Pietru Caxaro
| Peter Caxaro | |
|---|---|
| Born |
c. 1400 Mdina, Malta |
| Died | August 1485 Mdina, Malta |
| Occupation | Philosophy, Poetry |
Peter (Pietru) Caxaro (c. 1400 – 1485) was a Maltese philosopher and poet. He is so far Malta's first known philosopher, fragments of whose works are extant. His philosophical views and positions qualify him as an honourable adherent of the mediaeval humanist movement. His contribution skilfully stands as a mature reflection of the social and cultural revival of his time.
Caxaro's cultural preparation and his humanistic character, together with his philosophy, entirely reflect the peculiar force, functions and needs of a Mediterranean people whose golden age had still to come, but whose mental constitution and mode of expression were readily set. The discovery of the man and his philosophy is immeasurably relevant to further recognition of the wise tenure of an ancient civilization.
No portrait of Caxaro has been found.
Peter Caxaro was born of a noble Mdina family in Malta. Unfortunately, the date of his birth is still unknown, and it is very doubtful whether it had ever been recorded at all. We might suppose, however, that he was born around the beginning of the 15th century, perhaps around 1400.
His father's name was Leo, and his mother's Zuna. It might be possible that the family was of Jewish descent which had been forced to convert to the Catholic faith. It is known that one of Caxaro's brothers, Nicholas, was killed in 1473 following a brawl with people from Siggiewi, Malta, because of a girl he was secretly seeing.
Caxaro’s first studies were undertaken in Malta. Later, he went to Palermo, Sicily, to pursue them further. At the time, Palermo was a flourishing city imbued with the spirit of Renaissance humanism. There, Caxaro completed his studies and became a notary in 1438. A couple of months after his graduation, he was appointed judge at the courts of Gozo for the years 1440-1441. In 1441, he also sat as judge in the courts of Malta, and the similarly in 1475. He was judge at the civil courts in 1460-1461, 1470–1471 and 1481–1482, and judge at the ecclesiastical courts in 1473 and 1480-1481.
...
Wikipedia