Page - 562 - in Jacopo Strada and Cultural Patronage at the Imperial Court - The Antique as Innovation, Volume 2

Chapter 11562 physician Girolamo Donzellini, whose contacts with supposed heretics had forced him to flee Venice in the mid-1550s. At the relatively safe haven of Fer- dinand’s court he was helped by, among many others, Antun Vrančić, and by Strada himself. A few years after his contacts with Castelvetro Strada employed two other famous, learned and noble exiles, the Sienese reformer Mino Celsi and the vagrant prince, Bernardino Bonifacio, Marquis of Oria, in his editions of Serlio’s manuscripts. In his youth Celsi had commissioned Baldassare Peru- zzi to build a villa and a beautiful circular chapel at Sovicille, near his home- town Siena. So he was sufficiently conversant with architectural terminology to edit Serlio’s Italian of the Settimo Libro. The prodigiously learned Bonifacio [Fig. 11.19] likewise had some architectural experience as the patron of the re- structuring of the castle and fortress of Francavilla Fontana (1547), his princi- pal residence before his flight from Italy; he provided the Latin translation of Serlio’s text.31 Such services were doubtless rendered not only out of mutual sympathy, but also because—apart from a possible financial remuneration— Strada had offered help, advice or hospitality, and had used his own formal and informal contacts on behalf of such friends. Strada’s circle was not limited to his compatriots. Thus he had contact and employed scholars elsewhere, such as the Italians Fulvio Orsini and Aldo Manuzio the Younger, the Swiss Henricus Glareanus, and the French François Hotman [Fig. 11.29], all humanists who contributed to Strada’s edition of Cae- sar’s Commentaries.32 In the summer of 1578 he wrote a letter to the famous Flemish botanist Rembertus Dodonaeus, who had been appointed Imperial physician at the end of 1574, but had recently returned to the Netherlands [Fig.  11.21]. Earlier he had advised Strada to contact the Antwerp printer Chris- tophe Plantin, whom he thought might be persuaded to print some of Strada’s projected publications, and he was willing to serve as an intermediary. Strada took him up on this offer, and his letter, though addressed to Dodonaeus, was really directed at Plantin [Fig. 11.23].33 Dodonaeus’ offer was made after in- specting or even studying the materials relating to Strada’s projects in his Mu- saeum. Another Netherlandish friend was the Imperial librarian, the Dutch- man Hugo Blotius, who had been appointed early in 1575, and had briefly visited Vienna some years previously: Strada trusted him sufficiently to serve as reference for Plantin as to the quality of the books Strada proposed to have 31 On Celsi: Bietenholz 1979; on Bonifacio and his incredible travelling library, see Caccamo 1970; Welti 1970; Welti 1976; Welti 1983; Welti 1985(a). 32 Below, Ch. 14.5.3. 33 Doc. 1578-08-13. It was Plantin, rather than Dodonaeus who answered him (Doc. 1578-10- 10); on Strada’s publishing projects, see below, Ch. 14.