Vitsentzos Kornaros
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Vitsentzos or Vikentios Kornaros (Greek: Βιτσέντζος or Βικέντιος Κορνάρος) or Vincenzo Cornaro (March 29, 1553 – 1613/1614) was a Cretan poet of the Greek Renaissance who wrote the romantic epic poem Erotokritos. He was a leading figure of the Cretan Renaissance.
Not many biographical sources exist about Kornaros himself apart from the last verses of Erotokritos. It is believed that he was born to a wealthy family in Trapezonda near Sitia, in 1553, and lived there roughly up to 1590. He then moved to Candia (present Iraklion), where his marriage to Marietta Zeno took place. Together they had two daughters named Helen and Katerina.
In 1591 Kornaros became an administrator, and during the outbreak of plague from 1591 to 1593 he worked as a sanitary supervisor. He showed interest in literature and was a member of a literary group called Accademia degli Stravaganti (Academy of Strange, which was founded by his brother and fellow writer Andreas Kornaros.
He died in Candia, in 1613 (or 1614), and was buried at the church of San Francesco. The cause of his death remains unknown.
Alternate spellings of his first name include Vicenzo and Vitzentzos.
Kornaros' "Erotokritos" was a source of inspiration for Dionysios Solomos and influenced Greek poets such as Kostis Palamas, Krystallis and Seferis.
There is also a ferryboat called after his name, connecting the Greek islands Kythera and Antikythera with Crete, the Peloponnese and Piraeus.
[edit] References (in el)
- D. Holton, Λογοτεχνία και κοινωνία στην Κρήτη της Αναγέννησης "Literature and society in Renaissance Crete", p. 369
- L. Politis, Ιστορία της Νεοελληνικής λογοτεχνίας "History of modern Greek literature", ed. Μ.Ι.Ε.Τ. (National Bank of Greece Cultural Foundation), Athens 1978, p. 78
- K. Th. Dimaras, Ιστορία της νεοελληνικής λογοτεχνίας "History of modern Greek literature", ed. Ίκαρος, Athens 1975 (6η έκδοση), p. 81
- St. Alexiou, «Εισαγωγή» "Introduction" of Βιτσέντζος Κορνάρος, Ερωτόκριτος, ed. Ερμής, Athens 1995, p. ιστ΄-ιζ΄
[edit] External links
- The Cretan school of literature (in Greek)
- Erotokritos (Greek Wikisource)
