"The conclusions will not be disputed until after the Epiphany. In the meantime they will be published in all Italian universities. And if any philosopher or theologian, even from the ends of Italy, wishes to come to Rome for the sake of debating, his lord the disputer promises to pay the travel expenses from his own funds."
Announcement at the end of Pico's 900 theses (1486).
Giovanni Pico della Mirandola (1463-1494), the precocious Count of Concordia, is best known for his Oration on the Dignity of Man, which is considered the central manifesto of Renaissance Humanism.
Besides this work, he was also the author of the 900 Theses which represented a milestone in the development of Western thought, filtering ancient and medieval philosophical, theological, and esoteric traditions into a single syncretic system.
These and other syncretic (or reconciliatory) works provided the sole contemporary source for many obscure and not-so-obscure traditions, and so Pico's writings were highly influential references for many Renaissance and early modern philosophers.
Besides his literary impact on the world of the Renaissance, Pico lived a life as extraordinary as it was short. He tried to run away with the wife of a di Medici only to be caught, and, in the ensuing battle, barely escape with his life.
His 900 Theses, which were supposed to form the focus of a world-changing religious and philosophical debate in Rome chaired by the Pope, were subject to a papal Bull and investigation, and he was forced to flee to France where he was arrested and later escaped back to Florence.
His mysterious death at the age of 32, possibly by poisoning, and the posthumous appropriation of his works by his nephew in league with Savonarola and the forgeries they produced for political ends, all combine to tell a fascinating story about one of the most intellectually progressive thinkers in history.
This website represents an attempt to offer a genuine resource for people interested in Pico. Since information about him is not widely available on the internet or in libraries, we will collect together the works of as many of his sources as possible, his texts as and when they become available, and links to other sites which offer pertinent information about him. If you can help, please contact us!