Cosimo Bartoli (December 20, 1503 in

Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany Regions of Italy, region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilan ...

– October 25, 1572) was an Italian diplomat, mathematician,

philologist Philology () is the study of language in oral and written historical sources; it is the intersection of textual criticism, literary criticism, history, and linguistics (with especially strong ties to etymology). Philology is also defined as th ...

, and

humanist Humanism is a philosophical stance that emphasizes the individual and social potential and agency of human beings. It considers human beings the starting point for serious moral and philosophical inquiry. The meaning of the term "human ...

. He worked and lived in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

and

and took minor orders. He was a friend of architect and writer

Giorgio Vasari Giorgio Vasari (, also , ; 30 July 1511 – 27 June 1574) was an Italian Renaissance Master, who worked as a painter, architect, engineer, writer, and historian, who is best known for his work '' The Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculp ...

, and helped him to get his ''

Vite ''The Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects'' ( it, Le vite de' più eccellenti pittori, scultori, e architettori), often simply known as ''The Lives'' ( it, Le Vite), is a series of artist biographies written by 16th-ce ...

'' ready for publication.Miller

Life

Bartoli worked in diplomatic circles, including as secretary to Cardinal Giovanni de’ Medici and as diplomatic agent for Duke

Cosimo I Cosimo I de' Medici (12 June 1519 – 21 April 1574) was the second Duke of Florence from 1537 until 1569, when he became the first Grand Duke of Tuscany, a title he held until his death. Life Rise to power Cosimo was born in Florence on 12 ...

. Bartoli wrote ''Ragionamenti accademici'' (Venice, 1567), which was mainly a criticism of

Dante Dante Alighieri (; – 14 September 1321), probably baptized Durante di Alighiero degli Alighieri and often referred to as Dante (, ), was an Italian people, Italian Italian poetry, poet, writer and philosopher. His ''Divine Comedy'', origin ...

. One chapter, however, gave descriptions of composers and instrumentalists. He cited the composers

Johannes Ockeghem Johannes Ockeghem ( – 6 February 1497) was a Franco-Flemish composer and singer of early Renaissance music. Ockeghem was the most influential European composer in the period between Guillaume Du Fay and Josquin des Prez, and he was—with hi ...

and Josquin des Prez as equal to

Donatello Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi ( – 13 December 1466), better known as Donatello ( ), was a Florentine sculptor of the Renaissance period. Born in Florence, he studied classical sculpture and used this to develop a complete Renaissance s ...

and Michelangelo in their respective arts, and stated that Ockeghem and Donatello were the precursors to Josquin and Michelangelo. In this book he also critiques architecture and painting, mainly focusing on the arts of his native Florence. He extolled the concept of ''invenzione'' in all the arts.

Works

* He also published a collection of translations of works by

Leon Battista Alberti Leon Battista Alberti (; 14 February 1404 – 25 April 1472) was an Italian Renaissance humanist author, artist, architect, poet, priest, linguist, philosopher, and cryptographer; he epitomised the nature of those identified now as polymaths. H ...

under the title ''Opuscoli Morali di Leon Batista Alberti, gentil’huomo firentino''. Venice, 1568. These included: *''Momo, ovvero del Principe'' *''De’ discorsi de senatori, altrimenti Trivia'' *''Dell’amministrare la regione'' *''Delle commodità e delle incommodità delle lettere'' *''Della vita di S. Potito'' * ''La cifra'' *''Le piacevolezze matematiche'' *''Della repubblica'' *''Della statua'' *''Della mosca'' *''Del cane'' *''Cento apologi'' *''Hecatomphila'' *''Deiphira''

References

*Clement A. Miller. "Cosimo Bartoli", '' Grove Music Online'', ed. L. Macy (accessed March 18, 2006)
grovemusic.com
(subscription access). ;Notes 1503 births 1572 deaths Diplomats from Florence Scientists from Florence {{Italy-writer-stub