Il mito della 'infelix' castagna in un poco noto carme di Giano Anisio

The lyric 'Diae Castaneae transformatio' is undoubtedly one of the most evocative compositions of Janus Anysius, a humanist active in the first half of the sixteenth century. The myth, which has no precedent in the classical tradition, tells of the unfortunate fate of Castanea (chestnut), who was cheated on by her husband Vesuvius. The mercy of the gods will give her the remedy to transform herself into the fruit that bears the name. The myth represents a sincere celebration of one of the flagship products of the Campania region.