Agnolo Firenzuola facts for kids

Agnolo Firenzuola (born September 28, 1493 – died June 27, 1543) was an Italian poet and writer. He is known for his elegant writing style and his contributions to Italian literature during the Renaissance period.

Agnolo Firenzuola's Early Life and Studies

Agnolo Firenzuola was born in Florence, Italy. His family's name came from the town of Firenzuola, located near the Apennine Mountains. His grandfather had become a citizen of Florence, which was passed down to Agnolo's family.

Agnolo was expected to become a lawyer. He studied law first in Siena and then in Perugia. During his time in Perugia, he became friends with Pietro Aretino, another famous writer. They later met again in Rome, where Agnolo tried working as a lawyer, but he wasn't very successful.

Life After Law and Religious Role

After Pope Clement VII passed away, Firenzuola left Rome. He spent some time in Florence before moving to Prato. In Prato, he became the abbot (a type of leader in a monastery) of a place called San Salvatore.

Some historians say that when he was young, he became a monk at Vallombrosa and later led two monasteries. While there's some debate about this, many believe he did take on these religious roles.

Firenzuola's Literary Works

Agnolo Firenzuola's writings were collected and published in 1548, after his death. His works include both prose (regular writing) and verse (poems), and they are generally lighthearted and entertaining.

Prose Writings

Among his prose works, you can find:

• Discorsi degli animali: These are stories similar to Aesop's fables, featuring animals that teach lessons.
• Dialogo delle bellezze delle donne: This book discusses the beauty of women.
• Ragionamenti amorosi: A collection of short stories, written in a style similar to Boccaccio.
• Discacciamento delle nuove lettere: This was a piece where he argued against Giangiorgio Trissino's idea to add new letters to the Italian alphabet.
• A version of The Golden Ass by Apuleius: This was a very popular book that was printed many times.
• Two comedies: I Lucidi, which was inspired by Menaechmi by Plautus, and La Trinuzia.

Poetry and Legacy

His poems are mostly satirical (making fun of things) and burlesque (humorous and exaggerated). All of his works are highly regarded for their excellent writing style. They are even used as examples of proper Italian language by the Accademia della Crusca, an important Italian language academy.

The exact date of Firenzuola's death is not perfectly clear, but he had been gone for several years when his first collection of writings was published in 1548.