FIRENZUOLA

firenzuola, agnolo (1493-c. 1545), italian poet and litterateur, was born at florence on the 28th of september 1493. the family name was taken from the town of firenzuola, situated at the foot of the apennines, its original home. the grandfather of agnolo had obtained the citizenship of florence and transmitted it to his family. agnolo was destined for the profession of the law, and pursued his studies first at siena and afterwards at perugia. there he became the associate of the notorious pietro aretino, whose foul life he was not ashamed to make the model of his own. they met again at rome, where firenzuola practised for a time the profession of an advocate, but with little success. it is asserted by all his biographers that while still a young man he assumed the monastic dress at vallombrosa, and that he afterwards held successively two abbacies. tiraboschi alone ventures to doubt this account, partly on the ground of firenzuola's licentiousness, and partly on the ground of absence of evidence; but his arguments are not held to be conclusive. firenzuola left rome after the death of pope clement