Italian Enlightenment

The Italian Enlightenment (Italian: l'Illuminismo italiano) was an important time for ideas and culture in the part of the world that is now Italy. It happened during the second half of the 1700s and was part of the broader Enlightenment, a big movement that spread across Europe. During this time, many smart people talked about big questions about how we know things, what is right or wrong, and how countries should be run. Their ideas helped shape the way people thought for many years to come.

This movement brought new ways of thinking to Italy. People began to question old traditions and look for answers using reason and science. They talked about epistemological questions, which are about how we learn and understand the world. They also discussed ethical ideas, thinking about what is good and fair. And they looked at political issues, wondering how governments could better serve their people.

History

In Italy, many smart thinkers helped start the ideas of the Enlightenment, even before it became big. One important thinker was Giambattista Vico from Naples. He inspired many later thinkers, even though his ideas were different in some ways.

The Enlightenment grew most in Naples and Milan. In Naples, thinkers like Antonio Genovesi, Ferdinando Galiani, and Gaetano Filangieri worked under a kind king, Charles VII. But their ideas stayed mostly in discussions. In Milan, thinkers tried to solve real problems. They talked a lot in a magazine called Il Caffè, started in 1762 by the Verri brothers, Pietro and Alessandro Verri. They even created a group called the Accademia dei Pugni in 1761.

Neapolitan Enlightenment

The Italian Enlightenment was very strong in Naples, which was the capital of the Kingdom of Naples at that time. Naples, along with Paris, was a key place for new ideas during this "century of enlightenment." The city didn't just follow these ideas — it helped create them, leading to new styles of buildings, fresh thoughts in philosophy, and the start of modern economy and law. Naples had already been important during the Renaissance for its natural way of thinking, and now it helped shape the ideas of many important people.

Big public buildings were built, like the Real Albergo dei Poveri, designed by an architect in 1751 for Charles VII. It was one of the most impressive buildings of the time, stretching 354 meters long. The leaders in Naples also stood up against old, unfair rules, and their ideas influenced other places too. Important thinkers such as Antonio Genovesi started new ways of thinking about money and trade, and others like Ferdinando Galiani and Gaetano Filangeri helped shape ideas that would later influence the French Revolution.

Lombard Enlightenment

The Enlightenment in Lombardy began at the Accademia dei Trasformati, founded in (/wiki/1743). This academy, mostly made up of noble people, discussed new ideas while trying to blend them with older traditions.

Among the members was Pietro Verri, who later left to start the Accademia dei Pugni with his brother Alessandro in (/wiki/1761). The name came from their lively debates. Linked to this academy was the magazine Il Caffè, which shared Enlightenment ideas inspired by early modern newspapers.

Another famous thinker from this group was Cesare Beccaria. His most well-known work, Dei delitti e delle pene, suggested ending harsh punishments like torture and the death penalty. This book was admired by many and influenced leaders in places like Russia and Austria.

The Enlightenment also inspired new art and poetry. Giuseppe Parini wrote poems criticizing noble privileges, and playwrights like Vittorio Alfieri and Carlo Goldoni brought fresh ideas to the stage.

Other important figures from Milan included Paolo Frisi, Ruggero Boscovich, and Gian Rinaldo Carli, all of whom contributed to Il Caffè. In the Duchy of Milan, leaders like Empress Maria Theresa and her son Giuseppe II supported Enlightenment ideas. They improved the University of Pavia, bringing in famous teachers and updating buildings and labs. In 1777, Maria Pellegrina Amoretti became the first woman in Italy to earn a law degree from this university.

List of Italian enlighteners

Here are some important thinkers from the Italian Enlightenment:

• Vittorio Alfieri
• Francesco Algarotti
• Sallustio Bandini
• Giuseppa Eleonora Barbapiccola
• Giuseppe Baretti
• Cesare Beccaria
• Giambattista Vico
• Ludovico Antonio Muratori
• Gian Rinaldo Carli
• Melchiorre Cesarotti
• Ferrante de Gemmis
• Carlo Denina
• Gaetano Filangieri
• Antonio Genovesi
• Ferdinando Galiani
• Pietro Giannone
• Carlo Goldoni
• Gaspare Gozzi
• Giuseppe Parini
• Mario Pagano
• Giuseppe Palmieri
• Alberto Radicati
• Alessandro Verri
• Pietro Verri
• Antonio Zanon
• Francesco Saverio Salfi
• Alessandro Volta
• Lazzaro Spallanzani
• Ruggero Giuseppe Boscovich
• Domenico Cirillo
• Giuseppe Maria Galanti