«Picenus hospes». Scipione Gentili interprete europeo della «Gerusalemme liberata»

This study aims to shed light on a very important example of Italian culture promoted by religious refugees at the Elizabethan court. I focus on the youthful years of Scipione Gentili (1563-1616), the younger brother of the most famous Alberico (1552-1608). Like Alberico, also Scipione, after escaping from his native San Ginesio (near Macerata), fleeing the Inquisition, sought to impose himself at the Elizabethan court. But contrary to Alberico, who suc¬cessfully focused on his legal career, Scipione (also a future law professor, in Germany) tried a parallel literary career, publishing in London two series of Latin hexameter translations of David’s Psalms (1581 and 1584) and, likewise in hexameters, a partial Latin translation of Tasso’s Gerusalemme liberata (books I-II and a IV book fragment, 1584). I try to analyse, in particular, the reasons and the ambitions that led Scipione, as Neo-Latin poet, to translate Tasso’s epic poem so early (Liberata first appeared in 1581) and even to become, shortly afterwards (1586), author of the first humanist commentary to the same epic poem.