Academia Latinitati Fovendae
 Headquarters of the Istituto Nazionale di Studi Romani, former monastery of Sant'Alessio, Rome, Aventine | |
| Formation | |
|---|---|
| Founders | Pietro Romanelli and Nicolae Barbu[2] |
| Founded at | Istituto Nazionale di Studi Romani,[2] Rome, Italy |
| Type | learned society |
| Members | 59 members known as sodales ("members")[3] |
Praeses [President] | Christian Laes (since 2022)[4][5] |
| Website | academialatinitatifovendae |
The Academia Latinitati Fovendae (ALF; English: Academy for the Promotion of the Latin Language) is a learned society founded in 1967 to promote the use of the Latin language, both written and spoken.[6]
Mission
John Byron Kuhner writes that "the ALF remains, as one member called it, 'the only major fully international body devoted to preserving and promoting the use of Latin in both speaking and in writing'."[6] Kuhner describes an ALF conference:
At first glance, this would appear to be a typical academic conference. Professors are reading papers in lecture halls. But much is different. Everything is conducted in Latin — papers, announcements, conversations over meals.[6]
| The Academy describes its mission as follows:[7] | |
| ALF's Original Latin | English Translation |
|---|---|
|
Academia dat operam, ut, ubicumque fieri possit, lingua Latina praebeatur discenda et exerceatur, non solum, ut mos est inveteratus, textus in linguas vernaculas vertendo, sed etiam scribendo et loquendo. Academiae maxime interest, ut in iis scholis, in quibus lingua Latina discenda praebetur, methodis hodiernis ac vividioribus uti liceat, quibus discipuli delectatione ad discendum alliciantur.[7] |
The Academy strives to ensure that the Latin language is offered for learning and practice wherever possible, not only by translating texts into vernacular languages, as is the long-established custom, but also by writing and speaking. A top priority of the Academy is to facilitate the use of modern and more lively methods in schools where Latin is taught, so that students are motivated to learn by enjoyment. |
| — ALF, academialatinitatifovendae.com (2026) | |
History
Scholar Karolis M. Lyvens summarizes the evolution and present mission and role of ALF:[8]
Initially the movement had an ambition to restore the international use of Latin, but later the changed circumstances consisting from the deteriorated knowledge and position of Latin made it doubt its aims, which were clearly not achievable any more. ... The Academy returned to its roots as an organisation uniting the scholars who believe in the vitality of Latin and who use the language actively.[8]
Publications
- Commentarii[9] (Academiae Latinitati Fovendae commentarii): The academy's primary academic, research and literary journal, entirely in Latin.
- Acta selecta:[10] Proceedings of ALF's major international conventions
- Acta Conventiculorum:[11] Proceedings of topical Latin seminars and workshops; specific thematic discussions
- Libri [Books]:[12] Book series published under the ALF imprint.
References
Citations
- ↑ "Academia Latinitati Fovendae (ALF)". uia.org. Retrieved 2026-07-01.
- 1 2 3 "Breviarium Academiae historiae" [Short history of the academy]. www.academialatinitatifovendae.com (in Latin). Retrieved 2026-07-01.
- ↑ "Sodales" [Members]. www.academialatinitatifovendae.com (in Latin). Retrieved 2026-07-01.
- ↑ "Regimen" [Leadership]. www.academialatinitatifovendae.com (in Latin). Retrieved 2026-07-01.
- ↑ "Christian Laes". manchester.ac.uk. Retrieved 2026-07-01.
- 1 2 3 Kuhner, John Byron (2018). "Global Latinists". The New Criterion. 36 (6): 4. Retrieved 2025-12-09. Note: See "External links" section for link to full text
- 1 2 "Main Page". www.academialatinitatifovendae.com (in Latin). Retrieved 2026-07-01.
- 1 2 Lyvens, Karolis (2025). "Living Latin (1880 – c. 2000): ideology and identity: A thesis submitted to the University of Manchester for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Faculty of Humanities" (PDF). research.manchester.ac.uk. Retrieved 1 Jul 2026.
- ↑ "Academiae Latinitati Fovendae commentarii". leidenuniv.nl. Retrieved 2026-07-01.
- ↑ "Conventus Iam Celebrati" [Previous Conferences]. www.academialatinitatifovendae.com (in Latin). Retrieved 2026-07-01.
- ↑ "Acta Conventiculorum" [Proceedings of Mini-Conferences]. www.academialatinitatifovendae.com (in Latin). Retrieved 2026-07-01.
- ↑ "Libri" [Books]. www.academialatinitatifovendae.com (in Latin). Retrieved 2026-07-01.
External links
- Sodales(in Latin) List of members of the Academia Latinitati Fovendae
- Global Latinists - Contains the full text of the cited "Global Latinists" article from volume 36 of The New Criterion (paywalled), at a blog edited by the Paideia Institute, an educational institute.