Bertolome Zorzi

Bertolome Zorzi [His name also appears as "Bertholome Çorgi" or "Çorzi" in Occitan manuscripts.] ( _la. Bartolomeus Gorgis; fl. 1266–1273 [ [http://www.medieval.org/emfaq/composers/trobador.html Troubadours and Jongleurs] ] ) was a Venetian nobleman, merchant, and troubadour. Like all Lombard troubadours, he composed in the Occitan language. Eighteen of his works survive. [Elliott, 108.]

According to his "vida", while travelling with a large band of merchants to Byzantium, they were captured by the Republic of Genoa, which was then at war with that of Venice, and taken prisoners to Genoa.Egan, 15.] There Zorzi composed many songs from prison and even collaborated on some "tensos" with Bonifaci Calvo, a native Genoese troubadour. In response to a "sirventes" in which Bonifaci blamed the Genoese for allowing the Venetians to gain the upper hand and insult them, Zorzi composed the "sirventes" "Molt me sui fort d'un chant merveillatz" ("I was very much surprised by a song") justifying Venice. The response convinced Bonifaci and the two became friends.Egan, 16.]

Upon the release of the prisoners when Venice and Genoa came to terms of peace (about seven years later), Bertolome returned to Venice and was rewarded by the Doge with the castellanies of Coron and Modon in southwestern Morea. According to his "vida", there he fell in love with a beautiful local noblewoman and spent the rest of his life.

Zorzi wrote a "sestina" entitled "En tal dezir mos cors intra" that alludes to the Perceval of Arthurian legend confessing to his uncle. [Gardner, 445 n1, from Levy, 68.] Zorzi also has been cited as one of several troubadours who protested Alfonso X's refusal to rescue his brother the "infante" Henry from an Italian prison. [Kinkade, 292 n29.] In "Mout fai sobrieira foli", each stanza of Zorzi's ends with a corresponding quotation from Peire Vidal's "Quant hom es en autrui poder", whom he is defending from those who label him a "fool". [Chambers, 138–139, 196.] An example of Zorzi's poetry is below::"Qu'eu ai viscut ses merce,:"Enics, plens d'erranza,:"Ergolhos, de mala fe,:"Ab desmesuranza,:"Falsa contra maint lejal," [Strong, 441, from Levy, no. 5.]

And an example of his metaphor:

Notes

ources

*Archer, Robert. "The Pervasive

*Chambers, Frank M. "An Introduction to Old Provençal Versification". Diane, 1985. ISBN 0 87169 167 1.
*Egan, Margarita (ed. and trans.) "The Vidas of the Troubadours". New York: Garland, 1984. ISBN 0 8240 9437 9.
*Gardner, Edmund G. [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0026-7937%28192510%2920%3A4%3C443%3ATHGIIL%3E2.0.CO%3B2-R "The Holy Graal in Italian Literature."] "The Modern Language Review", Vol. 20, No. 4. (Oct., 1925), pp. 443–453.
*Kinkade, Richard P. [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0038-7134%28199204%2967%3A2%3C284%3AAXC2AT%3E2.0.CO%3B2-1 "Alfonso, X, Cantiga 235, and the Events of 1269–1278."] "Speculum", Vol. 67, No. 2. (Apr., 1992), pp. 284–323.
*Levy, Emil. "Der Troubadour Bertolome Zorzi". Halle: Niemeyer, 1883.
*Elliott, A. M. [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0002-9475%281884%295%3A1%3C107%3ADTBZ%3E2.0.CO%3B2-D Review] of "Der Troubadour Bertolome Zorzi" by Emil Levy. In "The American Journal of Philology", Vol. 5, No. 1. (1884), pp. 107–108.
*Strong, E. B. [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0018-2176%28196910%2937%3A4%3C439%3ATRDPLD%3E2.0.CO%3B2-F "The "Rimado de palacio": López de Ayala's Rimed Confession."] "Hispanic Review", Vol. 37, No. 4. (Oct., 1969), pp. 439–451.