Jacopo Caviceo wrote the best-selling prose romance

Il Peregrino

[1508]. This proto-Romeo-and-Juliet story of the star-crossed lovers Peregrino and Genevera enjoyed great success, as evidenced by twenty-one Italian editions, nine French translations, and three Spanish translations during its first fifty-one years of publication. It “may have been the first novel specially written for women” (Letizia Panizza,

The Cambridge History of Italian Literature

, 159).

Born in Parma in 1443, Caviceo began studying law in Bologna, but due to disciplinary issues he had to leave the university before finishing his degree. In the early 1460s he undertook an ecclesiastical career, although evidence of a true vocation appears lacking. Caviceo seduced nuns under his protection and he gravely wounded a

485 words

Citation: Roush, Sherry. "Jacopo Caviceo". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 18 August 2014 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=13356, accessed 19 March 2024.]

13356 Jacopo Caviceo 1 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

Save this article

If you need to create a new bookshelf to save this article in, please make sure that you are logged in, then go to your 'Account' here

Leave Feedback

The Literary Encyclopedia is a living community of scholars. We welcome comments which will help us improve.