LE LETTERE VOLGARI SUL LIBERO ARBITRIO E LA PREDESTINAZIONE DI GASPARO CONTARINI

The paper examines two letters written in the vernacular by Gasparo Contarini. The topics of these let- ters touched the very heart of the religious debate of the time. The rst letter on free will was sent to Vittoria Colonna on November 13, 1536 and published in Florence in 1558. The second letter on predestination was written on June 12, 1537 to Lattanzio Tolomei and published only in 1961 by Aldo Stella. Contarini’s letters arouse a special interest not only for the standing of the Cardinal, but also because they represent a unique moment of theoretical re ection des- tined to change the spiritual career of the author and the philosophical and religious debate, which animated that preparatory years to the Colloquy of Ratisbon.