FEDERICO CESI, THE FIRST ACADEMY, AND UMBRIA 31men ‘worthy’ <strong>of</strong> such ‘business’: they must remain far from worldly cares,obliged to maintain conduct that is prudent and in the most completecontempt for the pleasures <strong>of</strong> the flesh,upright and suited to <strong>di</strong>scipline; healthy in body and mind; lovers<strong>of</strong> intellectual activity; inclined to silence and collectedness; <strong>di</strong>sdainful<strong>of</strong> useless gran<strong>di</strong>loquence; courageous, intrepid, but aliento brawling and altercations; loyal and humble; obe<strong>di</strong>ent towardssuperiors; industrious and <strong>di</strong>ligent; not greedy, nor lavish, noravaricious. But above all chaste. 34They must live ‘in peace, quiet, concord, with no ire, envy, or desire <strong>of</strong>emulation’, they must ‘concentrate all their efforts with utmost alacrity’,composed <strong>of</strong> ‘study’, <strong>of</strong> ‘<strong>di</strong>scussion’, <strong>of</strong>, that is, communal work. 35Equal attention is focused on the question <strong>of</strong> the places in which toorganize research: ‘The induction <strong>of</strong> subjects shall be followed by the establishment<strong>of</strong> places’. The necessity <strong>of</strong> buil<strong>di</strong>ng suitable residences for theinstitution is clearly expressed in the Lynceographum: ‘Lyceums, that is thedomiciles <strong>of</strong> the Lynceans, shall be built in suitable places’. 36 The plan isgran<strong>di</strong>ose, so gran<strong>di</strong>ose in fact that it would later prove to be unfeasible.Part <strong>of</strong> Cesi’s ‘utopia’, in any event, is the idea <strong>of</strong> internationality, even theuniversality <strong>of</strong> the institution, which provides for the organization <strong>of</strong>Lyceums in various cities in the <strong>di</strong>fferent parts <strong>of</strong> the world. TheseLyceums, or local branches <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Academy</strong>, must be economically self-sufficientbut above all they must be places suited to research, and thus outfittedwith museums, libraries, scientific laboratories, observatories, botanicalgardens. They must ensure the opportunity for me<strong>di</strong>tation and a communallife for academy members in the local area, but they must also beplaces <strong>of</strong> hospitality for the confraternity, inasmuch as travel, along withme<strong>di</strong>tation and contemplation, is considered essential to scholarship and tothe continual expansion <strong>of</strong> experience.The conclu<strong>di</strong>ng section <strong>of</strong> the Lynceographum clarifies the reasons forwhich the institution has chosen the lynx as its emblem:The Lynx is an animal endowed with a very powerful sharpness <strong>of</strong>vision and an astoun<strong>di</strong>ng capacity to penetrate to the interior <strong>of</strong>34 A. Alessandrini, Originalità dell’Accademia dei Lincei, op. cit., p. 96; cf. Lynceographum,cc. 5-6, 75-78, pp. 10-13, 89-93.35 Lynceographum, cc. 54 ff., pp. 74 ff.; on the criteria for induction cf. the letter fromFederico Cesi to Galileo Galilei, Rome 11 May 1613, in Carteggio, p. 253.36 Lynceographum, c. 71, p. 85, cf. cc. 71 ff., pp. 85 ff.
32FEDERICO CESI, LA PRIMA ACCADEMIA, L’UMBRIAstesso nome viene in<strong>di</strong>cato il <strong>desiderio</strong> dei Lincei, <strong>di</strong> tutti e <strong>di</strong> ciascuno,<strong>di</strong> penetrare nelle mirabili proprietà delle cose e negli arcanidella Natura”. 37<strong>Il</strong> motto dei Lincei era “sagacius ista” in riferimento alla lince, ma si trattanon solo e non tanto <strong>di</strong> un affinamento della vista corporea, del “cervierocchio”,che i Lincei attueranno anche con l’aiuto del cannocchiale e del telescopio,ma anche della capacità tutta intellettuale (“nella mente”) <strong>di</strong> penetrarei segreti della natura. È lo Stelluti a sottolineare come nella sceltadella Lince sia implicita una concezione tutta moderna del <strong>sapere</strong>, intesocontemporaneamente come descrizione e come compressione intellettuale,come osservazione ma anche come compenetrazione teorica:“Havendo questa eletta, acciò ne sia uno stimulo, e sprone continuo<strong>di</strong> ricordarci dell’acutezza della vista, non degli occhi corporali, madella mente, necessaria per le <strong>natural</strong>i contemplazioni, che pr<strong>of</strong>essiamo”.38È stato a più riprese sottolineato il carattere utopico del <strong>di</strong>segno contenutonelle pagine del Linceografo:“È interessante sottolineare che i Lincei, scrive l’Alessandrini, nelloro Lynceographum tracciano i lineamenti <strong>di</strong> una comunità umanapiù dotta e più felice simile alla New Atlantis, l’isola immaginaria <strong>di</strong>Bacone, nella quale la nuova scienza, col dominio della natura e ilrinnovamento della società, avrebbe potuto realizzare il regnumhominis. Sotto questo aspetto l’ideale linceo si può ricollegare anchealla Utopia <strong>di</strong> Tommaso Moro e alla Città del Sole <strong>di</strong> Campanella chepresentano fra loro evidenti analogie”. 39Ma, ad avviso dell’Alessandrini, giustamente questi paragoni, se troppostretti, “costituiscono una forzatura della realtà”.“Federico Cesi, prosegue la stu<strong>di</strong>osa, fu un innovatore e un anticonformista;però non fu né un rivoluzionario, né un visionario.Non tendeva a ribaltare il sistema, ma neppure intendeva rifugiarsiin un sogno <strong>di</strong> evasione. Egli tentò (ed in gran parte riuscì) a creareper sé e per i suoi confratelli, riuniti nella comunità lincea, uno spazio<strong>di</strong> libertà [...] La ‘Utopia cesiana’, caso mai, si rivela come unaambizione troppo vista, ma non assurda o fantasiosa. I ‘Licei’ nonerano un’isola immaginaria proiettata verso il futuro; ma luoghi37 Lynceographum, c. 241, p. 192.38 F. Stelluti, Persio tradotto in verso sciolto, Roma 1630, p. 37.39 A. Alessandrini, Francesco Stelluti e l’Accademia dei Lincei, cit., pp. 32-33.
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