Franco Sacchetti facts for kids
Franco Sacchetti (born around 1335 – died around 1400) was a famous Italian poet and writer of short stories. He lived during a very exciting time in Italy, known as the Early Italian Renaissance.
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About Franco Sacchetti
Franco Sacchetti was born around 1335. He might have been born in Florence, Italy, or in Ragusa (which is now called Dubrovnik in Croatia). His father, Benci di Uguccione, was a merchant from a well-known family in Florence called the Sacchetti.
Franco was married three times. His first wife was Maria Felice Strozzi, and they had two sons, Filippo and Niccolo. Later, he married Ghita di Piero Gherardini, and then Giovanna di Francesco Bruni. His brother, Giannozzo Sacchetti, was a follower of Catherine of Siena.
His Early Life and Travels
Even when he was young, Franco Sacchetti became known as a good poet. He traveled quite a bit for different reasons. He visited cities like Genoa and Milan in Italy, and even went as far as Slavonia.
After 1363, he decided to live in Florence. In 1380, many members of his family were told to leave Florence because of a big event called the Ciompi Revolt. But Franco Sacchetti was allowed to stay. People said it was "because he is a very good man."
His Important Jobs
Franco Sacchetti held several important jobs in his city. In 1383, he was one of the "Eight," a group of leaders who helped run Florence. He served in this role during March and April.
In 1386, he was chosen to be an ambassador to Genoa. But he chose instead to become a podestà in Bibbiena. A podestà was like a chief magistrate or mayor, in charge of a town or district.
He continued to serve in similar roles. In 1392, he was the podestà of San Miniato. In 1396, he held the same job in Faenza. In 1398, the citizens of Florence made him the captain of their province of Romagna. He lived in a place called Portico while doing this job.
His Writings
Franco Sacchetti wrote many different types of poems. These included sonnets, canzoni, and madrigals. But he is most famous for his Novelle, which are short stories.
He originally wrote 300 of these stories. However, today only 258 of them still exist, as the others have been lost over time. Unlike Boccaccio's famous Decameron, Sacchetti's stories were not part of a larger connected story.
Many of his best stories are funny and lighthearted. His writing style is simpler and more like everyday talk compared to other writers of his time. Some of his stories are like folk tales that you might hear in many different countries.
Franco Sacchetti likely died around the year 1400 in San Miniato.
See also
In Spanish: Franco Sacchetti para niños
- Florence
- Early Italian Renaissance
- Renaissance humanism
- Republic of Florence
- Republic of Ragusa
Sources
- Zaccarello, Michelangelo (2017). "SACCHETTI, Franco" (in Italian). Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani, Volume 89: Rovereto–Salvemini. Rome: Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana. https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/franco-sacchetti_(Dizionario-Biografico).
