Francesco Scipione, marchese di Maffei

The recorded working language is Italian. Works named in the authority record are The Ceremonies or Le Cerimonie (comedy), Dissertazione del Marchese Scipione Maffei sopra alcuni frammenti di S. Atanasio ritrovati a Verona, Traduttori italiani, o sia, Notizia de' volgarizzamenti d'antichi scrittori latini e greci, che sono in luce and Istoria diplomatica (History of Diplomatics). Distinctions recorded are Fellow of the Royal Society.

• Name — Francesco Scipione Maffei • Born — 1 June 1675 • Birthplace — Verona, Republic of Venice, now Italy • Died — 11 February 1755 • Place of death — Verona, Republic of Venice, now Italy • Occupation — Dramatist, Archaeologist, Soldier

Maffei was of the illustrious family that originated in Bologna; his brother was General Alessandro Maffei, whose memoirs he edited and published. He studied for five years in Parma, at the Jesuit College, and afterwards, from 1698, at Rome, where he became a member of the Accademia degli Arcadi; on his return to Verona he established a local Arcadia. In 1703, he volunteered to fight for Bavaria in the War of Spanish Succession, and saw action in 1704 at the Battle of Schellenberg, near Donauwörth. His brother, Alessandro, was second in command at the battle. In 1709, he went to Padua, where he briefly collaborated with Apostolo Zeno and Antonio Valisnieri in editing the ambitious literary periodical the Giornale de' Letterati d'Italia, which had but a short career.

Subsequently, an acquaintance with the actor Riccoboni led him to exert himself for the improvement of dramatic art in Italy and a revitalized Italian theatre. His masterpiece, the tragedy Merope, 1714, brought him popularity in Europe; it was famed for its rapid action and the elimination of the prologue and chorus. Other works for the theatre include Teatro Italiano, a small collection of works for presentation on the stage, in 1723–1725; and Le Ceremonie, an original comedy, in 1728. A complete edition of his works appeared at Venice (28 vols. 8vo in 1790).

He also worked under the names Orillo Brenteatico and Desiderato Pindemonte. The authorities additionally record the headings Scipione Maffei and Francesco Scipione Maffei. His recorded language was Italian.

He belonged to Royal Society, Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres, Royal Prussian Academy of Sciences, Arcadian Academy and Accademia della Crusca.

Works recorded as notable number 4: The Ceremonies or Le Cerimonie (comedy), Dissertazione del Marchese Scipione Maffei sopra alcuni frammenti di S. Atanasio ritrovati a Verona, Traduttori italiani, o sia, Notizia de' volgarizzamenti d'antichi scrittori latini e greci, che sono in luce and Istoria diplomatica (History of Diplomatics).

• Illustration — Scipione Maffei In 1710, he spent some time studying the manuscripts in the Royal Library at Turin; while there he arranged the collection of objects of art which the late Carlo Emanuele, Duke of Savoy had brought from Rome. From 1718 he became especially interested in the archaeology of his native town, and his investigations resulted in the valuable Verona illustrata (1731–1732). Maffei devoted the years 1732–1736 to travel in France, England, the Netherlands and Germany. In 1732 he went to the south of France for purposes of archaeological research and from there he went to Paris, where he remained four years and was received as member of the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles Lettres. On a visit to London in 1736, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society and received at Oxford University, where he was honoured with a doctoral degree; he returned through Holland and Germany to Verona. He was a friend of Francesco Algarotti, who wrote him many letters. On his return to Verona, he built a museum, which he bequeathed, together with his valuable archaeological and artistic collection, to his native city. He bequeathed his collection of manuscripts to the canons of the cathedral of Verona. In later life he became interested in astronomy and physics, and built an observatory to study the stars.

• Illustration — Della formazione de' fulmini, 1747 • Per la nascita del principe di Piemonte genteliaco (Rome, 1699); *Conclusioni di amore (Verona, 1702); • La prima radunanza della colonia arcadica Veronese (Cervia, 1705); • La scienza cavalleresca (Rome, 1710), a treatise against duelling; • De fabula equestris ordinis Constantiniani (Zurich, 1712; Paris, 1714), written to prove that the orders of knighthood all date only from the Crusades and affording valuable information concerning the aristocracy of the early Middle Ages; * • Dell' antica condizione di Verona (Venice, 1719); • Istoria diplomatica (Mantua, 1727), publishing original documents; • Teatro del Marchese Maffei (Venice, 1730), his collected works for the theater, including La Merope, La Ceremonie, La Fida Ninfa; * * • Consiglio politico finora inedito presentato al governo veneto nell'anno 1736 (1736; published in Venice, 1797); • Graecorum siglae lapidariae collectae atque explicatae (Verona, 1746); • Della formazione dei fulmini (Verona, 1747); * • Il Raguet (Verona, 1787), a comedy; * • Supplemento al Tesoro delle Inscrizioni di Muratori (Lucca, 1765); this was published by Donati according to notes collected by Maffei for a complete work on inscriptions * * Besides these original works Maffei also collaborated in editions of the works of St. Hilary (Verona, 1730), St. Jerome (1734), and St. Zeno (1739).