Martino da Como facts for kids

Maestro Martino (also known as Martino de Rossi or Martino from Como) was a famous Italian chef in the 1400s. Many people thought he was the best cook of his time. Some even call him the Western world's first "celebrity chef" because he was so well-known!

Maestro Martino worked in Italy. He was the head chef at the grand home (called a palazzo) of an important church official in Rome. This official was the Patriarch of Aquileia, who was also a "camerlengo" (a high-ranking helper to the Pope). Other chefs admired Martino greatly, calling him "the prince of cooks."

His cookbook, Libro de Arte Coquinaria (which means The Art of Cooking), was written around 1465. It's a very important book in Italian cooking history. It also shows how cooking changed from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance period.

Early Life and Career

Maestro Martino was born around 1430 in a village called Torre. This village is in what is now Canton Ticino, Switzerland. At that time, it was part of the Duchy of Milan.

He likely started his cooking career in northern Italy. People sometimes called him Martino of Como or Martino of Milan. He might have also spent time in Naples. Many of his recipes show ideas from Spanish cooking. This is because Naples was influenced by Spain after it was taken over by King Alfonso V of Aragon in 1442.

Cooking for Important People

Between 1460 and 1470, Maestro Martino moved to Rome. There, he cooked for Ludovico Trevisan, who was a Cardinal and the Patriarch of Aquileia. Cardinal Trevisan was famous for throwing huge parties and fancy dinners.

Later, Martino worked for Gian Giacomo Trivulzio. Trivulzio was a "condottiere," which was a military leader or adventurer from Milan. Eventually, Maestro Martino even cooked at the Vatican, the home of the Pope!

A Friend's Praise

We don't know much more about Maestro Martino's life. However, his friend Bartolomeo Sacchi, also known as Platina, wrote about him. In his book De honesta voluptate et valetudine (On Honorable Pleasure and Good Health), written in 1474, Platina called Martino "Prince of cooks from whom I learned all about cooking."

Platina openly said that most of the recipes in his own book came from Martino. He even compared Martino to a wise Greek philosopher because Martino was so good at creating new dishes on the spot.

See also

In Spanish: Martino da Como para niños