Vasari’s Work in Catalan
On 28 September 2026, the Octubre Centre de Cultura Contemporània (OCCC) will host the conference «Les fascinants Vides de Vasari», presented by Martí Domínguez. The event, taking place at 19:00 in the Sala d’Actes, will focus on the first Catalan translation of «Le vite de’ più eccellenti pittori, scultori e architettori», written by Giorgio Vasari in the 16th century and first published in 1550 (with an expanded second edition in 1568).
The Catalan edition, released by Proa in 2026, comprises three volumes and includes critical notes and an introduction by Domínguez himself. The work compiles nearly two hundred biographies of Italian Renaissance artists, such as Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and Raphael, and is considered one of the primary documentary sources on this period.
Conference Details
Martí Domínguez, translator of the work and director of Mètode magazine, will explain the translation process and the historical context of the work. The conference does not require prior booking, and entry is free, though seating is limited. For more information about the venue, check the OCCC’s profile.
Content of the Work
Vasari’s «Lives» is a monumental project that goes beyond a simple biographical list. Vasari, a painter and architect as well as a writer, included anecdotes, critical judgments, and personal observations about the artists he portrayed. Many of them were his contemporaries, making the text a primary source for understanding the Renaissance.
Domínguez’s Catalan edition is based on the second version of the work (1568), which expands and corrects the first. It includes notes to contextualise the original text, as well as an introduction analysing its historical and literary significance.
