--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: An Italian text from 1490 shows how…" description: "\"“An Italian text from 1490 shows how spontaneous and natural was the clear recognition of imminent death, and how fundamentally alien to the miraculous..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/514/philippe-ari-s-47803_death_an-italian-text-from-1490-shows-how-spon_223094.png" --- # An Italian text from 1490 shows how spontaneous and… ![“An Italian text from 1490 shows how spontaneous and natural was the clear recognition of imminent death, and how fundamentally alien to the miraculous or to Christian piety. We are now in a psychological climate very remote from that of the chansons de geste: a commercial town of the Renaissance…” quote by Philippe Ariès](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/514/philippe-ari-s-47803_death_an-italian-text-from-1490-shows-how-spon_223094.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/514/philippe-ari-s-47803_death_an-italian-text-from-1490-shows-how-spon_223094.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/514/philippe-ari-s-47803_death_an-italian-text-from-1490-shows-how-spon_223094.png) > ““An Italian text from 1490 shows how spontaneous and natural was the clear recognition of imminent death, and how fundamentally alien to the miraculous or to Christian piety. We are now in a psychological climate very remote from that of the chansons de geste: a commercial town of the Renaissance. In Spoleto there lived a pretty girl, young and flirtatious, very much attached to the pleasures of her youth. Suddenly she is struck down by illness. Will she cling to life, unaware of the fate that awaits her? Today any other reaction would seem cruel and monstrous, and the family, the doctor, and the priest would conspire to maintain her illusion. But this young girl of the fifteenth century immediately understands that she is going to die. She sees that death is near: “Cum cerneret, infelix juvencula, de proximo sibi imminere mortem.” She rebels, but her rebellion does not take the form of refusing to accept her death—that does not occur to her—but of defying God. She has herself dressed in her finest clothes, as if for her wedding day, and she gives herself to the devil.7 Like the sacristan of Narbonne, the young girl of Spoleto knew. Sometimes”” [Philippe Ariès](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippe-ari-s/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A 15th‑century girl confronts imminent death by embracing defiance rather than piety, reflecting cultural shifts in attitudes toward mortality. **In simple terms:** She rebels against death with defiant dress. Key Takeaway Recognize personal agency in confronting mortality. Themes mortality rebellion cultural history religion personal agency Mood thoughtful historical analytical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - historical analysis - literary study - psychology of death - cultural critique Key Concepts existentialism historical perspective Questions to Reflect On - How does defiance shape our view of death? - What can we learn from past attitudes toward mortality? A Different Perspective Modern readers may misinterpret historical context. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Death Fundamentally](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death-fundamentally-2275289/) [Girl Spoleto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/girl-spoleto-2275293/) [Imminent death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imminent-death/) [Piety Psychological](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/piety-psychological-2275292/) [Pretty girl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pretty-girl/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Renaissance Spoleto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/renaissance-spoleto-2275291/) [Unaware Fate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unaware-fate-2275290/) [Wedding day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wedding-day/) ## Related quotes > [In a last violent protest against the hopelessness of imminent death, I sensed my spirit piercing through the enveloping gloom. 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I mean, look at the movies about test pilots or fighter pilots who face imminent death.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-olds/there-s-a-lot-of-hollywood-bullshit-about-flying-i-mean-look-at-the/) [Robin Olds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-olds/) > [“Lok’tar ogar!” The daemon holding me pulled my head back, exposing my throat. “Victory or death,” I retorted at my captor hoarsely. “For the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allison-pang/lok-tar-ogar-the-daemon-holding-me-pulled-my-head-back-exposing-my/) [Allison Pang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allison-pang/) > [If I can't joke about imminent death, then I might as well just resign.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-owen/if-i-can-t-joke-about-imminent-death-then-i-might-as-well-just-resign/) [James A. 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The tears of the bereaved have become comparable to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippe-ari-s/the-denial-of-death-is-openly-acknowledged-as-a-significant-trait-of/) [Philippe Aries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippe-ari-s/) > [Death must simply become the discreet but dignified exit of a peaceful person from a helpful society that is not torn, not even overly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippe-ari-s/death-must-simply-become-the-discreet-but-dignified-exit-of-a/) [Philippe Aries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippe-ari-s/) > [Until the end of the Middle Ages, and in many cases afterwards too, in order to obtain initiation in a trade of any sort…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippe-ari-s/until-the-end-of-the-middle-ages-and-in-many-cases-afterwards-too-in/) [Philippe Aries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippe-ari-s/) > [In 1600 the specialization of games and pastimes did not extend beyond infancy; after the age of three or four it decreased and disappeared.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippe-ari-s/in-1600-the-specialization-of-games-and-pastimes-did-not-extend/) [Philippe Aries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippe-ari-s/) > [The first typical adolescent of modern times was Wagner's Siegfried. : the music of Siegfried expressed for the first time that combination of (provisional)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippe-ari-s/the-first-typical-adolescent-of-modern-times-was-wagner-s-siegfried/) [Philippe Aries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippe-ari-s/) > [It is as if, to every period of history, there corresponded a privileged age and a particular division of human life: "youth" is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippe-ari-s/it-is-as-if-to-every-period-of-history-there-corresponded-a/) [Philippe Aries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippe-ari-s/) > [“These people no doubt became more common in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and judging from La Fontaine, those who tried to cheat death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippe-ari-s/these-people-no-doubt-became-more-common-in-the-seventeenth-and/) [Philippe Ariès](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippe-ari-s/) [Explore all 8 Philippe Ariès quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippe-ari-s/) ## More Death quotes > [“He wondered how it was fair that your dying should depend so much on when you were born.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/he-wondered-how-it-was-fair-that-your-dying-should-depend-so-much-on/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. 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Then his eyes turned to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-anthony-torino/what-did-you-see-she-asked-gently-his-brow-furrowed-as-if-he-could/) [J. Anthony Torino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-anthony-torino/) > [Those whose life is long still strive for gain, and for all mortals all things take second place to money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/those-whose-life-is-long-still-strive-for-gain-and-for-all-mortals/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [“I practice Dying--every night-- But have not learned to, still-- Though Talented--by Mortal bones-- For such a common Skill.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-w-powers/i-practice-dying-every-night-but-have-not-learned-to-still-though/) [Alan W. Powers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-w-powers/) > [“You must understand the pain and grief of losing someone is nothing more than a function of survival.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-cooper/you-must-understand-the-pain-and-grief-of-losing-someone-is-nothing/) [Steven Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-cooper/) > [I am not a depressive person at all, but I reflect a lot on my life, and life in general, from the perspective of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/i-am-not-a-depressive-person-at-all-but-i-reflect-a-lot-on-my-life/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [“Death is a reality that calls the rest of life and all of our assorted strivings into sharp relief.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/death-is-a-reality-that-calls-the-rest-of-life-and-all-of-our/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [I love life. I love life to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmanuelle-riva/i-love-life-i-love-life-to-death/) [Emmanuelle Riva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmanuelle-riva/) > [I think when you’re dying you start looking for important things in the corners. You can’t let anything that seems even semi-important pass, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-crutcher/i-think-when-you-re-dying-you-start-looking-for-important-things-in/) [Chris Crutcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-crutcher/) [Browse all 39,127 Death quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“An Italian text from 1490 shows how spontaneous and natural was the clear recognition of imminent death, and how fundamentally alien to the miraculous or to Christian piety. We are now in a psychological climate very remote from that of the chansons de geste: a commercial town of the Renaissance. In Spoleto there lived a pretty girl, young and flirtatious, very much attached to the pleasures of her youth. Suddenly she is struck down by illness. Will she cling to life, unaware of the fate that awaits her? Today any other reaction would seem cruel and monstrous, and the family, the doctor, and the priest would conspire to maintain her illusion. But this young girl of the fifteenth century immediately understands that she is going to die. She sees that death is near: “Cum cerneret, infelix juvencula, de proximo sibi imminere mortem.” She rebels, but her rebellion does not take the form of refusing to accept her death—that does not occur to her—but of defying God. She has herself dressed in her finest clothes, as if for her wedding day, and she gives herself to the devil.7 Like the sacristan of Narbonne, the young girl of Spoleto knew. 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