For Domenico Cavalca Translator of the Acts of the Apostles (Between Philology and Interpretation)

Abstract

The Dominican friar Domenico Cavalca, active during the first half of the 14th century, was one of the most prolific translators of religious texts from Latin to Italian of his time. One of his last works, the Atti degli Apostoli, has recently been published in a scientific edition by Attilio Cicchella. This work finally allows scholars to have access to the text and its manuscript tradition. The present paper focuses on the way the Dominican Friar approached his source-text, the Acta Apostolorum. I reflect briefly on the prologue of the Atti degli Apostoli as published by Cicchella; I present the thorough analysis of ca. 50 loci critici, in which Cavalca’s Atti diverge significantly from the Latin text of the Vulgata; I reflect on Cavalca’s translation practices and on the public to whom the volgarizzamento was addressed.