Versi latini e volgari in morte di Orazio Farnese (1553)

In July 1553, Orazio Farnese, the younger brother of Alessandro and Ottavio, died fighting alongside the French army against the Imperial troops of Charles V. In both Italy and France, the tragic event inspired occasional verses aimed at celebrating the duke’s untimely death. This essay surveys and analyzes this dense and partly submerged production, reconstructing the spread of the verses in the weeks following Orazio’s death on the basis of some previously unpublished texts. In some cases, Italian and Latin texts developed related themes and influenced each other. In France, the production was centered in Avignon, but also involved the renowned poets Joachim du Bellay, Michel de L’Hôspital, and Denis Lambin. In Italy, writers connected with the Farnese family, such as Giovanni Della Casa and Annibal Caro, composed verses for the occasion. Its echo even reached a minor centre such as Siena, as evidenced by a Sienese manuscript containing verses written by Bernardo Tasso for the duke. Two writings are of particular interest: an unpublished sonnet attributable to him and one that may refer to the tomb of Orazio Farnese in the French town of Abbeville.