Forms of censorship in the tradition of «Motti e facezie del Piovano Arlotto»

Abstract

In the context of a reflection on censorship, the Motti e facezie del Piovano Arlotto offers a particularly compelling case study. Throughout its history – both in manuscript and printed form – the text has been subject to various interventions that reflect attempts at ideological control. On a broader scale, one can point to its inclusion in the Index librorum prohibitorum and the resulting publication of expurgated editions during the sixteenth century. However, such interventions also occurred on a smaller scale, carried out by individual scribes or editors. Due to the anonymous nature of the collection, which lacked a strong authorial presence, the text was especially susceptible to modifications, additions, and omissions of varying lengths in its early transmission. These alterations contributed to the image of a mutable and evolving work that was continually read, reshaped, and adapted to the cultural and ideological needs of the time.