DOLCE, LUDOVICO. - Born in Venice in 1508 and died there in 1569, he was a versatile writer with varied interests, even if not profound; he wrote comedies, among which Il Ragazzo and La Fabrizia are worthy of note, and tragedies; he translated and commented on Greek and Latin works, and wrote works of a historical, linguistic and pedagogical character. He was interested in pedagogy above all in the works: Dialogo della istituzione delle donne (Venice 1545), Quattro libri delle osservazioni (ibid. 1562), and Dialogo del metodo di conservare la salute (ibid. 1562).
Without tracing a true system, D., drawing extensively on the classics and the Fathers of the Church, wants an education of girls that is first of all Christian; which does not, however, prevent them from also approaching the classics (especially Plato and Seneca), as well as the Christian authors (Prosper, Prudentius, Paulinus), and the vernacular authors (Boccaccio, Bembo, Sannazzaro, Castiglione).
In his Christian conception D. recognizes in Christ alone the merciful intercessor and in the Bible alone the sole source of the soul's salvation. The rite, the ceremonies of worship he wants brought back to the source of the spirit. This has rightly suggested an evangelical-Protestant vision of D., even though in reality he had no contact with the Lutheran heresy. In his plan for the education of girls D. is inspired by Aristotle and follows, in general, his maxims and counsels: he wants above all that the family be founded on a good moral constitution; that every precaution be used in contracting marriages; that the mother nurse her offspring or, if she must resort to a wet nurse, that the latter be chosen with the greatest care.
Moreover, since woman's destination is different from man's, her culture must be different: educated for family life, woman must be sober and modest, and prefer the company of women to that of men. Her instruction must be on the one hand intellectual, religious and moral, on the other practical: spinning, weaving, sewing, knowing how to cook, being, in other words, a good housewife.
Dancing and singing are ornaments of woman but must be used with moderation, at the right time and place. In the plan for the education of the girl there is lacking an adequate teaching of the sciences and of mathematics, a defect that, it may be said, was, save for some exception, in the tradition of the humanistic school.
Bibliography5 works
Nino Sammartano