An Unpublished Passage and Possible Authorial Versions in Enea Silvio Piccolomini’s Commentary on Panormita’s Dicta aut facta Alfonsi regis

Abstract

On 22th April 1456, Enea Silvio Piccolomini sent a letter from Naples to the Panormita, offering an articulate Commentary on Dicta aut facta Alfonsi regis, which Panormita had previously published shortly after on August 26th of the preceding year. The Commentary not only attests to the rapid reception of Panormita’s work, but also provides significant testimony regarding the expectations of the Crusade, which was promised by Alfonso the Magnanimous but ultimately remained unfulfilled. This paper presents a critical analysis of an unpublished passage from Piccolomini’s Commentary, presumably censored by the author himself, which showcases the thorough revision efforts he dedicated to his work: a work brief in length yet clearly not a mere occasional undertaking.