Marco Vida Italian humanist, poet; Bishop of Alba (from 1532). Date of Birth: 01.01.1490 Country: Italy

Content:

1. Marco Girolamo Vida
2. Humanist in Rome
3. Early Literary Works
4. "Christias" and "Ars Poetica"
5. "Dialogi de Dignitate Reipublicae"
6. "Scacchia Ludus" (The Game of Chess)
7. Influence on Chess Terminology
8. Later Years and Legacy

Marco Girolamo Vida

Early Life and Education

Marco Girolamo Vida was an Italian poet who was born into a noble but impoverished family in Cremona. He received a humanistic education in Cremona and Mantua. In 1505, he was ordained as a priest.

Humanist in Rome

In 1510, Vida moved to Rome, where he enjoyed the patronage of Popes Leo X and Clement VII. He participated in the Council of Trent starting in 1545.

Early Literary Works

Before moving to Rome, Vida had already written Latin poems, including "De bombyce" (On the Silkworm) and "Scacchia ludus" (The Game of Chess, 1513). He also wrote eclogues and hymns.

"Christias" and "Ars Poetica"

At the request of the Pope, Vida began working on "Christias" in 1518, a Virgilian epic poem in hexameters about the life of Christ. Published in 1535, "Christias" influenced later poets such as Torquato Tasso. In 1517, Vida began writing "Ars poetica" (The Art of Poetry), a treatise on poetic form inspired by Horace's "Ars Poetica."

"Dialogi de Dignitate Reipublicae"

In 1556, Vida published "Dialogi de dignitate reipublicae" (Dialogues on the Dignity of the State), a treatise drawing on the works of Cicero and Augustine.

"Scacchia Ludus" (The Game of Chess)

"Scacchia ludus" is a poem that describes a chess match between Apollo and Mercury. It provides a detailed account of the rules of the "new" chess of the time, as well as depicting the players and spectators during the game. The poem became widely popular throughout Europe and was translated into many languages, inspiring other poetic and prose works on the subject of chess.

Influence on Chess Terminology

Some scholars believe that Vida's use of the term "torre" (tower) for the rook in "Scacchia ludus" contributed to its widespread adoption in Western countries.

Later Years and Legacy

In the 1560s, the Polish poet Jan Kochanowski created a variation on Vida's chess poem titled "Szachy" (Chess). Vida was made Bishop of Alba in 1532 and remained in that role until his death.

Religious figure

Gaetano Bisleti	Agapetus I	Ted Haggard
Georg Ganswein	Camille Desmoulins	Aleksey Mechev