Giovanni Battista Adriani facts for kids

Giovanni Battista Adriani

Giovanni Battista Adriani (born around 1511 or 1513, died in 1579) was an important Italian historian. He is best known for writing a detailed history of his own times.

Life of Giovanni Battista Adriani

Giovanni Battista Adriani was born into a wealthy and well-known family in Florence, Italy. His father, Marcello Virgilio Adriani, was a professor who taught literature. He also held an important job as the chancellor of the Republic of Florence. This meant he was a high-ranking official in the government.

Giovanni Battista followed in his father's footsteps in public service. He became a secretary for the Republic of Florence. He even helped defend the city during the Siege of Florence in 1530. After the siege, he joined the Medici family's political group. The Medici were a powerful and influential family in Florence. He was then appointed as a professor of rhetoric at the university. Rhetoric is the art of speaking or writing effectively.

Writing History for Cosimo I

A powerful ruler named Cosimo I asked Adriani to write a history book. This book was written in Italian and covered events from 1536 to 1574. Many people consider it a follow-up to the works of another famous historian, Francesco Guicciardini. However, some experts disagree with this idea.

Adriani's book was called Istoria dei suoi tempi (History of His Times). It was first published in Florence in 1583. A new version of the book came out in 1872. Another historian, De Thou, said that Adriani's history was very helpful and accurate.

Other Writings and Family

Giovanni Battista Adriani also wrote special speeches called funeral orations in Latin. These speeches honored important people like Emperor Charles V. He also wrote a long letter about ancient painters and sculptors. This letter was included in the third volume of a famous book by Vasari.

Giovanni Battista had a son named Marcello, who was born in 1533. Marcello also became a professor of rhetoric. He worked on editing and translating many classic texts from ancient times. One of his notable works was editing and translating the Trattato dell'elocuzione by Demetrius of Phalerum.

Works

• Giovan Battista Adriani: Istoria de’ svoi tempi ... Divisa in libri ventidue. Di Nuovo Mandata In Luce. Con li sommarii, e tavola delle cose più notabili. 2 vols. Giunti, Florence, 1583.
• Adolfo Bartoli (ed.): Scritti vari editi ed inediti di G.B. Adriani e di Marcello suo figliuolo. Gaetano Romagnoli, Bologna, 1871.

See also

In Spanish: Giovanni Battista Adriani para niños