NIFO, AGOSTINO. – Philosopher, born at Sessa (Salerno) in 1469–70 (hence he is often simply called Suessanus), died between 1539 and 1546.
He was a pupil of Nicoletto Vernia at Padua around 1490; he then became Pomponazzi’s competitor and, in 1496, his successor in the chair of natural philosophy. After Pomponazzi’s return, he left Padua and, having returned to his homeland, taught at Salerno and Naples. At Padua, in his early years, he had professed the moderate Averroism of Sigieri. Later he turned to Thomism. In 1518 he wrote De immortalitate animae against Pomponazzi, dedicating it to Leone X, from whom he obtained the title of palatine count, together with the privilege of bearing the name and arms of the Medici (15 June 1520). The previous year he had been appointed professor at Pisa. It was certainly during these years that, having obtained a manuscript of Machiavelli’s Principe, he dared clumsily to plagiarize many pages of it in De regnandi peritia, printed in 1523 and dedicated to Carlo V. From this point onward, N.’s interest in philosophy diminished, overwhelmed by the courtier’s spirit.
(Catholic Encyclopedia Institute)
NIEVO, IPPOLITO – Portrait – Rome.
Biblioteca nazionale V. Emanuele.
(incorrect). On the thought of N., V. Fiorentino, Pietro Pomponazzi, Florence 1868, pp. 35–41, 50–57, 214–41, 263–70; id., Del « Principe » di Machiavelli e di un libro di A. N., in Giorn. napol. di filos. e letter., 1879, pp. 94–114; B. Nardi, Sigieri di Brabante nel pensiero del Rinascimento italiano, Rome 1945 (v. ind. onom). Bruno Nardi