Falsificazioni umanistiche in aree periferiche: un caso dal Veneto

This work examines a group of fake Latin inscriptions, recorded by the manu­script tradition, allegedly found in Arzignano, Vicenza, northeastern Italy. These texts were written using names found in genuine inscriptions and were also inspired by local archaeological findings. These inscriptions played a significant role in the making of the collective memory of some places in the Vicenza region. Some of these fakes were used to make up local legends linked to the existence of a fort of the god Janus at Arzignano, which aimed at dignifying the origins of this town, between the XIV and XVI centuries. The textual analysis suggests that the knowledge of the classics in the province of Vicenza, during the age of Humanism, was remarkable, thanks also to the work of grammar teachers, who might have been behind these forgeries.