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| Gaius Cilnius Maecenas and the "Gens Cilnia" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Once upon a time, during the Roman Empire, there was a knight who was also a fine man of letters. He was of noble Etruscan descent and he decided to serve his Emperor. Villa Cilnia at the Bagnoro d'Arezzo has been built up exactly on the foundations of the ancient Gens Cilnia's home. |
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| At the very beginning, he supported Octavian Augustus; then became a minister of his Empire: he was the Emperor's most reliable adviser and his worthiest substitute whenever Octavian Augustus happened to be far from Rome. One day, Maecenas decided to devote himself to something so important that Octavian Augustus' fame and prestige would have consequently reached the top all over the world: so he started to support the most remarkable cultural masterpieces. He selected the most gifted among the young artists, introduced them to the Emperor and supported their best works. Among his favourites, there were also two young and talented Latin poets: Horace and Virgil... | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Quid
faciat laetas segetes, quo sidere terram
uertere, Maecenas, ulmisque adiungere uitis conueniat, quae cura boum, qui cultus habendo sit pecori, apibus quanta experientia parcis, hinc canere incipiam... |
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The noble knight and "talent scout", who dwelt in this district was the famous Gaius Cilnius Maecenas, the world's most celebrated name. A name that became - across the centuries - a synonym with "patron of arts". Thanks to Maecenas' cultural achievements, Octavian Augustus is still remembered for his magnanimity and liberality. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| The
text "Quid faciat laetas segetes…" is the beginning of the First Book of the Georgics, an agrestic poem, written in hexameter by Virgil between 37 b.C. and 29 b.C. on request of Maecenas himself. The whole work is divided into four Books: the first deals with the tillage of the soil, the second with wine and olive growing; the third with cattle-breeding, and the fourth with bee-keeping. In the Georgics, as well as in the Bucolics, Virgil exhalted and described an ideal rural life: he suggested the reader to enjoy the peacefulness of nature that he considered the soul's perfect solace. Virgil dedicated the following verses to his mentor, Maecenas: "How to fertilize the fields, / when to plough, / Maecenas, or to put together the vines and the elms, / how to look after the oxen and breed / the cattle, / how much time to spend with the frugal bees, / from here I'll began my poem…". On the right: Virgil describes the bees' life (Miniature - XVth Century - Digion, Bibliothéque Municipale). |
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