‚That’s How You Do It!‘ Or Better not? Early Modern Recipes and Their Readers

The study describes the recipe collections of the 16th century, known as "libri de' secreti," analyzing two representative works (Giovan Battista Della Porta’s Magia naturalis and Isabella Cortese’s Secreti) from a linguistic, semiotic and praxeological perspective. The recipes have a directive function, aiming to guide the reader towards action. They are considered as a flow of operations, with a social and cultural value. The reception of the recipes involves two levels: passive reading and active execution. Understanding and interpreting the action required in the recipe represent cognitive challenges, especially concerning alchemical instructions.