Today we admire the exquisite paintings of Botticelli, filled with symbolism, but we forget that he belonged to the vibrant intellectual circle of Renaissance Florence. Born in Florence in 1444/1445, Alessandro (Sandro) Filippi, known as Sandro Botticelli, initially learned the craft of goldsmithing, and later became drawn to painting during his adolescence. He first joined … Read more
The sphere of music begins in ancient Greece with Pythagoras who, it is said, heard the harmony of sounds in the intervals of the octave, fifth, and fourth when he passed by a blacksmith’s workshop where hammers struck an anvil. This inspired him to discover the connection between vibration, frequency, and pitch. Pythagoras considered the … Read more
The Egyptian god Thoth is depicted in the form of a baboon. The Renaissance is considered the beginning of modern science, science based on the intellectual efforts of man-scientists. Interestingly, and usually not emphasized, it is strongly marked by a published doctrine – hermetism. The doctrine attributed to Hermes Trismegistus, the legendary Egyptian sage, which … Read more
Difficulties in life arise from the easy path of vice, ease in life arises from the difficult path of virtue. Marsilio Ficino writes to Piero del Nero, a man of great brilliance. How much harder it is to advance with the certainty of reason than to wander randomly, to climb than to fall, to try … Read more
The Renaissance is one of the brightest periods in Western history, a transition from the medieval harsh darkness to classical clarity and elegance. In our time, many thinkers contemplate the coming of a new Middle Ages; the thought of the Renaissance clearly indicates how far we are from it. This era of brilliance in the … Read more
Marsilio Ficino sends greetings to his beloved Amerigo Corsini. It is said that Apollo, who is the founder of medicine, created two sons with special qualities, Asclepius and Plato: Asclepius to heal the bodies, and Plato to heal the souls. Physicians who follow Asclepius usually treat physical pain with ointments and salves called sedatives because … Read more
Dear brothers in the pursuit of truth, Bernardo Canigiani, Giovanni Canacci, and Amerigo Corsini, Receive greetings from Marsilio Ficino. When we first started our conversations about hunting, it was good that we immediately gathered hunting dogs and runners. I believe we rightly called philosophers hunters because they always diligently pursue the truth. However, are we … Read more
