ARETINO, PIETRO

(1492-1556)

Poet and satirist from the region of Arezzo who spent his formative years in Perugia, where he wrote his earliest poems. In 1517, Aretino went toRomewhere he worked forAgostino Chigi, the wealthybankerand patron ofRaphael, becoming a part of the Chigi-PopeLeo Xcircle. After Leo's death, Cardinal Giulio de'Medici, the pope's cousin, was Aretino's main patron. For the cardinal, he wrote scurrilous pieces on his competitors. When in 1522 Hadrian VI was elected to the throne instead of Cardinal Giulio, Aretino saw the wisdom to seek patrons outside of Rome.He moved to Mantua, where he worked forFederigo Gonzaga. Once Giulio attained the throne asClement VII(1523), Aretino returned to Rome, yet soon death threats prompted by the sonnets he had written to accompanyGiulioRomano's banned engravings of sexual positions (Imodi) and his insults directed at the influential Bishop Gio-vanni Giberti forced him to leave. After wandering through the north of Italy, he finally settled inVenicein 1527, where he spent the rest of his life. There he became a close friend ofTitian, who painted his portrait (1545;Florence, Palazzo Pitti), andJacopo Sansovino, whom he defended when imprisoned for the collapse of the roof of theLibrary of St.Mark. Among Aretino's plays areIl Marescalco(published in 1533) andLa Talanta(1542), and among his comedies isLa Cortigiana(1534), a parody onBaldassare Castiglione'sIl Cortegiano. HisRaggionamenti(1534) includes aNeoplatonicdiscussion in a brothel.