Maurice Scève

Maurice Scève (Known as "Maurice Scève")

Master Renaissance Poet of Lyon School, Author of Délie, objet de plus haute vertu

Born c. 1501

Lyon, France

Passed Away c. 1564 Lyon, Kingdom of France

Lifespan 63 years old

1 views

Notice / Correction

"Flamme si sainte en son saint feu m'ardit / Que de mon cœur l'Idole s'en nourrit."

Archival Overview

Leading Renaissance poet of the Lyon humanist school whose hermetic 1544 canzoniere Délie, objet de plus haute vertu was the first French poetic cycle modeled on Petrarch, celebrating idealized love for Pernette du Guillet.

Biographical Record

Scion of an aristocratic Lyonnais family, Scève was the undisputed intellectual leader of Renaissance Lyon. In 1533, he achieved literary fame by discovering what he claimed to be the tomb of Petrarch's Laura in Avignon, winning the admiring patronage of King Francis I.

In 1544, he published Délie, consisting of 449 dense, mathematically structured decasyllabic dizains interspersed with fifty emblematic woodcuts. Scève transformed love poetry into a philosophical quest for neoplatonic transcendence and spiritual immortality, directly anticipating Mallarmé.

Memorial Guestbook & Tributes

0 messages recorded

Leave a Respectful Tribute

Select a sentiment or reaction (optional):

Rest in Peace Forever remembered and cherished Your legacy lives on in all of us With deep gratitude for your life and light

Your Name / Title *

Your Email (Private, for anti-abuse)

Tribute Message *

No tributes recorded yet. Be the first to leave a message in honor of Maurice Scève.

Final Resting Place

Perpetual Memorial

Church of Saint-Nizier precinct
Lyon, France

                         GPS: 45.7644, 4.8336                    

View on Memory Atlas

Archival Standards PastLegacies adheres to strict neutral biographical guidelines and legal standards of remembrance. Next-of-kin may request modifications or removal at any time via our expedited process.

Read Governance Policy →