The concepts of style and concetto in Pallavicino's Tratatto dello stile e del dialogo

Abstract

This paper presents and critically observe the idea of a new style of writing theory and poetry of one of the three most important theorists of the Baroque literature in Italy in the seventeenth century, Pietro Sforza Pallavicino (1607-1667). The works of this writer and the works of his two contemporaries represent the last significant echo of the Italian literature in Europe. We can most vividly see what are the novelties brought by the philosophical and theoretical thought expressed in the Treatise on style and dialogue, as well as the moderate attitude toward the baroque literature and art in general, through the translation of the XVI and XVIII chapters of that work.

Keywords

• Pietro Sforza Pallavicino
• baroque literature
• theoretical thought
• concetto
• discernment
• ingenium