The Lark

Dovizi, Bernardo,‏ da Bibbiena, 1470-1520Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.4

Word count: 133K words
Chapters: 14

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.La Calandria by Bernardo,‏ da Bibbiena DoviziAuthor: Dovizi, Bernardo,‏ da Bibbiena, 1470-1520,Language: Italian, Class: PQ: Language and Literatures: Romance literatures: French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Release Date: Dec 13, 2010

Editor's review

La Calandria is a major comedy of the Italian Renaissance. Its author, Bernardo Dovizi da Bibbiena, was both a man of letters and a figure in the papal court, and this dual identity gives the play, beyond its farcical plot, an observation of the social customs of the time. The script advances through misunderstandings, disguises, and mistaken identity; its language is lively and its scenes strongly theatrical. It is a suitable sample for understanding how early sixteenth-century Italian comedy absorbed classical models and turned toward local tastes. This Project Gutenberg edition preserves the original Italian text; of moderate length, it is suitable as close-reading material for courses in theater history, and also for readers interested in Renaissance stagecraft to feel the comic rhythm of the period. Readers should note its historical context: some jokes and gender assumptions carry obvious period limitations and are best viewed historically rather than judged directly by contemporary standards. Overall, it is better suited as a research or course supplementary text than as light reading for modern entertainment.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Students of Italian literature and theater history who need to read Renaissance comic texts closely
University teachers and students studying the reception history of classical comedy, with attention to plot structure and local adaptation
Readers able to read the original Italian and interested in sixteenth-century stage language
Theater creators seeking to draw on traditional comic devices such as misunderstanding and mistaken identity

Not a good fit for

General readers who want only a Chinese translation or a bilingual edition; the original-language barrier is high
Casual readers expecting modern pacing and contemporary values
Readers with little interest in Renaissance social context who merely want easy laughs

Reading tips

Read the plot summary and character list first, sort out the mistaken-identity relationships, then move into the original dialogue
Read aloud by act or try role-reading to experience the comic rhythm and sense of staging
Mark passages involving period social customs and understand them with background materials on Renaissance comedy
After reading, compare with classical comic models and consider how the author turned foreign forms into local taste

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this play suitable for readers without a background in theater history?

It can be attempted, but readers are advised first to learn the basic features of Renaissance comedy, such as misunderstanding plots, disguise, and improvisational traditions; otherwise they may see only lively action and miss its formal significance. Course guidance or annotations will make it smoother.

Do the jokes seem dated today?

Some jokes about gender and identity do carry sixteenth-century limitations. It is best to read them in historical context and observe how the author used comedy to reflect the social ideas of the time, rather than judging them directly by contemporary standards.

Is the Gutenberg edition suitable for academic citation?

It can be used for textual leads, but academic citation should verify the specific act and lines and note the electronic source. For research on textual versions, consult critical editions or authoritative collected dramas rather than relying on a single electronic text.

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About the author

Dovizi, Bernardo,‏ da Bibbiena, 1470-1520 Author · Italian · 1470–1520

Bernardo Dovizi da Bibbiena (1470–1520) was an Italian cardinal and playwright, best known for his comedy La Calandria. Publicly available information about his life and writing is limited, and only one of his works is held in this collection. Existing sources show that he combined ecclesiastical office with literary activity and is remembered as a dramatist. His comedy La Calandria is regarded as a representative work of Renaissance comedy, reflecting the typical interests of Italian comedy in subject matter and writing during the period, as well as the connection between Renaissance drama and humanist culture. Because the materials are limited, his style and influence cannot be discussed in detail here; readers may approach him through the subject matter and historical context of this work.