Page 33 - Mediterraneo e dintorni - nr 9
P. 33
Riproduzione del frontespizio
del Vocabolario della Crusca
riceverla, più di quello che gli det- Napoleone, infatti, volle che, una
terà il suo giudizio». Da questo volta ricostruita l’Accademia Fio-
momento in poi la vita dell’Ac- rentina, questa venisse suddivisa
cademia sarà indissolubilmente in tre classi: del Cimento, della
legata all’evoluzione della sua Crusca e del Disegno. La situazio-
opera maggiore, il Vocabolario, le ne non durò a lungo, e già nel 1811
un decreto del 19 gennaio vedeva
riconosciuta l’Accademia come
ente a sé stante. Il Vocabolario era
ormai divenuto il baluardo del-
la cultura letteraria e linguistica
italiana e un modello per tutte le
altre accademie d’Europa. Forse
fu proprio questa fatica a garan-
tire all’Accademia della Crusca come “uscire il cane” o “scendere
un’attività ininterrotta, destinata la valigia”, venisse travisato dopo
Villa medicea di Castello, a Firenze, oggi sede a durare tutt’oggi. L’autorevolez- essere stato speso male sul pia-
dell’Accademia della Crusca za che tale Istituzione può vantare no mediatico, allora potremmo
a livello nazionale ed internazio- consolarci con le parole di dedica
cui edizioni e ristampe seguirono nale, porta ormai ad incorniciarla di Bastiano de’ Rossi a Concino
lo sciame di eventi storici e cultu- tra gli stereotipi del “ben parlare” Concini, il quale così indicava la
rali che investì l’Italia nel secoli o del “ben dire”, e se per caso un prima edizione del Vocabolario
a venire. La Crusca fu salda e ne discorso scientifico come quel- della Crusca: «parto dell’Acca-
assecondò il moto ondoso anche lo affiorato negli ultimi giorni demia, che ha per fine l’universal
quando, nel 1808, perse momen- sui verbi intransitivi che spesso beneficio e la gloria e l’eternità del
taneamente la sua autonomia: nell’uso divengono transitivi, nostro idioma».
From The brIgATA deI with the name of Infarinato, diverted the the Academicians of the Crusca was
crusconI To The AccAdemIA playful vague reflections towards literary published in Venice, which had a long
dellA cruscA and linguistic reflections that had as gestation. The new work would have
their ultimate goal the affirmation of the shown «the beauties of the language»
lorence had already consecrated primacy of the Florentine vernacular: with the intention of «conserving» it, it
Fits literary and linguistic glory the Accademia della Crusca is born. The would have evaluated the terms mainly
to the Three Crowns when, always choice of the name, which now obtained according to the use and the etymologies.
invincibly attracted by classicism, it a metaphorical productive field, was a From this moment on the life of the
began, however, to intoxicate the fervor winning one: “almost to say that the Academy will be inextricably linked
of vulgar Humanism. The sixteenth Academy had to make a choice between to the evolution of his major work, the
century was the cradle of reactionary the good and the bad”. It was decided Vocabulary, whose editions and reprints
spirits who, to respond to the pedantry that everything related to the Academy, followed the numerous historical and
of the Florentine Academy and to the its components, its activities, objects and cultural events that struck Italy in the
doctrinal classicism that seemed to hold in furniture, would have to acquire a name centuries to come. The authority that
hand the academic circles, began to meet pertaining to wheat, flour, bran, in fact. this institution can boast, nationally and
in convivial convoys, whose meetings For this reason, in 1590 they chose the internationally, now leads to framing
included the declamation of playful verses sieve, otherwise called “frullone”, as a it among the stereotypes of “well-
(the cruscate) and conversations on symbol of the Academy, an instrument spoken” or “well say”, and if by chance a
literary subjects in burlesque style. Anton used to separate the wheat from the flour: scientific discourse like the one emerging
Francesco Grazzini, Giovan Battista nothing more suitable for those who in the last days on intransitive verbs
Deti, Bernardo Canigiani, Bernardo had decided to preserve the purity of the that in use often become transitive was
Zanchini and Bastiano de ‘Rossi were language, and to reiterate it was Petrarca, misrepresented after being badly spent
the five characters of the so-called Brigata “The most beautiful flower it captures”, on the media, then we could console
dei Crusconi who first began to associate elected in the slogan of the Academy. The ourselves with the words of dedication of
the intention of defending the Tuscan Academy respected the aims it had been Bastiano de ‘Rossi addressed to Concino
language to the initial reactionary spirit. given: “to read, compose, make shows”, Concini, which thus indicated the first
From the meetings of October 1583 to and at least until the death of Salviati, edition of the Vocabulary: «creation of
March 25, 1585, the passage is brief: some literary works were published. Its Academy, which has for its purpose the
Leonardo Salviati, admitted into the circle true consecration took place however universal benefit and the glory and the
in 1612, when the Vocabulary of eternity of our language “.
Mediterraneo e dintorni - 31