Twice Happy Town of Frane Petrić Cover Image

Dvostruko Sretan grad Frane Petrića
Twice Happy Town of Frane Petrić

Author(s): Persida Lazarević di Giacomo
Subject(s): Philosophy
Published by: Hrvatsko Filozofsko Društvo
Keywords: Frane Petrić; Happy Town; etymological approach; term felice; successfulness

Summary/Abstract: This paper deals with the etymology, and consequently with the meaning of Frane Petrić’s Happy Town (La città felice): written after Thomas More’s Utopia and before Tomaso Campanella’s The City of the Sun, Petrić’s Happy Town has its datum-point and key meaning in the etymology of the term felice. This term contains the duality constantly pointed out in Petrić’s conception: since the human being consists of body and soul, the duality is noted and repeated through various structures of this town-state. The term felice means ‘productive’, ‘successful’, ‘happy’, and it has to do with Petrić’s concept of ‘blessedness’ as well. The gradation of the meaning of the term felice explains the fact that Petrić’s town is successful-happy and happy-blessed. All the social levels are part of the productiveness > blessedness process of Petrić’s twice Happy Town.

  • Issue Year: 30/2010
  • Issue No: 03/119
  • Page Range: 385-394
  • Page Count: 10
  • Language: Croatian