ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the Accademia degli Invaghiti’s history, symbology, and activities, as well as its place within the history of the Italian academies of the early modern era, in particular as champions of the moralistic traditionalism that was being challenged by cynicism and comparatively immoral philosophies that had found a home in other academies. This discussion begins with the Invaghiti’s philosophical and artistic foundations, including the idealization of Neoplatonic love and beauty; the “ideal Courtier” as described by Baldassare Castiglione in the famous Libro del cortegiano; and the promotion of scholarly discourse in the vernacular, including the promotion and emulation of the Petrarchan style. The chapter closes with a consideration of the relationship between the academy and its titular sponsor, the Gonzaga, especially after rule of the duchy passed from Duke Guglielmo to Duke Vincenzo in 1587, with a focus on the latter’s embrace of modern artistic styles, many of which were associated with the challenges to moral traditionalism.
