The Classical Tradition in Medieval Catalan, 1300-1500: Translation, Imitation, and Literacy(Monografías A)

The first comprehensive study of the reception of the classical tradition in medieval Catalan letters. This book offers the first comprehensive study of the reception of the classical tradition in medieval Catalan letters, a multilingual process involving not only Latin and Catalan, but also neighbouring vernaculars like Aragonese,Castilian, French, and Italian. The authors survey the development of classical literacy from the twelfth-century Aragonese royal courts until the arrival of the printing press and the dissemination of Italian Humanism. Aimed atstudents and scholars of medieval and early modern Iberia - and anyone interested in medieval Romance literatures and the classical tradition - this volume also provides a concise introduction to the medieval Crown of Aragon, a catalogue of translations into Catalan of texts from classical antiquity through the Italian Renaissance, and a critical study of the influence of the classics in five major works: Bernat Metge's Lo somni, Joanot Martorell'sTirant lo Blanc, the anonymous Curial e Guelfa, Ausias March's poetry, and Joan Rois de Corella's prose. Lluis Cabre is associate professor of medieval Catalan literature at the Universitat Autonoma dercelona; Alejandro Coroleu is ICREA research professor of Renaissance Humanism at the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona; Montserrat Ferrer is a research associate at the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona; Albert Lloret is associate professor of Spanish and Catalan at the University of Massachusetts Amherst; Josep Pujol is associate professor of medieval Catalan literature at the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona.

Table of Contents:
List of Illustrations Preface List of Abbreviations Historical Background Literacy: Translations and Royal Patronage Imitation: The Classical Tradition in the Works of Five Major Authors Printing: Humanism and the Renaissance List of Authors and Works Appendix Bibliography Index of Manuscripts General Index

Review :
Essential not only for Catalan and Catalan literature but also for peninsular letters as a whole...It's an excellent study which brings together the advantages and amenity of the essay, and the virtues and rigor of an encyclopedic manual or reference book. This book fills a significant gap by bringing together a huge mass of research carried out from the beginning of the twentieth century but most notably in recent years. The authors provide a nuanced assessment of the impact of the classical tradition and of humanism in medieval Catalan, providing a highly engaging account in the first part of the book and a helpful research tool in the second, thus making the volume valuable reading for the specialist and the non-specialist alike. The Classical Tradition in Medieval Catalan, 1300-1500: Translation, Imitation, and Literacy is a well-constructed volume of exceptional scholarly value. Scholars interested in the admiration with which Humanist writers looked upon Ovid, Livy, Cicero and other greats of Classical antiquity will appreciate the insights offered in this compelling book. The Classical Tradition in Medieval Catalan, 1300-1500, is a remarkable product of shared skills, combined resources, and complementary effort. Las dos partes de la monografía constituyen una visión muy completa del conocimiento que había de los clásicos en la Corona de Aragón durante la Edad Media, del motivo de interés por las obras y de cómo se accedía a ellas en cada momento, ya sea a través de originales o de traducciones a las lenguas románicas.