Nuove ricerche su Ferrante Imperato “aromatario di medicina” nella Napoli del secondo Cinquecento

Abstract

In December 1571, Ferrante Imperato brought a lawsuit against a wealthy Neapolitan family due to the purchase of “cose aromatice” from his own apothecary shop nearby the monastery of Santa Chiara in Naples. The case is regarded as a starting point to clarify the human and professional profile of the multifaceted figure of the naturalist celebrated by posterity as the Neapolitan Linnaeus. The protagonist of the contribution is therefore, through the use of a varied documentation collected in the Neapolitan archives, the Ferrante Imperato “aromatario di medicina”, therapist and businessman rooted in the vibrant and dynamic social scenario of sixteenth century Naples. The vicissitudes of Imperato, caught in his concrete activity as an apothecary, are revealed, although fragmentary, as a privileged angle through which to look at the dynamics and internal articulations of the Partenopean Arte Aromataria; at the same time, they are a valuable starting point for better delineating social status and socio-professional strategies of the apothecaries between the middle of the sixteenth and the first decades of the seventeenth century.