Bembo’s “military branch”: the Accademia della Crusca

How does a theoretical debate around forms and uses come to shape practices and become the norm?

Institutions play a pivotal role in all processes of standardisation, and the history of Italian language is no exception. One such key agent in the journey of creating a standard language was the Accademia della Crusca, which played a fundamental role in the victory of Bembo’s linguistic theory.

As an authoritative institution, the Accademia della Crusca actively engaged in refining and promoting the Italian language based on the principles advocated by Bembo. Through its efforts, it contributed to the establishment of linguistic norms and the dissemination of a standardised form of Italian, consolidating its influence over literary and linguistic practices in the centuries to come.

The Accademia della Crusca was founded in the second half of the 16th century, emerging as a light-hearted association formed by a group of individuals passionate about literature and literary debates who sought a more informal setting than other academic institutions. However, in 1583, under the influence of Leonardo Salviati, it underwent a transformation, becoming an institution with a distinct purpose — the promotion of good language usage, specifically rooted in the 14th-century Florentine style.

_{Portrait of Leonardo Salviati}

The Academy adopted the bolting-machine as its emblem, symbolizing the process of sifting white flour and removing the bran (crusca), representing the purification and refinement of language. This shift marked a more focused mission for the Accademia della Crusca, positioning it as a significant influencer in shaping linguistic norms and standards.

_{The emblem of Accademia della Crusca}

The Accademia della Crusca embarked on a pioneering effort by undertaking the creation of the first dictionary of Italian, marking a significant milestone in the history of lexicography. Commencing in 1591, the academy dedicated itself to the ambitious project of compiling a dictionary of the Florentine language.

Under the guidance of Leonardo Salviati, the academy established criteria for mapping and describing words, identifying literary texts as the primary sources for authentic language usage. Diverging from Bembo’s exclusive focus on major literary figures, Salviati broadened the scope to include minor works of literature from the 14th century. For Salviati, the artistic value of these works mattered less than their contribution to using what he considered the good language. This endeavour brought together a team of linguists collaborating on the impressive task of creating what can be considered the first European monolingual dictionary and cementing the Accademia della Crusca’s legacy as a trailblazer in linguistic scholarship.

_{First edition of “Il Vocabolario degli Accademici della Crusca”}

Il Vocabolario degli Accademici della Crusca was published in 1612 in Venice and its influence extended beyond Italian borders, serving as a model for linguistic projects undertaken by the Académie Française in France and counterparts in Germany and Spain. However, the Vocabolario faced criticism for its exclusion of technical terms and its archaic purism, sparking contentious debates.

Over the centuries, the Accademia della Crusca assumed the responsibility of continually upgrading and revising the vocabulary. Examining the changes across various editions of the dictionary provides a fascinating narrative of the evolution of the Italian language.