Enlightenment and Catholicism in Europe: A Transnational History

Chapter 11: Lodovico Antonio Muratori (1672–1750)

PARt 5 Varieties of Italian Catholic Enlightenment 11 R Lodovico Antonio Mu ra t ori (1672–175 0 ) Enlightenment in a Tridentine Mode PAoLA VISMARA Lodovico Antonio Muratori was one of the most influential cultural figures in Italy in the first half of the eighteenth century. His nephew, Gianfrancesco Soli Muratori, wrote a very informative, although celebratory , biography of him. today, after about two and a half centuries , Muratori is still waiting for another biographer. He was an extremely complex character: an active priest, the author of various scholarly works, and in correspondence with many illustrious people. He left a great intellectual heritage, and his thought has been interpreted variously. this chapter will outline in broad terms Muratori’s personality in the context of his time, with a particular emphasis on the so-called Catholic Aufklärung, a version of the Enlightenment that spread in the Habsburg lands and in Italy. two commonly acknowledged features of “Enlightened Catholics” are their desire for a 249 250 Paola Vismara renewal of the church with the help of secular sovereigns in order to take the church back to its roots, and the marginalization of the importance of dogma (Plongeron 1969, 1970; Rosa 1999, 149–84). During the first decades of the eighteenth century, the cultural consequences of the Enlightenment were not completely clear, which is why, for instance, Benedict XIV accepted Voltaire’s dedication of his book Mahomet. At that time, the opposition between the Enlightenment and Catholicism was not yet recognized. Not until the pontificates of Clement XIII and Pius VI did the fundamental tension become obvious. In the course of Muratori’s life, the first signs of the gradual political weakening of Rome appeared, but the Catholic Church continued to be very influential. Despite internal debates in the church, its religious accomplishments according to the ideals of the Council of trent were clearly visible. At the same time, within the church some were attempting to adapt the Catholic doctrine to new sensibilities. to penetrate Muratori’s thought and to evaluate his role, we must study his life and works within the broader context of the Catholic Aufklärung. Intellectual Formation Born in Vignola in 1672 to a family of artisans, Muratori studied at the Jesuit College in Modena, following the traditional cursus studiorum, which included classes in grammar, the humanities, and philosophy. He graduated in philosophy and, a few years later, canon and secular law. there is rich information on his early years in an autobiographical work written in 1721, a letter to Giovanni Artico, Count of Porcia, entitled On the Method I Followed in My Studies (Intorno al metodo seguito nei miei studi; Battistini 1994). the Count of Porcia, who was collecting short autobiographical descriptions of the early life of the most important living Italian men of letters, commissioned him to write it. Muratori wanted his autobiography to be published only after his death; it was eventually published in 1772 because of the premature death of the Count of Porcia. Lodovico Antonio Muratori (1672–1750) 251 Muratori’s connections to literary salons in Modena allowed him to be in touch with the cultural environment of that town and to meet many influential people, including the marquis, Giovan Gioseffo orsi, and the men of letters Carlo Maria Maggi and Francesco de Lemene, both members of the Arcadia (Viola 2009). Muratori soon realized that his ignorance of Greek was a problem for his intellectual formation, and he tried to overcome it. In that period, Italian culture appeared to him less developed than that of the rest of Europe. During those years, Muratori was a pupil of Benedetto Bacchini (1651–1721) (Momigliano 1963; Golinelli 2003), who strongly influenced him. Bacchini inspired in him an interest in sacred erudition (origins of Christianity and ecclesiastical history) and the desire to create an encyclopedia of knowledge that could combine French erudition (Maurists), German culture (Leibniz), and the scientific Italian tradition (from Galilei to Malpighi) (Raimondi 1989). this is very important for understanding the evolution of Muratori’s thought and the origin of his peculiar attitudes, namely, his emphasis on logic, on the vital need for research, on the sound use of reason, and on the ethical and civic responsibilities of men of letters (Cottignoli 1994). thanks to Bacchini, Muratori deepened his skills in philology and ecclesiastical history. During his years spent at the Biblioteca Ambrosiana in Milan (1695–1700) as a dottore—a scholar...