Sordello

This article is about the 13th-century Italian troubador. For the narrative poem by Robert Browning, seeSordello (poem).

"Sordell" redirects here. For the retired footballer, seeMarvin Sordell.

Sordello from a 13th-century manuscript

Sordello da GoitoorSordel de Goit(sometimesSordell) was a 13th-centuryItaliantroubadour.His life and work have inspired several authors includingDante Alighieri,Robert Browning,andSamuel Beckett.

Life

Sordello was born in the municipality ofGoitoin the province ofMantua.About 1220 he was in a tavern brawl inFlorence;and in 1226, while at the court ofRichard of BonifazioinVerona,he abducted his master's wife,Cunizza,at the instigation of her brother,Ezzelino III da Romano.The scandal resulted in his flight (1229) toProvence,where he seems to have remained for some time. He entered the service ofCharles of Anjou,and probably accompanied him (1265) on hisNaplesexpedition; in 1266 he was a prisoner in Naples. The last documentary mention of him is in 1269, and he is supposed to have died in Provence. His appearance inDante Alighieri'sDivine Comedyamong the spirits of those who, though redeemed, were prevented from making a final confession and reconciliation by sudden death, suggests that he was murdered, although this may be Dante's own conjecture.

Works

So far as we have authentic facts about his life, Sordello was the most famous of the Italian troubadours. Hisdidactic poemL’ensenhamen d’onor,and his love songs and satirical pieces have little in common with Dante's presentation, but the invective against negligent princes which Dante puts into his mouth in the 7th canto of thePurgatoriois more adequately paralleled in hissirventes-planh(1237) on the death of his patronBlacatz,where he invites the princes ofChristendomto feed on the heart of the hero.

Dante and Virgil encounter Sordello in purgatory, part of theMonumento a Dante a TrentobyCesare Zocchi(1896).

Legacy and reception

Medieval literature

Sordello was praised byDantearound 1305 in his treatiseDe vulgari eloquentia.He also appears as a character in theDivine Comedy,composed between 1308 and 1321, where he is featured in cantos 6, 7, and 8 ofPurgatorio.The pilgrim meets Sordello among the souls who repented late in life or were violently murdered in Ante-Purgatory, which suggests that Dante thought that Sordello was murdered. When first approached by Dante andVirgilinPurgatorio6, Sordello is clearly distinguished from other souls and stays silent. Sordello's first appearance is comparable to a lion eyeing the approaching travelers attentively.It is only when Virgil begs him for the best upward path that Sordello engages with the two poets and asks them about their city and life. Once Virgil mentions his city,Mantua,Sordello embraces him and expresses his excitement at hearing the sound of his city. Sordello thus shows that he regards himself as Virgil's neighbor and friend due to their common birthplace, and the love they both share for Mantua is enough to prompt their warm reaction to one another.Sordello continues to walk with the pair for three cantos. Dante uses Sordello's patriotism as a starting point for an aside that presents a breakdown of Italian politics to denounce Italy and its corrupted morals, violence, and lack of effective leadership (Purgatorio6.76-151).In the narrative, Sordello also serves to teach Dante and Virgil about the workings of Ante-Purgatory, and he leads them out of it, until they all reach of the Valley of Rulers.Upon reaching the Valley of Rulers, Sordello points out the notable kings and princes surrounding the trio. Those mentioned areRudolph of Hapsburg,Ottokar II of Bohemia,Philip III the Bold of France,Peter III of Aragon,among others.

Modern and contemporary literature

Sordello is also the hero of the well-known poemSordellobyRobert Browning,published in 1840.He is praised for his passion inOscar Wilde's 1881 poem"Amor Intellectualis".Ezra Poundalso references him inthe Cantos.

Furthermore, Sordello is briefly referred to inSamuel Beckett's 1951 novelsMolloyandMalone Dies.Numerous references to Sordello occur inRoberto Bolaño's 2000 novellaBy Night in Chile,and he is a principal character inRobert Shea's two-volume historical novelThe Saracen,published in 1989.

References

• This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain:Chisholm, Hugh,ed. (1911). "Sordello".Encyclopædia Britannica.Vol. 25 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.Endnotes:
  • For Sordello's life and works, the edition ofCesare de Lollis(Halle, 1896)
  • For Browning's poem see:Brooke, Stopford(1902),Browning
• Duff, David (1906),An exposition of Browning's Sordello with historical and other notes
• Toynbee, Paget (1968),A Dictionary of Proper Names and Notable Matters in the Works of Dante

External links

• Sordello'sComplete worksat trobar.org