Donato Valli e la parodia della scienza nei settenari sdruccioli della Stampita leccese

The paper deals with a XVIII c. comedy which has been re-edited by Donato Valli in 2006. The comedy (hereafter Stampita) is written in Sallentinian and is composed by 461 proparoxyton septenaries. These verses result in a sustained rhythm throughout a discussion between three characters about what we may call nowadays an agri-food topic. Two laymen and a physician argue on a technique that was used to reduce the presence of acid in grape fermentation, namely the one which is based on the use of gypsum in the wine. The point is whether this technique improves the product without causing health injuries in wine consumers. Since the language used by the scientist is too much cautious and balanced and does not answer in terms of a clear-cut explanation, both the sceptical layman and his friend decide to go drinking in order to forget what they think a silly discussion. At the end they give the audience the impression they were aware that the technique was mainly motivated by industrial interests. Outside this intriguing content, which may always be seen – mutatis mutandis – as a topical subject, the comedy shows relevant interests for its linguistic structure and the way how the violation of Grice's maxims and Culpeper's politeness rules raises comic effects.