Mazzoni, Jacopo

Jacopo Mazzoni was an Italian philosopher, humanist, and astronomer. He held the chair of philosophy in Macerata, Pisa, Rome, Ferrara, and Venice. He is mostly remembered for his defense of Dante Alighieri (Della difesa della Comedia di Dante, Cesena, 1587), which was the occasion to expound his reflection on poetics and aesthetics. Mainly inspired by Aristotle and Plato, his philosophy is motivated by a conciliatory project. He also authored a comparative study on the philosophies of Plato and Aristotle, defending Aristotelian geocentrism (In universam Platonis et Aristotelis philosophiam preludia, Venice, 1597). Upon the publication of this work, he exchanged letters with Galileo Galilei, whom he had met during his appointment in Pisa. Galileo’s letter to Mazzoni of May 30, 1597 represents the earliest attestation of Galileo’s engagement with Copernicanism.