Essays
A hidden "Canzoniere": The "Sonetti di messer Benedetto Varchi a madonna Laura Battiferra degl’Ammannati" (1558-1559?)
Published 2024-01-09
Keywords
- Benedetto Varchi,
- Laura Battiferri,
- Silvio Antoniano,
- lyric poetry,
- macrotext
Abstract
This article presents Benedetto Varchi’s collected poems for Laura Battiferri, composed between 1558 and 1559 and mostly unpublished. Although part of the collection was already known, recent scholarship had failed to notice its unity due to the misplacement of the quires in the library that houses Varchi’s papers. The article also explores the macro-textual strategies and dialogical aspects of Varchi’s poetry, particularly the poetic exchange with future cardinal Silvio Antoniano.