Giovanni Battista Gelli, I capricci del Bottaio [...] et La Circe, 1550

GIOVANNI BATTISTA GELLI

The Caprices of the Cooper by Giovanni Battista Gelli, Florentine academic. Reprinted anew with some that were missing. In Venice, published by Giovita Rapirio (and Bartolomeo Cesano), 1550; BOUND WITH: ID., Circe. In Venice, published by Agostino Bindoni, 1550.

Octavo (155x105). 91 leaves, [1]; 88. Illustrated woodcut initials. Contemporary limp parchment binding with manuscript title on the front cover and golden edges.

Truly fascinating example: a sixteenth-century book as they should all be. Let me explain further: imagine a book made with sheets just collected from the printer and brought to the trusted binder who gilds the edges and applies a newly polished limp parchment, and to make it even more precious, adds 4 guard pages at the beginning and 3 at the end. I assure you that holding this book in your hands gives a sense of true satisfaction. An 'object' book, the specimen of perfect conservation state!

Third edition, the first truly complete of Gelli's 'Caprices of the Cooper'. The Caprices of the Cooper. The work consists of ten imaginary dialogues between Giusto, a Florentine cooper, and his soul. The moral, religious, and philosophical themes at the heart of the work are presented by Gelli with cordiality and good humour. Gelli seeks comfort in humanistic tradition to define and disseminate a moral conception that is primarily in accordance with the principles of common sense.

At the centre of the author’s moral world is the awareness of human limitations; recurring polemical targets are social hypocrisy and church corruption, which is why the work was placed on the Index of Prohibited Books. The volume also contains the second edition of 'Circe' by the same Gelli, which narrates that of eleven Greeks, companions of Ulysses, transformed into beasts by Circe, the only one, an elephant who had previously occupied himself with philosophy, consents to become human again: the others, the snake, the hare, the goat, the dog, the horse, etc. do not want to.

This means that only those strengthened by philosophy can detach themselves from the virtually unbreakable constraints of sensuality. Clear and judicious is the thought, at times so independent that the second dialogue on the immortality of the soul was placed on the Index; the story appealing, also for the correspondence of the bestial or human characters with characters and situations of Florentine life at the time; the clear, spontaneous, distinctly Florentine form' (cf. Renda-Operti, Diz. stor. letter. ital., p. 525). The work is sold with the BuyBack and Blockchain Secured services included if desired! If you wish to sell or appraise your antique book or your entire library, contact us! We evaluate ancient and rare books for free, whether on the Index or not!

Giovanni Battista Gelli and the Index of Prohibited Books: A Journey into Renaissance Censorship

Giovanni Battista Gelli (Florence, 1498-1563) is a fascinating figure of the Italian Renaissance, a self-taught cobbler who distinguished himself as a philosopher, writer, and academic, leaving an indelible mark on Florentine culture. His works, particularly The Caprices of the Cooper, however, ended up in the eye of the ecclesiastical censorship storm, being included in the Index of Prohibited Books of the Catholic Church.

Who was Giovanni Battista Gelli?

Born in Florence in 1498 to a modest family, he was the son of a wine merchant from Peretola. Despite his profession as a cobbler, he cultivated a deep interest in literature and philosophy, studying independently under the guidance of masters like Antonio Francini and Francesco Verino. His education also took place in the cultural circles of Florence, like the Orti Oricellari, a centre of intellectual debate where political and philosophical ideas were discussed.

Giovanni Battista distinguished himself as a member of the Florentine Academy, where, since 1553, he was a public reader of Dante's Commedia, contributing nine readings of Dante that influenced studies of the sixteenth century. Among his most famous works are:

• The Caprices of the Cooper (1546), a dialogue between a cooper and his soul, exploring ethical and religious themes with an evangelical approach.
• Circe (1549), a dialogue inspired by Lucian of Samosata, in which Ulysses discusses with characters transformed into animals, reflecting on the human condition.

Despite his success, Gelli remained true to his origins, continuing to practice his trade as a cobbler and embodying the ideal of the intellectual-craftsman.

The Index of Prohibited Books: Context and Function

The Index Librorum Prohibitorum, officially established by the Catholic Church in 1559 under Pope Paul IV, was a list of works deemed heretical, immoral, or dangerous to the faith. Born in response to the Protestant Reformation and the spread of printing, the Index aimed to control the circulation of ideas that could threaten Catholic orthodoxy. Its management was entrusted to the Congregation of the Index, instituted in 1571 by Pope Pius V, which published over 40 editions until its suppression in 1966 under Pope Paul VI.

The Index included works by authors of every kind, from Protestant theologians like Luther and Calvin to classics of literature such as Boccaccio's Decameron and Machiavelli's The Prince. Among the criteria for censorship were:

• Ideas considered heretical or contrary to Catholic morality.
• Texts promoting freedom of thought or criticising ecclesiastical authority.
• Translations of the Bible into vernacular languages without permission.

Censorship was not limited to total prohibition: in some cases, books could be admitted pending correction (donec corrigatur), as happened for some works by Boccaccio.

Why were The Caprices prohibited?

The Caprices of the Cooper by Gelli were placed on the Index due to the religious ideas expressed in the work. The author, influenced by evangelicalism and a Christianity that privileged the Scriptures over ecclesiastical authority, upheld heterodox positions, such as:

• Justification by faith, a concept close to Reformed ideas.
• The universal priesthood of believers, which diminished the role of the Church.
• An anticlerical tone and anecdotes deemed blasphemous, such as the story of Lazarus's will.

These ideas, while not openly heretical, were perceived as dangerous during a time of strong religious tension, marked by the Council of Trent and the Counter-Reformation. Although the author declared his willingness to correct the incriminated passages, the modifications he proposed were minimal compared to those demanded by the censors, and the work remained on the Index even in the Venetian edition of 1605, despite having been “corrected” so as not to offend pious readers.

Interestingly, Circe, while dealing with complex philosophical themes, was not included in the Index, probably because it was less direct in criticising Catholic doctrine. This contrast highlights the Church's sensitivity to religious content compared to more abstract reflections.

The Impact of Censorship on Gelli and His Time

The inclusion of The Caprices on the Index did not entirely compromise Gelli's career, as he continued to enjoy the favour of Cosimo I de’ Medici until the latter's rapprochement with the Papacy in 1549. However, censorship reflects the cultural control climate of the time, in which the Church sought to stem the spread of Reformed ideas or potentially destabilising notions. Gelli's presence on the Index places him alongside giants like Dante, Boccaccio, and Machiavelli, underlining the importance of his works in the intellectual debate of the Renaissance.

The Legacy of Gelli and the Index

Giovanni Battista Gelli represents an extraordinary example of how knowledge could emerge even from the lower classes during the Renaissance. His ability to combine craftsmanship with literary and philosophical production makes him a unique figure, while the censorship of The Caprices testifies to the complexity of the relationship between intellectuals and ecclesiastical authorities.

The Index of Prohibited Books, abolished in 1966, remains a controversial page in European cultural history. While on one hand it protected the faithful from content deemed dangerous, on the other it restricted the circulation of fundamental works, influencing the progress of thought. Gelli's story reminds us that even in an era of censorship, the desire for knowledge and expression always found ways to resist.