FEDERICO CESI, THE FIRST ACADEMY, AND UMBRIA 23for Knowledge, a speech delivered by Cesi to a meeting <strong>of</strong> the Lynceans inJanuary 1616 which encapsulates, on the other hand, the essence <strong>of</strong> theideology underlying the enterprise <strong>of</strong> the founder <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Academy</strong>.2. The Lynceographum and the Laws <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Academy</strong>From the outset, the <strong>Academy</strong> was organized as an <strong>of</strong>ficially structuredcommunity which required, at the moment <strong>of</strong> induction, the signing<strong>of</strong> a declaration <strong>of</strong> loyalty to the ideals <strong>of</strong> the institution. The <strong>of</strong>ficialrecord <strong>of</strong> these declarations was to be found in the Albi Lincei (LynceanRegistries) which contained the lists <strong>of</strong> the autograph signatures <strong>of</strong> themembers, written in Latin and arranged in chronological order <strong>of</strong> induction.The registries were customarily preceded by the ProponimentoLinceo (Lyncean Resolution), a condensed statement <strong>of</strong> the Lyncean commitment,which was to be clarified and spelled out more fully in theLynceographum. 19First <strong>of</strong> all, the Resolution affirmed that the acquisition <strong>of</strong> Wisdom wasto be preceded by a pr<strong>of</strong>ound self-examination: ‘that each should knowhimself by me<strong>di</strong>tating deeply on the many errors and the misery <strong>of</strong> humanthings’. These consideration <strong>of</strong> a moral nature were followed imme<strong>di</strong>atelyby precise methodological in<strong>di</strong>cations for its attainment: ‘watchful <strong>di</strong>scipline’,‘precise methods’, ‘a labor <strong>of</strong> association’; these are the characteristics<strong>of</strong> a ‘well-structured assembly’, <strong>of</strong> a ‘philosophical militia’. And if one <strong>of</strong>the con<strong>di</strong>tions <strong>of</strong> scholarship is living a life <strong>of</strong> study segregated ‘from thecontagion <strong>of</strong> the common herd’, there is nothing strictly private or in<strong>di</strong>vidualisticabout approaching the ‘mysteries <strong>of</strong> Wisdom’ and ‘taking pleasurein those’, which on the contrary presupposes a commitmentto conserving among ourselves benevolence, reciprocal custom, andthe bond <strong>of</strong> a sincere loyalty; to increase common goods; to pr<strong>of</strong>essthe Lyncean name in all <strong>of</strong> our works <strong>of</strong> study and write it in ourpublications. 20These intentions, reduced here to the dry formula <strong>of</strong> an oath, are reiterated,developed, and refined, in the Lynceographum, a sort <strong>of</strong> programmaticcharter elaborated in several drafts, in which are enunciated the19 For a detailed analysis <strong>of</strong> Proponimento see A. Alessandrini, Originalità dell’Accademiadei Lincei, op. cit., pp. 99-104. Italian and English translations are below, pp. 88-89.20 Cf. below, p. 89.
24FEDERICO CESI, LA PRIMA ACCADEMIA, L’UMBRIAciati gli ideali accademici, un metodo <strong>di</strong> ricerca e <strong>di</strong> stu<strong>di</strong>o veramente rivoluzionari,e vengono prospettate “con tanta precisione utopistica”(Gabrieli) le strutture e le modalità operative dell’istituzione.Già il titolo esprime sinteticamente il contenuto dell’opera: “Lynceographum,quo norma stu<strong>di</strong>osae vitae Lynceorum philosophorum exponitur”.21 In apertura del testo si <strong>di</strong>chiara subito che questa “norma” devecostituire la regola rigorosa che attiene all’istituzione <strong>di</strong> un “or<strong>di</strong>ne”, un“consesso”, una “accademia”, una “classe”, un “collegio”, <strong>di</strong> stu<strong>di</strong>osi che,aiutandosi a vicenda, devono de<strong>di</strong>carsi asceticamente alla ricerca scientifica,sottolineando allo stesso tempo che“il fine dell’Accademia dei Lincei non è soltanto acquistare conoscenzae sapienza, vivendo insieme rettamente e piamente, ma <strong>di</strong>ffonderlefra gli uomini, a voce e con gli scritti, pacificamente,senza recare danno a nessuno”. 22Emerge chiaramente già un primo aspetto che <strong>di</strong>stingue l’impegno linceorispetto a quello della altre accademie: è un serio impegno scientifico che hacontemporaneamente una rilevanza pedagogica pubblica mirante non soloalla coltivazione del <strong>sapere</strong> ma anche alla sua <strong>di</strong>vulgazione, “voce et scriptis”.<strong>Il</strong> sottolineare poi che tale <strong>di</strong>vulgazione deve avvenire “pacificamente, senzarecare danni a nessuno” qualifica bene la “filos<strong>of</strong>ica milizia”, l’“or<strong>di</strong>ne” linceorispetto a tutti quegli or<strong>di</strong>ni cavallereschi para-militari che avevanoanche allora una notevole influenza in ambito cattolico. I lincei si proclamano“cultori della pace e del pubblico bene (pacis et publici boni cultores)”. 23Per quanto concerne l’idea stessa della sapienza e della cultura in generale,dal Linceografo emerge una concezione veramente democratica <strong>di</strong> essain opposizione a quella aristocratica propria degli “antiqui sapientes”, iquali ritenevano il volgo non degno <strong>di</strong> ricevere i frutti della conoscenza, <strong>di</strong>godere del dolce frutto del filos<strong>of</strong>are; questo non per un atteggiamentoaprioristicamente acritico nei confronti del passato, ma per una concezionepiù aperta dell’idea <strong>di</strong> cultura cui ha concorso – lo si riconosce esplicitamente– anche l’esperienza cristiana. 24 È proprio la conoscenza, e nientealtro, a <strong>di</strong>stinguere il sapiente dal volgo, è lo stu<strong>di</strong>o della scienza che puòportare qualsiasi uomo ad assomigliare agli angeli.21 Come guida al nostro commento abbiamo presente: G. Olmi, op. cit., pp. 189 ss.; A.Alessandrini, Originalità dell’Accademia dei Lincei, cit., pp. 89-99.22 Lynceographum, c. 1, p. 3.23 Su questo A. Alessandrini, Originalità dell’Accademia dei Lincei, cit., p. 93.24 Lynceographum, c. 61, p. 78.
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