1455: Panormita, Piccolomini and the Crusade never realised by the Magnanimous

Abstract

It is August 26, 1455: in Naples, Alfonso the Magnanimous has just delivered a solemn oration before the barons of his Kingdom. With great emphasis, he has announced his intention to undertake a Crusade to liberate Constantinople, which had fallen into the hands of Mehmed II two years earlier: an endeavour the entire world had long been awaiting. The orchestration of this moment was masterfully crafted by the Panormita, one of the greatest Humanists of his time and the brilliant architect of Alfonso’s “monarchical” ideology. It was undoubtedly he who composed the speech for Alfonso, so much so that he later included it at the conclusion of his Dicta aut facta Alfonsi regis, presenting it as the king’s solemn dicterium. Immediately thereafter, he published his work, almost as though it were an early example of an “instant book”. That work enjoyed immense circulation and had an extraordinary impact. Enea Silvio Piccolomini immediately recognized its significance, and composed a Commentary, appreciating not only its literary merit but also its political resonance. His particular intent was to urge Alfonso to fulfil his Crusading vow – a campaign that, in fact, would never be realized – envisioning for him a triumph even greater than the one he had celebrated in classical fashion in 1443: a Triumph to be held in Saint Peter’s itself, in the wake of victory over the Turk.