Giovan Vettorio Soderini (1526 in Florence – 3 March 1596 in Volterra) was an Italian agronomist.

Biography

Soderini studied philosophy and law at the University of Bologna. On his return to Tuscany, he spoke openly against the Medici, and even participated in a conspiracy whose aim was to take power from them. Condemned by the

Council of Florence The Council of Florence is the seventeenth ecumenical council recognized by the Catholic Church, held between 1431 and 1449. It was convoked as the Council of Basel by Pope Martin V shortly before his death in February 1431 and took place in ...

to lose his head on the scaffold, he owed his salvation to the generosity of Ferdinando I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, who banished him for life in

Cedri Cedri is a village in Tuscany, central Italy, administratively a frazione of the comune of Peccioli, province of Pisa. At the time of the 2006 parish census its population was 35. Cedri is about 50 km from Pisa Pisa ( , or ) is a city a ...

near Volterra, after which Soderini devoted himself to the study of agriculture. Giovanni belonged to the same family as Piero Soderini who had been exiled by the Medici.

Treaty on the cultivation of the vineyard

His ''Trattato della coltivazione delle viti, e del frutto che se ne puo cavare'' (Treatise on the Cultivation of the Vineyard, and the Fruit That Can Be Obtained) (Florence,

Filippo Giunti The Giunti were a Florentine family of printers. The first Giunti press was established in Venice by Lucantonio Giunti, who began printing under his own name in 1489. The press of his brother Filippo Giunti (1450–1517) in Florence, active fr ...

, 1600), which the academicians of the

Accademia della Crusca The Accademia della Crusca (; "Academy of the Bran"), generally abbreviated as La Crusca, is a Florence-based society of scholars of Italian linguistics and philology. It is one of the most important research institutions of the Italian language ...

have put in the Test ''di conoscenza della lingua italiana'' (Test of knowledge of the Italian language), contains several precepts of viticulture and

oenology Oenology (also enology; ) is the science and study of wine and winemaking. Oenology is distinct from viticulture, which is the science of the growing, cultivation, and harvesting of grapes. The English word oenology derives from the Greek word ' ...

. Soderini gives a major role to astrology, recommending to bring in the harvest when the moon is in a certain sign and in decline, for "if one collects then less wine, at least one is sure of its quality and its conservation". The book is dedicated by the editor Giunti to Florentine poet

Luigi Alamanni Luigi Alamanni (sometimes spelt Alemanni) (6 March 149518 April 1556) was an Italian poet and statesman. He was regarded as a prolific and versatile poet. He was credited with introducing the epigram into Italian poetry. Biography Alamanni was ...

. It appeared for the first time with another treatise on the same subject by Bernardo Davanzati, and the ''Apology of the Melon (Popone)'' by Lionardo Giachini. Soderini's book was reprinted separately by Domenico Maria Manni in 1734, with some biographical information.https://archive.org/details/trattatodellacol00sode
/ref> In 1590, Soderini, under the alias Ciriegiulo, published the first documented mention of the Sangiovese ("blood of Jove") grape, calling it "Sangiogheto", noting that in Tuscany the grape makes very good wine, but if the winemaker is not careful, it risks turning into vinegar.

Other works

* Breve descrizione delie pompa funerale fatua neir esequie del gran ducq Francesco Medici, ibid., 1587 * Trattato d1 agricoltura, ibid., 1811 * Delia coltura degli orti e giardini, ibid, 1814 * Trattato degli alberi, ibid., 1817. The last three treatises have been extracted from the unpublished manuscripts preserved in the Magliabechiana Library in four volumes. For further information see the manual of Manni, and Poggiali: ''Serie de testi di lingua, t. 1, p. 366, and t. 2, p. 72. * "Giovan Vettorio Soderini," in

Louis Gabriel Michaud Louis-Gabriel Michaud (19 January 1773, Castle Richemont – 8 March 1858) was a French writer, historian, printer, and bookseller. He was notable as the compiler of ''Biographie Universelle'' (1811–). Life He became a lieutenant on 15 July ...

, ''Ancient and Modern Universal Biography: Alphabetically by history of public and private life of men with the collaboration of more than 300 French and foreign scholars and litterateurs'', 2nd edition, 1843–1865

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Soderini, Giovan Vettorio 1526 births 1596 deaths 16th-century people of the Republic of Florence Italian agronomists 16th-century Italian writers Renaissance scientists History of wine