Tommaso Campanella became famous for his concept of a communist utopia. It was one of the first experiences of developing a social transformation program based on community of property. For his heretical views, Campanella was repeatedly persecuted by the church.
Campanella: the beginning of the journey
The Italian philosopher Campanella (1568-1639) was the son of a poor shoemaker. He was born in the small Italian village of Stepiano. At baptism, his father named him Giovanni Domenico. The boy learned to read and write very early. Already at the age of fourteen, he was fascinated by the eloquence of a Dominican preacher, who spoke about the sacred traditions of the Order of St. Dominic and the famous Thomas Aquinas. The future philosopher decides to go to a monastery.
Having entered the Dominican order in 1582, the young man took the name Tommaso. He is engaged in his education, diligently studies the Bible, delves into the works of the Greek and Arab interpreters of the teachings of the great Aristotle.
The real revolution in Tommaso's views was made by the work of the Italian scientist Bernardino Telesio, which spoke about the nature of things. This book became a revelation for the young man. The main thing that Campanella learned is that only experience can be the criterion of truth.
In those days, the Dominicans fought the Jesuit order created by Ignatius Loyola. The glory of the enemy order overshadowed other spiritual brotherhoods. In the fight against competitors, Tommaso's accumulated scientific abilities, as well as his early talent as an orator, came in handy.
Campanella was fascinated by the disputes in which he managed to win over rivals for a number of years.
Great heretic
A little later, Tommaso meets the Jewish sage Abraham, who taught him how to draw up horoscopes. A great destiny was foretold for the beginning Dominican: he was to become "a bell heralding a new dawn."
Encouraged by the prediction, Tommaso writes a critical essay that debunks religious dogma. For this book Campanella was persecuted - he was persecuted by the "holy church."
Campanella spent about a year in the damp and gloomy basements of the Inquisition. He was able to free himself only thanks to the help of influential friends. However, this did not become the last acquaintance of the philosopher with the Inquisition. In total, Campanella spent 27 years in dungeons.
Campanella and his artistic legacy
It was in captivity that the main work of the Italian thinker, "City of the Sun", was created. In this utopia, Campanella depicts a fantastic city-state where the people live according to the principles of communism. The commune has created conditions for the community of property. Along with the destruction of private property, numerous vices also disappeared. In the city of the Sun there is no place for crime and pride.
During his two and a half decades in the Neapolitan prisons, Tommaso managed to create dozens of philosophical treatises and books on the natural sciences. Some of them were subsequently distributed in lists, and some were published in Germany. In 1634, Campanella fled to France, where he received the support of Cardinal Richelieu.
During his eventful life, the monastic philosopher did not create a family. Tommaso had neither a personal life nor great love. Literary works became his brainchild. In addition to his philosophical works, Campanella is also known for his poetic talents. Numerous sonnets, madrigals and canzons belong to him. The poetic creativity of the thinker with great expressiveness affirms his unshakable faith in the power of the human mind.
A connoisseur of horoscopes, Campanella predicted the date of his death: June 1, 1639. He was just the smallest mistake. The great utopian passed away on June 21, 1639.
