Lorenzo Valla
Topic: Renaissance, Reformation and the Scientific Revolution · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 5 "Changing Cultural Traditions"
Meaning
Lorenzo Valla was an Italian humanist of the fifteenth century. In his book On Pleasure he criticised the Christian rule against enjoying pleasure. He also believed that studying history pushes people to try to become perfect. He used close study of texts to test old documents. That made him an early critic of the Church's claims.
Example
Valla studied the language of the "Donation of Constantine", the document behind the clergy's claims to power. He showed it was a later forgery and not written in Constantine's time.
Don't confuse with
- Francesco Barbaro: this Venetian humanist defended earning wealth as a virtue. Valla defended pleasure.