JOHN OF RAVENNA. Two distinct persons of this name, formerly confused and identified with a third (anonymous) Ravennese in Petrarch's letters, lived at the end of the 14th and the beginning of the 15th century.
I. A young Ravennese born about who in 1364 went to live with Petrarch as secretary. In 1367 he set out to see the world and make a name for himself, returned in a state of desti tution, but, growing restless again, left his employer for good in 1368.
2. Son of Conversanus (Conversinus, Convertinus). He is first heard of (Nov. 17, 1368) as appointed to the professorship of rhetoric at Florence, where he had for some time held the post of notary at the courts of justice. This differentiates him from (i). He entered (c. 1370) the service of the ducal house of Padua, the Carraras, in which he continued at least until during part of which time he was professor of rhetoric at Padua. In 1406 he is last heard of living at Venice. His history of the
Carraras, a tasteless production in barbarous Latin, says little for his literary capacity; but as a teacher he enjoyed a great reputa tion, amongst his pupils being Vittorino da Feltre and Guarino of Verona.
3. Malpaghini (De Malpaghinis), the most important. Born about 1356, he was a pupil of Petrarch from a very early age to 1374. On Sept. 19, 1397, he was appointed professor of rhetoric and eloquence at Florence, and he died in May 1417. Although Malpaghini left nothing behind him, he did much to encourage the study of Latin; among his pupils was Poggio Bracciolini.
The local documents and other authorities on the subject will be found in E. T. Klette, Beitrdge zur Geschichte and Litteratur der ital ienischen Gelehrtenrenaissance, vol. i. (1888) ; see also G. Voigt, Die Wiederbelebung des klassischen Altertums (3rd ed. 1893), who, how ever, identifies (I) and (2).