Antonio Cornazzano facts for kids
Antonio Cornazzano (born around 1430 in Piacenza – died 1484 in Ferrara) was a talented Italian poet, writer, and even a dancing master. He lived during the exciting time of the Renaissance, a period of great art and learning. He wrote many books, including poems, biographies, and a guide on how to dance.
Antonio Cornazzano's Life Story
Antonio Cornazzano was likely born in 1432 in Piacenza, a city that was part of the Duchy of Milan back then. His father, Bonifacio, was a well-known lawyer, and his mother, Costanza, came from a noble family.
Antonio went to university in Siena from 1444 to 1447. By 1450, he was in Rome, possibly working for an important church leader. In 1455, he moved to Milan and started working for Duke Francesco I Sforza. Antonio wrote a long poem praising the Duke, called 'De gestis Francisci Sfortiae'. He also wrote a small book about dancing, a story about the Virgin Mary, and a collection of funny stories in Latin.
After the Duke's funeral in 1466, Antonio left Milan. He moved to the area around Venice and worked for a military leader named Bartolomeo Colleoni. Antonio even wrote a book about Colleoni's life. In Venice, he also worked with a printer named Nicolas Jenson and published a "Life of Christ."
In 1475, Antonio moved to the court of Ferrara. There, he wrote important works, including a short book about how to govern and another about military art around 1476. He later turned his book on military art into a poem. Antonio Cornazzano died in Ferrara in 1484. A street in Piacenza is named after him.
Cornazzano's Poems
Antonio Cornazzano wrote many poems. Some of his works are kept in a special old book at the Estense Library in Modena, Italy. These poems are written in a style called terza rima. This is a type of poem where groups of three lines rhyme in a special way. The famous Italian poet Dante Alighieri was the first to use terza rima.
Three of Cornazzano's poems from this collection were published in 1517 and 1518 under the title Opera nova. One of his works, called De mulieribus admirandis, was never published and is not well-known today.
Cornazzano's Dancing Life
Antonio Cornazzano was a student of a famous dancing master named Domenico da Piacenza, also known as Domenico da Ferrara. Antonio studied dancing alongside another well-known dancer, Guglielmo Ebreo. Antonio admired his teacher greatly, calling him the king of the art of dancing.
In 1455, Cornazzano published his own book about dancing called Libro dell'arte del danzare (which means "Book on the Art of Dancing"). This book is an important guide to how people danced in the 15th century.
See also
In Spanish: Antonio Cornazzano para niños
