Jacopo Pontormo's Renaissance Lunch

Strange, reclusive, capricious, eccentric, hypochondriac – these are just a few epithets that are awarded to Jacopo Pontormo, the Mannerist painter of the 16th century Florence. Duly or unduly – we don’t know. But we have some idea. At least of what this weird and wonderful man ate on a daily basis. It turns out that he kept a diary and a whole two years of it (from January 1554 to October 1556) somehow miraculously survived. The pages, written in Italian vernacular, are filled with descriptions of his daily routines, ailments, meals he shared with his good friend Bronzino and general descriptions of the foods he ate. Those are my absolute favourite because they give us a real a glimpse into the life of a Renaissance man, albeit a slightly eccentric one. It is like watching an awesome Renaissance cooking show. Here is a short excerpt (Translated by Elizabeth Pilliod).

⠀

“On the 11th of March 1554, on Sunday morning, I ate lunch with Bronzino - chicken and veal - and felt well (it is true that I was in bed when he came for me at home. It was quite late and upon getting up I felt swollen and full. It was a very beautiful day). In the evening I ate a bit of roasted dry meat which made me thirsty.

⠀

Monday evening I ate a cabbage and an omelet.

⠀

Tuesday evening I ate one half of the head of a kid and soup.

⠀

Wednesday evening I had the other half, fried, and a pretty big helping of zibibbo grapes, and 5 quattrini of bread, and capers in salad.

⠀

Thursday morning I felt a dizziness that lasted all day; and even after [it passed] I still felt bad and my head was weak.

⠀

Thursday evening, a soup of good mutton and salad of goat’s beard.

⠀

Friday evening, salad of goat’s beard and two eggs in an omelet.

⠀

Saturday, fasted. Sunday evening, which was the evening of Palm Sunday, I ate a little boiled mutton and salad, and had to eat three quattrini of bread.

⠀

Monday evening after dinner I felt very lively and agreeable. I ate a salad of lettuce, a thin soup of good mutton and 4 quattrini of bread.”

⠀

Supper at Emmaus (fragment), 1525, oil on canvas, Uffizi