Una Lettura Antropologica Degli Studi Geografici

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Una Lettura Antropologica Degli Studi Geografici Walter Venchiarutti Un personaggio complesso Solo considerando la vita e le opere che gli procurarono l’ammirata stima dei contemporanei, la gura di Placido Zurla (17691834) meriterebbe l’onore di un convegno. Una copiosa biograa, scritta a più mani, potrebbe nalmente mettere in doverosa luce, con risultati sorprendenti, i molteplici pregi dei suoi interessi che furono: losoci, teologici, diplomatici, letterari, archeologici, geograco Placido Zurla nelle opere: astronomici e non da ultimo alcuni potrebbero esser deniti antropologici 1. Il seguente intervento è volto ad esaminare due opere composte dal prelato prima il mappamondo di fra Mauro dell’investitura alla carica cardinalizia che gli venne conferita da parte di Pio VII il 10.3.1823. e l’eccellenza della fede cristiana Grazie all’ingegno e all’impegno costante, assunto verso ognuna delle scienze menzionate, l’illustre cremasco seppe raggiungere signicativi traguardi. Una lettura antropologica Agli occhi dei contemporanei il culto della losoa, della poesia e della teologia, degli studi geografici la conoscenza delle lingue (latino, greco ed arabo) 2, l’abilità nella docenza posso- no apparire in sintonia con il rigore imposto dalla veste cardinalizia mentre poco consueta e più curiosa può essere la qualica di “ geografo valentissimo” giustamen- te attribuitagli, nella prima biograa dal Benvenuti 3. La sua deve esser stata una vocazione sentita in quanto da primogenito di una nobile famiglia aveva diritto e competenza su titoli ed eredità dell’intera casata, mentre erano i cadetti ad aver obbligata la scelta della veste talare o della divisa Il minuzioso commento redatto da Placido Zurla nel suo libro militare. dedicato al planisfero quattrocentesco di fra Mauro viene esa- minato mettendo in evidenza i numerosi aspetti antropologici Abbiamo a che fare con un personaggio a tutto tondo, uomo di fede e di scienza, che arricchiscono l’opera geograca. Questa mappa costituirà che ha respirato l’aria dei suoi tempi, ricchi contemporaneamente di innovazione infatti l’indispensabile guida alla scoperta straordinaria delle illuminista e di ritorno alla restaurazione, con conseguente ripristino delle passate Americhe ed alla circumnavigazione dell’Africa. tradizioni. Questa sfaccettata complessità deve averlo avvicinato alla scoperta dei La diusione della fede cattolica è attribuita al geniale segreti del mondo geosico visti alla stregua di una concreta arma per la lotta al ardimento dei navigatori veneti, antesignani delle capacità pregiudizio e quindi una ulteriore possibilità al riavvicinamento della verità che, diplomatiche e commerciali che animano il mondo moderno. per ogni credente, si identica attraverso la gura del divino. Operò al riguardo secondo la concezione cristiana medioevale 4, considerando l’ignoranza fonte di peccato, tenendo lontani i pericoli disseminati lungo le stra- de del sapere, quando queste ultime diventano ni a se stesse, destinate cioè ad essere mezzi per il raggiungimento della ricchezza, della fama e della prosperità personale. 1 È risaputo che si possa aver fatto antropologia prima ancora che questa scienza venisse come tale ucialmente riconosciuta. 2 P. Z, Collezione d’opuscoli scientici e letterari , Firenze 1807. 3 F.S. B, Dizionario Biograco cremasco , Crema 1888, p. 326. 4 G. P, Navigatori italiani nell’oceano fra XIII e XV sec ., in Optima Hereditas, Milano 1992, p.527. 306 I PERSONAGGI INSULA F ULCHERIA 307 Due sembrano essere state le idealità fondamentali che lo traghettarono alle ama- Fra Mauro secondo cui “ Hierusalen è in mezo dela terra abitabile secondo la lati- te carte geograche: tudine de la terra abitabile, benché secondo la longitudine la sia più occidental, ma . la volontà di far conoscere al mondo la gloria di Venezia, che era andata perché la parte ch’è più occidental è più abitata per l’europa perhò l’è in mezo ancora espandendosi nel tempo e nello spazio attraverso l’ingegno dei suoi coraggiosi secondo la longitudine, non considerando el spatio de la terra ma la moltitudine di navigatori; abitanti ”(1011) 5. un comprovato elogio rivolto alla fede cattolica, vista nella funzione salvica Per le rotte marittime, come la favolosa Gerusalemme, dopo il viaggio colombia- e redentrice del genere umano. no la bella città dei dogi non verrà più identicata con il punto centrale e nevral- gico di tutti gli aari mercantili. L’estendersi degli spazi oltre il limite dei quattro Da questi tratti emerge lo spessore di un intellettuale non solo preoccupato nel punti cardinali ssati dalla tradizione avrebbe inevitabilmente portato al confron- far progredire le conoscenze scientiche legate al campo specialistico ma intenzio- to con diverse esperienze siche e culturali. Sarebbe così andata caratterizzandosi nato a conciliare la complementarietà di due visioni della vita. Tali percorsi pur no all’evo moderno una volontà egemone nei riguardi delle culture native che essendo diversi gli erano stati entrambi congeniali: solo recentemente, almeno a parole, l’Europa postmoderna, abbandonate le vel- . sentirsi orgogliosamente suddito veneziano, uomo connaturato ad una cultu- leità colonialiste, sembra essersi scrollata di dosso. ra indipendente e laica che, grazie all’esperienza maturata attraverso i traci, In occasione di una recensione contemporanea allo studio fatto dallo Zurla 6 il aveva saputo conquistare un vasto impero producendo ricchezza economica celebre geografo Zannoni 7 annotava:“ Questo giudizioso Scrittore debbe or compia- e stabilità politica; cersi in veder ciò pienamente eettuato nel bellissimo libro che annunziamo, il quale, . l’aver scelto la vita monacale e poi rivestito l’alta carica cardinalizia, intellet- e accresce assai la celebrità di Fra Mauro, e assai commenda il nome del suo autore. tualmente rispondenti alla sua natura meditativa ed alle indubbie predisposi- Estimator grande il P. Zurla di questa Mappa che onora i Veneziani e l’Istituto, cui zioni diplomatiche. esso appartiene; e fornito altronde di estesissime notizie storiche e geograche unite a penetrare ingegno e ad ottimo criterio vi ha fatta un’illustrazione, che può al certo Data la frequenza con cui si ripetono nei suoi lavori le incessanti ovazioni al genio gareggiare con ogni altra più rinomata di simil sorta. Bello è il vederlo sormontar intraprendente dei Veneti si sarebbe portati a considerare l’avvicinamento allo franco ogni dicoltà, retticare i nomi dei luoghi, correggere la gura, la posizione, studio geograco quasi strumentale rispetto alla volontà identitaria. Con l’analisi che talor variano sulla nostra Mappa: vizj del tempo e non di Fra Mauro, che ogni della scienza dei luoghi non si limita ad indagare supercialmente l’esattezza delle altro cosmografo superò della sua età” 8. rotte e il rispondente posizionamento delle terre, ma sa scegliere, mette a fuoco e commenta con acutezza le osservazioni fatte dai suoi predecessori. Si soerma Il mappamondo di Fra Mauro estendendo la curiosità ai comportamenti umani, alle pratiche strane, vere o pre- La prima importante opera 9 pubblicata dal giovane camaldolese è dedicata ad sunte che distinguono etnie tanto lontane in tempi scevri dall’odierna globaliz- zazione. Sono analisi non ltrate da riscontri diretti, il loro recupero dipende da 5 P. F, Trascrizione integrale delle descrizioni del Mappamondo di Fra Mauro conservato presso supporti cartacei, dalle note informative di manoscritti preesistenti. Infatti i reso- la biblioteca Marciana di Venezia .geoweb.venezia.sbn.it/cms/images/stories/Testi_HSL/FM_iscr. conti delle avventurose spedizioni spesso potevano riportare anche travisamenti, pdf. Fra Mauro’s World Map , Turnhout, Brepols, 2006 (con CDROM contenente la riproduzione frutto di fantasie, dicerie e approssimazione eppure, anche dietro tutto questo, un del mappamondo in alta risoluzione) fondo di verità si cela sempre. 6 G.A. R Z, Il Mappamondo di Fra Mauro Camaldolese descritto e illustrato da P.Zurla dello Le “doviziosissime osservazioni ” zurliane non sono note asettiche, nè si limitano ad stess’ordine Venezia 1806 in 4 di pag. 164 , sta in “ Collezione d’opuscoli scientici e letterari ed estratti d’opere interessanti ” Vol.I, Firenze 1807 (c.157= p.39). esaminare solo gli elementi ambientali, non disdegnano la presenza dell’uomo, 7 Giovanni Antonio Rizzi Zannoni (17361814) è stato considerato il maggior cartografo e geniale soprattutto quando, come spesso accade, si tratta del diverso. Scopriamo allora i geografo italiano dell’età moderna, uno tra i più accreditati d’Europa. Nacque a Padova, iniziò primi approcci di una etnoantropologia che indaga l’evoluzione storica prodotta in Polonia la sua carriera, poi passò in Svezia, Danimarca, Germania e Francia. Tornato in Italia dopo la scoperta dei nuovi mondi. a Napoli rivestì dapprima la carica di “Geografo del Re” poi nel 1807 fu nominato direttore del La rotta verso le Americhe portò inevitabilmente alla rettica di ogni cognizione Deposito Topograco da Giuseppe Bonaparte. 8 Cfr. nota n 6 p.39. eurocentrista allora dominante. Il dilatarsi del mondo conosciuto avrebbe indotto 9 P. Z, Mappamondo di fra Mauro camaldolese descritto ed illustrato da Placido Zurla , Venezia anche il centro del mondo ad esser considerato diversamente da quanto riteneva 1806 c/o Biblioteca Civica di Crema Cr/B1. 308 I PERSONAGGI INSULA F ULCHERIA 309 1.2.3. un documento cartograco, databile intorno alla metà del XV sec., composto da Frontespizio e carte geograche nell’opera quel Fra Mauro, anch’egli seguace di S. Romualdo, che visse e operò nell’isola di “Il Mappamondo di fra
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