The importance of being called Giovanni: Sixteenth-century texts of burlesque onomastics

Abstract

Giovanni Della Casa’s blame poem Sopra ’l nome suo (‘About his Name’), Grazzini’s response with In lode di Giovanni (‘In Praise of Giovanni’), and Doni’s Cicalamento ultimo (‘The Last Chattering’) of the Zucca (‘Pumpkin’, in prose) all center on the name Giovanni. Despite the scant prevalence of onomastics among various burlesque themes, the emergence of three texts dedicated entirely to the same name within a short span is notable. Firstly, it’s essential to clarify the significance of the phrase essere Giovanni (‘being John’) during the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries. Subsequently, we must consider the potential ‘serious’ undertones beneath the seemingly light-hearted nature of these three writings.