Pietro Aretino
Italy- Early Life and Education
- Artistic Beginnings
- The Papal Court and Pasquinades
- Arrival in Venice
- Importance and Legacy
Early Life and Education
Pietro Aretino was born in the Tuscan town of Arezzo on April 20, 1492, the son of a shoemaker. Having received no formal education, he left home at the age of 14 and embarked on a series of itinerant adventures. He worked as a street singer, a muleteer, an executioner's assistant, and reportedly even as a galley slave.
Artistic Beginnings
In 1512, Aretino published his first collection of works in Venice. He studied painting in Perugia, but was expelled after painting the Virgin Mary holding a lute. In 1516, he moved to Rome, where his witty and salacious satire, "The Testament of the Elephant," caught the attention of Pope Leo X, its intended target. Leo X granted Aretino a position at his court.
The Papal Court and Pasquinades
Following Leo X's death in 1521, Aretino turned his satirical pen against Cardinal Giulio de' Medici, later Pope Clement VII. He wrote scathing poems known as "pasquinades," which were displayed on the statue of Pasquino in Rome. After a brief exile during the reign of Pope Adrian VI, Aretino returned to Rome under Clement's papacy. However, his explicit sonnets soon exhausted the patience of his detractors, forcing him to flee the city.
Arrival in Venice
In 1527, Aretino found refuge in Venice, where he spent the rest of his life. Here, he produced his most significant works, including prose comedies ("La Cortegiana"), commissioned religious writings, the unfinished epic poem "Marfisa," and the "Ragionamenti," a collection of scandalous dialogues.
Importance and Legacy
Aretino's primary significance lies in his letters, which foreshadowed modern journalism in their style and content. He wrote insightful dispatches on the death of Giovanni delle Bande Nere, editorials criticizing Francis I's alliance with the Turks, and advice to Michelangelo on the Sistine Chapel. His letters also contain practical writing tips, descriptions of Venice's beauty, and playful banter with his acquaintances.
Pietro Aretino died in Venice on October 21, 1556, from a heart attack in his house on the Riva del Carbon. His legacy as a controversial but influential literary figure continues to be studied and debated to this day.
