Letters From Rome Arrive: Sanudo Diaries: April 30, 1519

An interesting anecdote can be inserted here. In it Marin Sanudo offers particulars of provenance, the details of the transmission of certain letters and historical papers. For some reason he summarizes the reception of these into the city, for his diary and us.

 Sanudo Diaries: April 30, 1519; (27:223-23) "Summary of letters from ser Marco Antonio Michiel in Rome to don Nicolo Tiepolo, university laureate, dated 17 April 1519.
According to what ser Piero Sumontio [Pietro Summonte] has told me, when he has completed having the works of Pontano copied in fine and elegant form on good paper, he would like to come to Venice to present them to our most illustrious Signoria. This matter was planned by Pontano while he was still alive." [p. 445]

Our Editors explain that the Venetian Marco Antonio Michiel [1484 - 1552] was a patrician art patron living in Rome who sent word back to Venice on antiquities, painting and 'was well known in literary circles in Venice'. Officially ser Michiel was part of Cardinal Francesco Pisani's entourage in Rome for the years 1518-20. Later, this same cardinal would become bishop of Padua, Narbonne and Ostia and commission the Villa Pisani in Montagnana and the altarpiece there by Paolo Veronese. [p. 459]

nedits: Nicolo Tiepolo was the son of a famous family and would go on to be an ambassador, a courtier and writer of letters.

Pietro Summonte was acting, according to our editors as the agent of Pontano and was then living in Rome. Sanudo explains that he wanted to come to visit Venice personally rather than send someone else but was prevented by illness.

Giovanni Pontano [1429 - 1503] was a poet, politician and writer associated with the Aragonese court of King Ferdinand and Alfonso in Naples. The same Alfonso that saw the French march across the Alps to take his kingdom. Our Editors tell us he came to the court in Naples at eighteen. "Pontano's Opera had already been published by Aldo Manuzio in 1505 and by Manuzio and Torresani in 1513." [p. 445]
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notes from 'our editors', pagination and Sanudo Diaries from Venice, Cita Excellentissima, Selection from the Renaissance Diaries of Marin Sanudo translated by Linda L Carroll,  editors: Patricia H LaBalme and Laura Sanguineti White, published by Johns Hopkins University Press, 2008