may ultimately be the best demonstration of their worth, independently from the historical moment in which they come back to the surface.

Pier Luigi Nervi architetture voltate Verso nuove strutture

L’ingegner Pier Luigi Nervi (1891-1979), progettista, costruttore e teorico del “Costruire Correttamente”, ha intrapreso un proprio esclusivo percorso professionale che ha decretato negli anni una notevole fortuna critica fino a un sostanziale oblio dopo la sua morte. La presente ricerca di dottorato intende approfondire le tematiche legate a una significativa tipologia strutturale che ha contrassegnato il percorso professionale di Pier Luigi Nervi: le architetture voltate. Cupole, volte e coperture geodetiche rappresentano il sistema ottimale con il quale Nervi ha perseguito una personale ricerca mirata alla definizione di grandi luci di copertura a spessore ridotto. Questi sistemi di copertura rappresentano per Nervi la miglior espressione architettonica in quanto perfetta sintesi tra funzioni statiche e esigenze economiche. Le parole chiave per definire l’ambito di studio possono essere cosi riepilogate: sperimentazione/variazione sul tema/primato della grande luce/nuove strutture. La tesi intende indagare i tentativi di rinnovamento che, a partire dagli anni sessanta, spingono Pier Luigi Nervi a sperimentare l’applicazione di nuovi materiali come l’alluminio in sostituzione totale o parziale di un sistema costruttivo, quello del ferrocemento, che ha contraddistinto la maggior parte delle sue opere decretandone il successo. La testimonianza di questa intransigenza, legata all’etica del costruire secondo i principi di naturalezza e razionalità, costantemente riaffermata da Nervi nelle sue diverse pubblicazioni, è sorprendentemente disattesa nella ricerca sulle nuove strutture. Queste strutture, sperimentate senza successo in considerazione della loro mancata concreta attuazione, rivelano un complesso di singolarità capace di porre in discussione quell’intransigenza a cui Nervi ha fedelmente dichiarato di attenersi. La lettura critica del progetto di concorso per il Kuwait Sports Centre, elaborato nel 1968, contiene la sintesi di tutte le parole chiave della ricerca. Scopo della presente tesi è documentare circostanze, innovazioni e anomalie che hanno accompagnato Pier Luigi Nervi nella definizione di nuove strutture voltate.

La flibuste de Saint-Domingue (1684-1727). Analyse d'un phénomène américain

Quelle est la différence entre un flibustier et un pirate ? Ce projet de recherche est basé sur cette question enfantine. En fait, les historiens contemporains, qui ont consacré de nombreuses pages à la « piraterie » et à la « flibuste » de l’âge moderne, n’ont pas réussi à répondre à cette – apparemment – simple question. Les reconstructions et les théories développées, en fait, ont assimilé ces deux phénomènes, en traitant les deux termes comme de simples synonymes. Mais, si cela peut être considéré comme vrai aujourd’hui, il n'était pas au cours des XVIIème et XVIIIème siècles. À l'époque, pirate était équivalent de « hostis humani generis », et comme tel craint et persécuté. Les flibustiers, au contraire, ont été considérés comme l’un des groupes les plus importants dans les premiers établissements des îles de la Mer des Caraïbes. En outre, le terme flibustier, dans la correspondance des gouverneurs français, se réfère à un élément considéré comme essentiel pour la réussite du processus de construction de la colonie, et également cruciale pour la consolidation des établissements américains. C’est donc la relation spéciale entre les flibustiers et le Nouveau Monde est l’objet de cette thèse. En utilisant une approche historico-culturel, on a essayé de contextualiser le phénomène de la flibuste dans le « processus d’américanisation » des premières communautés européennes en Amérique. La relation étroite entre les colons des établissements français de Saint-Domingue (aujourd’hui Haïti) et les nombreux espaces - économique, militaire, diplomatique, social, humain - des Caraïbes a fait des flibustiers un élément fortement « américanisé ». Grâce à la lecture des documents d'archives et les mémoires des années entre 1684 et 1727, on a reconstruit la dynamique de la relation entre ce groupe et le contexte américain, avec une attention particulière à la dynamique culturelle et sociale.

"La Semirami" di Moniglia e Cesti fra Innsbruck, Vienna e Venezia (1665-1674)

La tesi esamina il trattamento drammatico e musicale del soggetto di Semiramide in una delle sue prime trasposizioni operistiche: "La Semirami" di Giovanni Andrea Moniglia (Firenze 1625-1700) e Antonio Cesti (Arezzo 1623 - Firenze 1669). Quest’opera è legata ai più importanti centri d’influenza dell’attività compositiva di Cesti – Firenze, Innsbruck, Vienna e Venezia – e riassume tutti i mondi produttivi della sua carriera, divisa fra gli ambienti di corte e i teatri cittadini veneziani. L’opera fu commissionata nel 1665 per le nozze dell’arciduca d’Austria Sigismondo Francesco a Innsbruck, ma fu rappresentata solo nel 1667 alla corte di Leopoldo I a Vienna, e infine ripresa a Venezia al teatro di S. Moisè nel 1674 con una serie di ritocchi e il nuovo titolo "La schiava fortunata": Giulio Cesare Corradi revisionò il testo e Marc’Antonio Ziani aggiornò la musica. La tesi contiene una prima parte di studio dell’opera suddivisa in cinque capitoli, in cui offro: una panoramica aggiornata della biografia del compositore aretino e la contestualizzazione della "Semirami" nella sua carriera, con particolare attenzione alla genesi e alle fasi evolutive del dramma; l’analisi drammaturgica e musicale dell’opera, in cui esamino le scelte compositive di Cesti in rapporto al testo poetico dato; infine la fortuna della "Semirami" con l’allestimento veneziano del 1674 e le sue riprese. Un capitolo è dedicato interamente alla fortuna del soggetto di Semiramide nel Seicento operistico. La seconda parte della tesi contiene l’edizione dei testi poetici della "Semiramide" (Firenze 1690), della "Semirami" (Vienna 1667) e della "Schiava fortunata" (Venezia 1674) con la presentazione delle aggiunte e sostituzioni riscontrate nei testimoni relativi agli allestimenti successivi, fino al 1693.