Facetiae

Facetiae - the ancestor of the modern anecdote, coming directly from the Renaissance. Wandering plots, street jokes, passed from mouth to mouth, were generally aimed at ridiculing certain individuals and classes. The first to take them seriously was Poggio Bracciolini - an Italian writer and humanist of the 15th century. It can be said that his "Facetiae" is the first printed collection of anecdotes. In its time, it enjoyed immense popularity, describing contemporary anecdotes from the lives of representatives of various classes: from peasants to bishops. Often, the stories are not so much humorous as noteworthy and instructive, providing a comprehensive characterization of Italian society during the Renaissance. Poggio undoubtedly laid the foundation for a whole tradition of collecting and literary processing of overheard anecdotes and humorous tales. The publication is presented in the translation of Alexey Karpovich Dzhivelev — a renowned historian, the largest Russian encyclopedist of the 20th century. It is accompanied by his introductory article.