Book contents
- Family, Vocation, and Humanism in the Italian Renaissance
- Family, Vocation, and Humanism in the Italian Renaissance
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Preface
- Chapter 1 Introduction
- Chapter 2 Petrarch’s Father, Brother, Son, and the Literary Life
- Chapter 3 Boccaccio and Narratives of Filial Freedom
- Chapter 4 Giovanni Conversini’s Search for Vocation
- Chapter 5 Leon Battista Alberti and the Merchant Family
- Chapter 6 Conclusion
- Bibliography
- Index
Chapter 4 - Giovanni Conversini’s Search for Vocation
Between Natal and Conjugal Family
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 18 December 2025
Book contents
- Family, Vocation, and Humanism in the Italian Renaissance
- Family, Vocation, and Humanism in the Italian Renaissance
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Preface
- Chapter 1 Introduction
- Chapter 2 Petrarch’s Father, Brother, Son, and the Literary Life
- Chapter 3 Boccaccio and Narratives of Filial Freedom
- Chapter 4 Giovanni Conversini’s Search for Vocation
- Chapter 5 Leon Battista Alberti and the Merchant Family
- Chapter 6 Conclusion
- Bibliography
- Index
Summary
This chapter examines the vocational odyssey of the second-generation humanist Giovanni Conversini, as he attempts to match his father’s lofty social status in his pursuit of a literary and teaching career. It focuses on his autobiographical account of his numerous occupations and two marriages (Rationarium vite); his attempt to gain an appointment with his uncle, a cardinal in the Papal Court (Dialogue Between Giovanni and a Letter); his experience in the Paduan court (De primo eius introitus ad aulam); and his major theoretical statement on life choice (Dragmalogia de eligibili vite genere).
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- Family, Vocation, and Humanism in the Italian Renaissance , pp. 113 - 147Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2026
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