CAVALCA, DOMENICO. - Born at Vicopisano between 1260 and 1270 into a family of notaries. It is not known precisely what his early education was. It is certain, however, that after his first literary studies he entered the Dominicans of the convent of S. Caterina in Pisa at the age of sixteen, at a time when the convent was at its greatest splendor. In the Dominican studium C. learned philosophy and theology and was able to complete his literary culture.
He spent the greatest part of his life in Pisa, and the chronicle of the convent tells us that he was rightly reputed a saint because he always practiced the Rule in exemplary fashion. Around 1300 he was counselor to the vicar Bonagionta of Pisa and, in the same year, was appointed confessor of the Ladies of the Misericordia, a distinguished institute of the city. In 1342 he provided for the foundation of the convent of S. Marta so that converted prostitutes might be gathered there, and he entrusted it to the Dominican nuns.
The sick of the hospitals had him as their material and spiritual guardian: they named him Dominic the hospitaler.
C.'s literary activity did not arouse much interest during his lifetime. The many pages he wrote or dictated remained almost unknown for a long time. An intelligent and expressive writer, of a wholly particular vividness, he is to be considered among the most effective prose writers of the fourteenth century. Discussions and polemics arose around his work. Franceschini maintained that C. had translated into the vernacular the works of the blessed Simone Fidati da Cascia. Mattioli, on the other hand, attributed C.'s controversial works to fra' Giovanni da Salerno. Significant is the critical study of C. Naselli, who vindicates C.'s works. He translated from Latin the Lives of the Holy Fathers, the Dialogue of St. Gregory, the Acts of the Apostles, and the Epistle of St. Jerome to Eustochium.
His original works are: Trattato della pazienza o medicina del cuore; Specchio della croce; Specchio dei peccati; Pungilingua; Frutti della lingua; Trenta stoltizia; Disciplina degli spirituali; Esposizione del simbolo degli Apostoli. An excellent edition of many of these works is due to mons. Giovanni Bottari, published between 1738 and 1764.
The chronicle of the convent of S. Caterina in Pisa (Archivio storico Italiano, vol. VI [1845, II], pp. 508-509) says that C. fell asleep in peace in Nov. 1342 and that the whole citizenry, especially the poor and the afflicted, took part in his funeral.
Bibliography13 works
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