Della famiglia

work by Alberti

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June 25, 2026

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"Della famiglia," meaning "On the Family," is a significant dialogue written by Leon Battista Alberti around 1432. This work is considered Alberti's first exploration of moral philosophy and is notable for being written in the vernacular Italian, making it accessible to a broader urban audience beyond Latin scholars.1

Drawing inspiration from classical philosophers like Cicero and Seneca, Alberti uses dialogues to offer practical advice on everyday bourgeois life. The discussions cover topics such as managing adversity and prosperity, husbandry, friendship, family matters, and the importance of contributing to the common good.1

"Della famiglia" reflects Alberti's ethical ideals, emphasizing a modern outlook where virtue is found in action, labor, and productivity, rather than solely in contemplation. This ethic of achievement resonated with the urban society of Renaissance Italy.1

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education
Nonscholastic traditions
…century, also dedicated a treatise, Della famiglia (1435–44; “On the Family”), to methods of education. Alberti felt that the natural place for education was the home and not scholastic institutions. The language in which he wrote was Italian, education being in his view so important in social life that he…
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…century, also dedicated a treatise, Della famiglia (1435–44; “On the Family”), to methods of education. Alberti felt that the natural place for education was the home and not scholastic institutions. The language in which he wrote was Italian, education being in his view so important in social life that he…
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Leon Battista Alberti
Contribution to philosophy, science, and the arts of Leon Battista Alberti
The treatise “Della famiglia” (“On the Family”), which he began in Rome in 1432, is the first of several dialogues on moral philosophy upon which his reputation as an ethical thinker and literary stylist largely rests. He wrote these dialogues in the vernacular, expressly for a broad…
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The treatise “Della famiglia” (“On the Family”), which he began in Rome in 1432, is the first of several dialogues on moral philosophy upon which his reputation as an ethical thinker and literary stylist largely rests. He wrote these dialogues in the vernacular, expressly for a broad…
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humanism
Active virtue
…were echoed by Alberti in Della famiglia (1435–44; “On the Family”):
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…were echoed by Alberti in Della famiglia (1435–44; “On the Family”):
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