イギリス人の見たイタリア(16世紀ー19世紀) : 「イタリア論」のためのノート(一)
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概要
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The revival that Italy has recorded in economy, visual arts, etc in recent years is very remarkable. This urged us to make an attempt at reexamining "What is Italy?" and "What is an Italian?" . Indeed, there are a number of methods available to accomplish this attempt, but in carrying out this research work I take up the traditional views and ideas by foreigners of the nation of Italy by tracing in chronological order. In this essay I intend to discuss Italy as Englishmen have seen historically. The fact is that Englishmen began to evaluate Italian culture in what might be called a proper way since the mid-l6th century or about the latter period of Italian Renaissance, as evidenced by william Thomas' The Historie of Italie" , published in 1549. As early as the end of the 15th century Englishmen had been studying 'New Learning' (Umanesimo) at Italian universities, only for the purpose of studying for academic degrees. With Thomas as a forerunner, however, English scholars began to grasp Italy as it really was thrQugh the study of not merely learning but arts, manners and the new way of life on the part of Italian gentlemen--what might be called Italian culture. For three centuries, the 17th, the 18th, and the 19th, an untoled number of Englishmen travelled through Italy, and as years went by, they began to view Italy as they viewed their home country, and as England attained steady prosperity, they grew disposed to treat Italy and Italians with contempt, despising as a state of the past. My essay is intended to make clear the Englishmen's view of Italy by tracing their ideas historically.