CORRISPONDENZE FERRARESI DI LODOVICO ANTONIO MURATORI (1699-1749)

The Archivio Muratoriano preserved at the Biblioteca Estense in Modena comprises more than 20.000 letters written to Lodovico Muratori from about 2.323 correspondents located in the major Italian and European cities, from the late 1600’s to the mid-1700’s. In addition, there are Muratori’s reply letters, whose number is approximately 6.000 according to the data provided by Matteo Campori. Unfortunately, there are still several gaps in this huge correspondence, caused by the loss of many documents. The list of correspondents drawn up by Matteo Campori in 1898 is a useful tool to locate data within this mare magnum of papers. However, this list still has some limitation. The choice of 36 correspondences that we may refer to as “ferraresi” comes from the will to determine the influence of Lodovico Muratori on Ferrara as well as his important role of mediator between Modena and Ferrara. The connection between the two cities was rooted in the nostalgic memories of the Este family and their claim for Comacchio, but also in the cultural exchanges. After a first period defined by a feeling of hope for the return to Ferrara of the Este Court, thanks to the role played by Muratori the communication between the two cities remained vital. The many correspondences between him and the cultural and political milieu of Ferrara during the first half of 1700 are a proof of this assertion. The purpose of this research study is to chronicle the phases of Muratori’s life through the stories of 36 correspondents devoted to a man known as the protector of the ideals arisen by the Reformation in Modena. Through their researches in messy and abandoned archives - as they often point out in their letters – they contributed to build an important part of our cultural heritage. Inside these documents, their voices give shape to stories intertwined like a surprising spider web of correspondences related to Muratori.